help, i have regular lower abdominal pains at 24 weeks pregnant, is this braxton hicks?

[hopefulLady]

hi everyone.. I am 24 weeks pregnant and today since afternoon, I have been having very frequent and regular pains in the lower abdomen. It is sometimes sore, sometimes shooting pain, sometimes it travels to my vagina, sometimes grips my entire uterine area. It does not feel like a tightening or a contracting feeling. But the pain is coming every 2-3 minutes. Stays about half a minute and then fades. It again starts in less than 5 minutes.

I tried drinking water and lying down, it did not help. I do not have much of gas to cause this! I have had about 5-6 glasses of water since morning. I now tried walking about, but its still paining.

What do Braxton Hicks contractions feel like? Are they painful? Do you always have to feel the tightening or contracting feeling?

But my pain is not made better by rest or water or eating or walking :(
I just called my doctor and he said that I should keep "Duvadilan" with me and take a tablet in case the pain gets too much.
I checked on the internet, it says Duvadalin is Isoxsuprine Hydrochloride and is given to relax the uterus and avoid premature labour.

Has anyone experienced anything similar during their pregnancy?

[willow21]

Ive had felt loads of pressure across my lower abdomin n have really sharp pains as well to the point I cant move n wona scream nothing makes it go away its getting that bad I cant sleep n if I do its a few hours Im 24 weeks today any advice also Ive had this the past few days.

[hopefulLady]

It is UTI!!!!! I called the doctor this morning and he asked me to come to the hospital. They did an internal examination, OS was closed, he says there is no dilation etc.. The baby is doing fine, they checked the heartbeat as well.
He then did an urine test and turned out be a urine infection. He put me on Norfloxacin for 5 days and asked to drink lots of water.

[hopefulLady]

thanks, I was thinking its the baby.. then now at 3am, I got woken up with all this continuous pain, thought I need to pee and suddenly it occurred to me that this could be a UTI??

I came online to check the mh answers out here and just searched a bit on Urinary Tract Infections and find that its similar!!
I would love to think its only the baby flipping about, but now the pain has been there for more than 16 hours with no respite even in sleep. Does this sound like I am rather having a UTI?

I also have bearing down pressure and pain like my bladder is full and everything in my belly is trying to force down to come out ! :(

I am waiting for morning so I can call my doctor or get a urine test done!

[littlelady2010_kaitlyn]

It may be that your little one is flipping head up to head down or the other way around. My little guy did this at around 25 weeks, it caused all types of pain, shooting pains, cramps, pressure. Everything you can think of, it also caused muscle spasms, that kind of felt like contractions, but not exactly the same. Now I'm 30weeks and he still flips every once and awhile, it causes all the same problems and lasts for about 6-8hours. Laying down or drinking did not help either. What your going through really sounds similar to what I had, keep a close eye on it, and if things were to get worse, go right in. But I think things will settle down for you soon, best of luck!

[hopefulLady]

thank you. the weird thing about these contractions ( If they really can be called contractions) is that they come and go, but have not stopped at all for last few hours. I even tried a bowel movement (sorry tmi..!) but that did not help either :(

I really hope its a muscle spasm as you said. The baby seems to be REALLY on the move today, it is here one minute and the other side after 10 minutes... Even my belly is lop sided towards the right today and I can really feel the baby bump moving!! Its funny and cute.. I only wish it was not paining so much! Or is the baby moving because the uterus is contracting and scaring the baby!! :( ??
I know i sound super confused and silly!
I will try to relax for the night. I am feeling hungry from time to time and eating my regular meals and just took a Duvadalin, since the pain is not at all fading. Its a medicine which protects from pre term labour and I am psyched out enough to take the medicine!! phew!
Hopefully its only the baby's acrobats or the uterus muscle or maybe one of my fibroids deciding to make it tougher for me! I will have to wait and watch.

[momof1princess]

Braxton hicks contractions are usually a tightening of a part of the uterus. I have them from 18- 20 wks on with all my pregnancies. You may just be having muscle spasms, due to the fact that the uterus is a large muscle. I had pre term labor with my last to pregnancies at 30 and 31 wks. I was having full contractions regularly. You can also safely try benadryl which will help to relax you and should make the discomfort go away. It doesn't sound like braxton hicks or preterm labor at this point but keep a close eye on it and if you get to worried call your dr or go to the hospital.

[hiltonvslohan]

ive experinced a painful shooting feeling around that time in my pregnancy but it was more of a sharp pain shooting into my vagina and it would come and go as your describingbut it went away with rest. Lately though i have what im guessing is braxton hicks contractions, but mine hurt. most people say there's don't but mine defintily do! :) but they aren't regular well they are for about 20 min but then they go away for the day or so.