Why didn't I listen to my body?

So my Ob has been checking my cervix every appt since my 20 week appt. Everything was looking great but this past Sat. I had an odd feeling. Sort of like some one pushing in on my hips. The feeling made my back ache as well. At first I thought I was just getting a regular back pain from standing to long but then I started to notice the pain would go and come every few mins. I'm not sure how long I felt like this before I noticed a pattern (maybe an hour or two?). I started to time the back pain and it was coming every 3-5 mins. We were out at dinner so I just kept track of the pain. After 30 mins they spaced out to every 10 mins or so. We left and went right home. I took a bath and what I thought were braxton hicks stopped. I knew what I "should" do and that was to call the OB and go to L&D but since they stopped I figured they were just BH's and it was fine. I have not got the feeling again since then. With my DD I had some preterm labor around 33 weeks. This felt nothing like that! I was crampy and had all the signs. This time all I felt was back pain and it didn't even really hurt...just a dull pain.

I had my 24 week appt yesterday and my OB checked me. She said that the outside of my cervix did soften a small amount. It's nothing to be worried about but for me to slow down a little. She also gave me the "talk" about calling in no matter what and that I was very lucky the contractions didn't do more then effect the outside of my cervix (the inside is still long and closed).

I know this is asked a LOT but I am just looking for personal "feelings". I know the signs of preterm labor but since this was nothing like that I was wondering what signs you ladies felt with preterm labor?

Has anyone had something like this happen and your cervix not change anymore? I really want to make it to 37 weeks.

Any stories would be great. I am VERY mad at myself b/c I KNOW better then to play around with a twin pregnancy like that. I should have gone right in but I guess I was in denial since my last cervix exam was so good. I'm learned my lesson though and at any sign or trouble I'll be dragging myself to L&D!

 

Jennifer, don't beat yourself up to much over this now. :hug: I am 100% of the train of thought that when in any doubt call your doctor and from now on, I'm sure you will. :hug: :hug: I have no experience with a cervix changing, sorry.

:grouphug:

 

:hug: I am glad that you realized that you probably should have called. It is always better to be safe rather than sorry.

I went into PTL at 24 weeks. I can't really explain it and there was nothing definitive going on, I just didn't feel right. I called my Dr, she had me go in. I was having contractions, I was dilating, I had a positive fFN, and my cervix was funneled. My previous Dr's appt was 3 days before this, and at that point everything was fine so all of this came on extremely quick.

Just listen to your body. Follow your gut, and never doubt calling if you have any concerns! :hug:

 

I had my 29 week appointment and everything was fine, 0 thinning of my cervix and no dilation. 31 weeks comes around I go in my Dr checks my cervix and when he is finished, he looks at me and shaked his head. He said in 2 weeks you have become 75%effaced and are dilated between 1 and 1 1/2 cm. I was like HOLY CRAP i thought they were coming soon! So he did a fetal fibronectin and sent him home on STRICT STRICT bedrest.

They called that morning before i was even out of bed and said that the fetal was false. And that with twins that should mean I wont deliver within the next 7-9days. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom, and lost my mucus plug (5 mins after that phone call) I freaked out again!!!! They told me it was ok, just to watch for contractions, the back pain, anything different.

So i went in one week later(32 weeks) and there had been NO change what so ever to my cervix.

The Dr said theres obviously no way to know for sure, but that there was no change at all in a week was a wonderful sign and that I could still make it to 36 weeks.

 

I don't really have any personal story to add, but I just wanted you to know I have been thinking about posting the exact same question. Thank you so much for posting it because I didn't know how to go about asking. I am 23 weeks pregnant with mono di boys and at 21 weeks i had some sharp pains in my uterus and a very mild backache, I called and ob had me come in. I was dehydrated and have in his words having "enough contractions". I was sent to L&D and had two bags of fluids and one shot of terb. The nurse after the shift change said I could go home after the one before her said I had to stay and be montiored again in the morning...I left and regreted it because over the next couple of days my back continued to hurt and I really thought I felt like I was have BH. So my next appointment my OB asks if I feel myself have contractions and I said yes, he did a vag exam and everything is closed and tight, I got monitored and I was not have any contractions and I thought I was. My FFN came back negative though :silly:. But now I just don't know anymore.

 

Yes...always follow your gut. My DW just had some cramp, she was 10cm dialated by the time she went to the hospital (24 weeks 5 days)...The babies had to come out then and there with an Emer. C-Section.

