Can i have contractions and not know it

Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. Pregnancy screenings can provide valuable information before your baby is born about the risks for common birth defects. If your pregnancy is unexpected, you may be feeling scared or confused about what to do. It is important….

Visit The Symptom Checker. Read More. Recovering from Delivery Postpartum Recovery. Here are some signs that labor might start soon. This is called lightening. Some of the effects of lightening include: Pressure in your pelvis.

Feeling lighter in your rib cage because the baby is lower. Need to urinate more frequently, as the baby presses on the bladder. Relief from heartburn. Increase in vaginal discharge.

A thick mucus plug covers the opening of the cervix throughout your pregnancy. When the cervix begins to dilate, it pushes this mucus into the vagina. Contractions are when the muscles of your uterus contract. They do this to push the baby out. If your contractions feel like this, you are in labor: Contractions are 5 to 10 minutes apart. They tend to get stronger and come in shorter intervals as time passes.

You feel pain in your lower back and your abdomen. Your water breaks. Signs that labor is imminent are a bit of a moving target. Some women feel the type of cramps that usually happen with menstruation.

They may come and go over hours or even a couple of days. You may start to feel pressure in your vagina or pelvis. Some women notice a change in their vaginal discharge, which may signal the passing of their mucus plug. It helps protect the baby from unhealthy bacteria outside of the uterus. As the cervix starts opening in preparation for labor, you may lose the mucus plug also called bloody show in one blob or gradually.

But now we know that bloody show can be nonspecific. You can lose the mucus plug, not go into labor, and the mucus can even re-accumulate in the cervix. Even if the mucus plug stays intact, you may notice other changes to your vaginal discharge. My mom was wedged between two car seats in the backseat, ha! But I wasn't anxious at all, it was a very calm vibe all around. I got to the hospital and they checked me, but not much had changed.

I was still three centimeters dilated, but now I was 80 percent effaced. They started me on the medication Pitocin, which induces contractions. One hour later, I was four centimeters dilated, and they broke my water. After that, the contractions started coming. But they were no big deal. They still felt like mild period cramps. I can handle this , I thought. My nurse was laughing at me. She was watching my contractions on the monitor and was amazed that I could still speak. I was texting my girlfriends back and forth to update them, and we were all joking about how I am not normal.

Then, I started telling my husband I wanted a third. After all, my first baby was a quick delivery. I hated getting it, I hate needles but I think my husband took it worse. I remember glancing at my husband after I got it and he looked so queasy from watching the epidural.

Apparently, the anesthesiologist had held up his hand and it was covered in blood.