Contractions - How many is too many?

I'm nearly 19 weeks with mono/di twins and for the past week or so, i've been having a lot of contractions. I've been told that it's pretty normal for twin moms to have contractions this early, and that there's not much that could be done at this point re pre-term labor anyway. So regardless, I'm just going to have to go with the flow!

My cervix was 35mm at the last appointment on Thursday, so, so far so good.

But just to put my mind at ease, could you tell me how often and how frequently you've had contractions? Because "a lot" could mean several an hour (as I've been having on many days... and I've been having contractions EVERY day) or several a day or several a week.

If this really is totally normal, that will definitely help me relax even more! Otherwise, I guess I just wait and see, like with everything else in this crazy pregnancy! Thanks ladies!
:wavey:

 

Are these you first babies? I actually had a lot of braxton-hicks contractions during my pregnancy, however, the girls weren't my first pregnancy and I didn't have a history of pre-term labor or miscarriages. When in doubt, call the OB. Don't feel silly!! That's what he/she is there for. If you think you are having too many, then go with your gut and call the doctor. There is no need to worry when a quick call could set your mind at ease.

Every woman's pregnancy is different and it is hard to compare such things as early contractions b/c everyone is so different. I did have BH contractions quite frequently, but there was no consistency in them. Sometimes they were a couple a day, sometimes I wouldn't feel them for quite some time. Sometimes it was my stomach and muscles stretching and it felt like contractions. If you feel uneasy about the amount you are having, I highly suggest a call to your OB just to be safe.

 

My OB always said 4-6 in an hour warrants a call to her, and a trip to triage to check to see if they are affecting my cervix. I would definitely call if you're at all concerned. It can't hurt at all!

 

Thank you, Rachel and MissJoli.

At the appointment two days ago, I did mention to the doctors about the non-stop contractions and they seemed concerned while talking to each other, just outside the room, but when I asked them they said their view was that it's too early to do anything about it if I actually did go into PTL, but that I could always come in to have my cervix checked any time it would put my mind at ease.

But I was just hoping this many contractions was totally run of the mill, par for the course, part of the game, and lots of other worry-reducing cliches! Did anybody have this many for this long? (i.e., ranging from 2-6 per hour fairly consistently for a week, no pain, no cervical shortening (yet))

I hope my boys are OK in there! :itwins_boys:

 

Oh, and yes, these are indeed my first babies.

 

QUOTE(CBIRD @ Sep 27 2008, 11:26 AM) [snapback]1000313[/snapback]
Thank you, Rachel and MissJoli.

At the appointment two days ago, I did mention to the doctors about the non-stop contractions and they seemed concerned while talking to each other, just outside the room, but when I asked them they said their view was that it's too early to do anything about it if I actually did go into PTL, but that I could always come in to have my cervix checked any time it would put my mind at ease.

But I was just hoping this many contractions was totally run of the mill, par for the course, part of the game, and lots of other worry-reducing cliches! Did anybody have this many for this long? (i.e., ranging from 2-6 per hour fairly consistently for a week, no pain, no cervical shortening (yet))

I hope my boys are OK in there! :itwins_boys:


I had more than 4 an hour my whole pregnancy, from 22 weeks on. First time I was in L&D for hours b/c they were coming every 3 minutes, luckily no dilation. Terb shot stopped it, sent me home, but came back the next morning. Back to L&D and I was put on bedrest for a week. I was still having them constantly at the end of the week, but no cerv changes, but they put me on bedrest for the rest of the pregnancy (until 36 weeks...had the babies 7 days later) with terb pills as needed. I was nervous about so much medication so I tried to ride them out when possible, but when they would get to every few minutes, I'd take it. By the 7th month, I was taking it round the clock and still having contractions.

The good news is that when I finallt went into labor for real (after my water broke at 37 weeks), the cervical changing contractions seemed like a piece of cake...lots of practice, I think! IMO the bedrest and terb are the only reason my babies made it to 37 weeks so if the dr recommends either, I would do it. I hate medication, but in the end, my twins had no NICU time and came home with us. If I had been stubborn about the BR or meds, they may have been born way too early.

GL and drink LOTS of water (it helps!)!! :hug: Hugs to you, I know I was scared for weeks!

 

QUOTE(CBIRD @ Sep 27 2008, 07:23 AM) [snapback]1000074[/snapback]
I'm nearly 19 weeks with mono/di twins and for the past week or so, i've been having a lot of contractions. I've been told that it's pretty normal for twin moms to have contractions this early, and that there's not much that could be done at this point re pre-term labor anyway. So regardless, I'm just going to have to go with the flow!

My cervix was 35mm at the last appointment on Thursday, so, so far so good.

But just to put my mind at ease, could you tell me how often and how frequently you've had contractions? Because "a lot" could mean several an hour (as I've been having on many days... and I've been having contractions EVERY day) or several a day or several a week.

If this really is totally normal, that will definitely help me relax even more! Otherwise, I guess I just wait and see, like with everything else in this crazy pregnancy! Thanks ladies!
:wavey:



OKAY WELL I STARTED HAVING CONTRACTIONS AT ABOUT 12 WEEKS. JUST THE BRAXTON HICKS...NO PAIN. I HAVE HAD THEM EVERYDAY....ABOUT 6 AN HOUR. WHICH IS WAY TOO MANY! BUT AFTER LYING DOWN AND DRINKING ALOT OF WATER, THEY WOULD SLOW DOWN WHICH IS GOOD! NOT TO SCARE YOU BUT I AM 25 WEEKS NOW AND HAVE DIALATED TO A LOOSE 1CM AND I AM THINNING. MY CERVIX WENT FROM 3.9 TO 2 IN 4 DAYS AND HOPEFULLY THIS MED THEY ARE GIVING ME WILL STOP THE CONTRACTIONS SOON! SO I WOULDNT BE CONCERNED AT ALL UNLESS THEY ARE NOT GOING AWAY AND MY DOC SAID MORE THAN 4 AN HOUR TO GO GET CHECKED. SO JUST BE AWARE OF THAT. I WENT IN THE ER L/D JUST BECAUSE THEY SAID TO. I DIDNT GO IN ON MY OWN WILL. I FELT FINE....AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW.....IM IN PTL. SO JUST BE CAREFUL. AND GOOD LUCK!