It was Midnight, it wasn't even bad cramps she said. She could have easily went back to bed since she had to work at 5AM, but she decided just to go to the hospital. She said no one would have to know if she "cried wolf" and went to the hospital in the middle of the night.

One more hour, those kids would have been born at the house (45 minutes away from the hospital) and NEVER would have made it.

Her "gut feeling" saved our kids.

 

I had braxton hicks from 24 weeks until I delivered at 37w3d. I had 4 pregnancies before my twin one and to be honest I was super surprised those braxton hicks were doing nothing to my cervix. I found them to be intense and often came in the evenings when I was especially tired. Whenever I noticed them increasing I would do whatever I could to get myself either sitting down or lying down. I would also drink an extreme amount of water and take some powdered magnesium. I hope this helps you. Not everyone who does experience contractions in a twin pregnancy goes into labor early. But I totally agree with your Dr. to call in when it is happening. I was hospitalized once because the contractions were every 4 minutes, but again it did nothing to my cervix. They mostly hydrated me and and gave me some pain medicine.

 

Dont beat yourself up about it. I know for me I went into PTL on thursday morning. I had been having B on and off since I was about 18 weeks, but I didnt think anything of it. On thursday the 3rd we went in for an u/s to check the growth of the boys, and I was in major pain, so we went up to L&D and sure enough I was in PTL. I was exactly 24 weeks. I am now on strict bedrest, and when they last checked me I was 1.5cm dialated and 60% effaced. Now we are just hoping to make it to 32 weeks.

 

I had lower back pain, went to my doctor, and he determined it was just muscle pain (phew!). I was also given a description of what kind of back pain to watch out for with regards to preterm labor. Of course, it's one thing for a doctor to describe it and another thing for women who have been through it to describe it.

Some specific questions I have: did anything make it go away, where exactly was it, how long did it last, how strong or dull was it, did rubbing it help, what did the rythmic part feel like, did you know right away that it wasn't normal back pain, was it in your muscle or spine or somewhere else, was it on the surface or deep inside of you, how it came and went, etc.

 

Once I was taken off the mag drip and I went into labor on my own, it was ALL back pain..Started dull and then just intensified over the next 10 hours or so. Some of the worst pain I have ever felt. It was all in my back no real cramping or anything. Always get it checked because they didnt have teh contraction monitor in the right spot and they swore it wasnt contractions, turned out it was.

 

First off, let me tell you that you shouldn't beat yourself up (I know.. Easier said than done), especially since everything turned out ok. It sounds like you've learned whatever lesson you were meant to learn from that experience (Yes, I am a believer that everything happens for a reason), so don't get upset at yourself. Do trust your mommy instincts.

To answer your question regarding PTL 'feelings', here goes for my story. I had what I, and my Ob's nurse, thought were Braxton Hicks contractions from Monday to Wednesday. I had called the office on Monday and was told to just lay on my left side and drinks lots of water. I did, but every time I would get up or move around, the BH were right there. Finally, on Wednesday, I called the office again and was asked to come in the following morning. I figured, how bad can it be since the nurse is making me wait a whole day! When I went in on Thursday, I was immediately wheeled into L&D from the Dr's office after an u/s revealed that I was dilated and that had hour-glass membranes. A subsequent pick at my cervix (thankfully the ob looked before she tried to stick her fingers!) revealed that I was dilated 2-3 cm and that twin A bag was bulging thru my cervix! I was 22w3d and panicked, and scared and upset at myself. To make a long story short, I stayed in the hospital for 11w3d and delivered my twins 1 day short of 34 weeks. They stayed in the NICU for 17 days, which compounded my guilt at having sat at home with contractions for over 3 days.

But no amount of guilt or anger can change anything about what happened to me or what could have happened to you. The bottom line is that your cervix did not open or shorten due to the contractions, and the next time that something like that happens to you again (if it ever does), you will call the doctor and head out to the hospital. So as I said, don't bat yourself up. You can't change what has been, but you can adjust the way you'll react to what might be!
:hug:

 

Thanks so much everyone. :grouphug:

It happened again Wed. night so I called my OB and went into L&D. They had a hard time bringing anything up on the monitor b/c of me being overweight . I had come down with a pretty bad cold as well so my Dr. decided to hydrate me and see if it helped. About an hour later they started to slow down. I was checked and my cervix was still the same from my appt. the day before. So she let me go home and I had a follow up the next day at the office which my cervix was still the same. I was so happy it didn't change! My Ob said my uterus was just irritable and take it easy from now on. Good thing my last day of work was friday. I have not had anymore contractions since then and I have another appt next week. I'm hoping we can make it to at least 34 weeks!