Braxton-Hicks and IC

**MichelleMarie** · 02-08-2006, 05:33 AM

Hi everyone,
I'm only 20 weeks pregnant and I'm having what seems like a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions. No, they're not more than 4 per hour, they aren't painful and yes I've been drinking tons of water. I think on average I'm having 1 or 2 per hour, sometimes more or less. And NOW, as soon as they're done the baby starts kicking around!

So I think he's tired of them, too.

Anyway, my point is I'm starting to worry a lot about pre-term labor. I've heard that BH contractions can be caused by a full or irritated bladder - do you think IC might make you have more of them? Doesn't it seem early to be having them so much?

Thanks for any advice!!!
Michelle

**gloriabono68** · 02-08-2006, 10:54 AM

HEY michelle..
My baby is six months old now and i had alot of contractions the whole time , they were worried about preterm labor with me and keep me pretty much on bed rest . as much as possible anyway........check with your doctor as soon as possible....just to make sure nothing is going on that shouldn't........
let me know how you do........congrats on the baby tooo.......] shes gh helping me type as we speak.......lo
kristi

**sherry6** · 02-13-2006, 05:24 PM

I have had horrible contractions with my last three pregnancies. I didn't with my first. I definately feel like they are IC related. This is good to know, because they are mostly harmless. Very painful, very frequent, ( later on in the pregnancy)but they don't really make you dilate. I had to take terbutiline for all three pregnancies. It is a real pain (literally) but mostly harmless. The docs don't know that though, so they will probably put you on bedrest later on to play it safe. Good luck!

**Howie'sGirl** · 02-15-2006, 02:50 AM

I too had many contractions throughout my pregnancy and was hospitalized for the last four months due to the fact that I was already 5 cm dialated. I was told that the contractions were definitely a result of the bladder spasms--that it is the same hormone that causes both. Fortunately they were able to control the contractions until 36 weeks, when my son was born (very quickly!!) with no complications. The birth was so easy in fact....that if I ever decide to have another child I would rather just do the birthing part instead of the whole being pregnant thing!

My suggestion would be to make sure that your ob-gyn is familiar with the effect that IC has on pregnancy (there really hasn't been a lot of research done in this area) and that you take it extremely easy regardless of whether you are put on bed rest or not. Do everything you can to keep your bladder happy and calm and take extra special care of yourself. Remember that when the baby comes it will be all about him/her, so this time should be for you.

**hollipop** · 02-15-2006, 05:05 AM

Hmmm...this makes me wonder. I went into pretermlabor with my twins at only 21 weeks. And my DD was "slightly" premature, but survived. I was on bedrest for most of both pregnancies. I think you should go and get monitored and have your cervix checked. Do not hesitate. That's what the doctor is there for. Like Howie'sGirl, my L&D was nothing...just keeping them in there was my problem.

**MichelleMarie** · 02-15-2006, 05:47 AM

Hey ladies,
Thanks for your responses! Well, here's what happened. Along with the Braxton Hicks I also started having what I thought were very very painful contractions - 8 on a scale of 10. My whole lower abdomen was seizing up - it brought me to tears! So today I saw a doctor and they pushed on my belly and I told them it hurt - they said that wasn't my uterus, that was my bladder (I don't know why that didn't occur to me!). TURNS OUT that something is happening in my bladder (infection, IC related issues, who knows) - they think I may have been harboring an infection for the past couple weeks and its now causing my bladder to seize up! So I'm waiting for the result of my urinalysis...
On the bright side! My cervix is still completely closed and the baby seems fine, so I can live with any bladder issues. I just hope the infection hasn't started to move to my kidneys or anything. You know, thats the weird thing about having IC - sometimes even when my bladder is doing something extra bad, I think its normal and just blame it on the IC!

Michelle

**hollipop** · 02-15-2006, 08:41 AM

Glad the baby is safe. I hope you feel better!

**Alf** · 02-17-2006, 07:52 PM

Had the same problem w/my pregnancy. My daughter is nine months now.. I was overdue by two weeks. Keep your head up...you'll make it thru! Lots of rest!! Too much walking made me swell in all the wrong places!