Do braxton hicks contractions make you dilate in late pregnancy?
I went for my 35 week appt last week and I was 3 cm and she said my cervix was very very soft and baby was "right there". Since my appt ive had tons of BH's contractions with low backpain and menstral like cramping, an extreme increase in discharge ( losing my mucus plug) which twice it has had some blood with it. So im wondering if all that has anything to do with dilation? Does all that cramping and loss of mucus plug mean ive dilated more?
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Verified answer
braxton hicks do make you dilate, and it sounds like you are or are working on it. is this your first pregnancy? You can honestly walk around at 5 cm dilated and be perfectly fine and not in labor. until you have regular contractions that are able to be timed and have a pattern then enjoy the rest of your time... If this is your second pregnancy I'd say give your doc a call only because second labors tend to go very fast. All of your symptoms don't neccessarily mean you've dilated more, but they mean you could be... your next appt. is in a week or less so asked to get checked again for your own piece of mind. my midwife only does checks is 100% neccessary for the pure reason you can be in true labor and not be dilated 1/2 cm or not even be in labor and be 5 cm... if your contractions because 5 minutes apart and last that way for an hour OR your water breaks *it feels like balloon popping and water will gush or other times it slowly trickles down your leg and will make your socks wet* then thats when to go in. before that take some walks that will help engage, efface, and dilate... good luck.
You need to go into labor and delivery because you might actually be in labor and not know it, it happens a lot to women. You might have even dilated even more and not know it. Go get checked out as soon as possible
Nope - all they do is annoy the heck out of you
But to me it sounds like you *might* be in early labor
i asked the same question and didnt get answers.
just ask the doctor instead