 

QUOTE(CBIRD @ Sep 27 2008, 10:26 AM) [snapback]1000313[/snapback]
Thank you, Rachel and MissJoli.

At the appointment two days ago, I did mention to the doctors about the non-stop contractions and they seemed concerned while talking to each other, just outside the room, but when I asked them they said their view was that it's too early to do anything about it if I actually did go into PTL, but that I could always come in to have my cervix checked any time it would put my mind at ease.

But I was just hoping this many contractions was totally run of the mill, par for the course, part of the game, and lots of other worry-reducing cliches! Did anybody have this many for this long? (i.e., ranging from 2-6 per hour fairly consistently for a week, no pain, no cervical shortening (yet))

I hope my boys are OK in there! :itwins_boys:



That happened to me for about three weeks, in fact, I sometimes got up to 15 an hour, but that was after I got mugged and punched in the stomach. My doctors pulled me off work for a hwile, and I livedf at L&D for about a week... they thought it was caused by internal tissue irritation or bruising from the attack... but even 3 weeks of that many contractions did not change my cervix at all, but you do need to be really careful/follow up on this.

When do you get them the most? (For me, it was driving) Are there certain positions? Lying down? Sitting down? Do you work? If so, does it require a lot of time on your feet/activity>? Can you modify work to be in positions where they happen less often?

Have they told you to drink a TON of water? And to keep a full stomach? that really helps, make sure to eat a FULL MEAL as soon as you get up in the morning, and drink AT LEAST 12 8-oz glasses of water a day, and make sure to pee often (a full bladder can get them started, too). Drinking that much water is hard but it is very, very important (the first thing they would do when I would go into L&D is force me to drink a HUGE mug of water, and it worked about half the time!). Also make sure you are getting enough sleep- last time that happened nothing worked but they told me to go home and sleep, and come back in the morning if they continued- sure enough after a full night sleep they stopped!
I'd limit your activitiy until they calm down. All of those things really helped for me as far as frequency, and how often I would get many in a row.

Have they checked you for vaginal and bladder infections? That could be causing them to happen more often, too....

Rule of thumb- if you get 6 or more an hour, ALWAYS call your Dr. I've been told by L&D the ones that change the cervix *usually* hurt, but don't always- although not usual, they could be changing your cervix if you are getting a lot even if they don't hurt, so you should ALWAYS get assessed.

And yes they can do things to help- if you are active, etc. for instance they can put you on bedrest, and there are medications, etc. if it is beginning to change your cervix.

 

Drink tons of fluids. Dehydration and a full bladder are the two biggest causesa of Braxton Hicks or practice contractions. Drink a lot, keep your bladder emopty and rest with your feet up when possible. More than 5 an hour I would call your doctor. Best of luck!

 

Wow, thanks, your responses are really helpful. I think I've been good about the water thing and the bladder-emptying thing. So far, I can't figure out a position that makes them worse or better. I seem to get them every which way! Lying down, sitting up, standing up... the only thing I've noticed is that in the evenings (and they are definitely worse in the eves and at night), EVERY time I stand up, I get a contraction!

I'm so relieved to hear that if they aren't painful they are unlikely to change my cervix.

I'm going to call the doctor on monday and see if they can just check my cervix again. Luckily, I can do my job from anywhere and in any which position, except for 2 hours 2 x a week so staying more horizontal is easy to do. Downside is: my husband commutes to another city 4 days a week, so I'm on my own a lot, which makes staying lying down more difficult.

desolation, someone MUGGED YOU and hit you in the stomach?! A pregnant lady? Seriously, what kind of psycho does that. Geez. I about fell off my chair. You poor thing.

Jess, hope everything is going OK and your little ones are staying put.

Thanks again to everyone.

 

Yeah I have pretty much the same deal you have. I actually didn't want to read this or write in it because I thought my case was weird.

I had a lot of BH with my son and just thought nothing of it and neither did my dr. I had a VERY quick delivery and I think that helped me along.

With this pregnancy I started having them at like 16 weeks and had a lot of them. My Dr calls it an irritable uterus. I drink a lot of water and try to stay off my feet for the most part. I get over 6 an hour and at nights I can get over 10 an hour. This really happens on weekends at night for some reason when I can only go to the ER in the next town 20 min away. I've talked to my dr about it and we've decided since my cervix is fine that if they start getting really close like less than 3 minutes or if they become really painfull and not like my regular BH then to come in. In a couple of weeks we will do nonstress tests and I get my cervix length checked with the ultrasounds.

This is not what Drs normally say to do but in my case it is working with us. I just really don't want to disrupt my DH, son and DH's family to go to the hopsital in another town and sit there in the ER forever just to have it be nothing another false alarm like every other night.

I make sure to eat at least a snack every 2 hrs to keep my blood sugar up and drink water and eat ice to stay hydrated.

Sorry this is so long, basically find what works for you and your dr, but if something feels wrong or different call you dr and check it out. Good luck!

 

I get lots of contrax and started early like you did...lots of fluid helps.