Question about Braxton Hicks

Ok since this is my first bubs, I have no idea about much that goes on with pregnancy. I try to educate myself but sometimes what happens to me freaks me out.

Ok so last Wednesday during the day I went to the toilet and I had this clump of what looked like snot (sorry if this is TMI) on the toilet paper when I wiped. Same colour (like when your sick...greenish) and consistency. That had me worried as I was only 17 weeks 1 day at the time. Went to the midwife the next day and bubs was there, heart beating away and everything :D So thats ok.

But later that night, I had what felt like contractions (or what I think mild contractions would feel like). They were in my lower abdomen and it felt like someone was tightening my muscles down there. Was a little bit sore, but more so uncomfortable.

Are these BH or is it too early to be feeling them (I was 17 weeks, 2 days when I felt this). And also has anyone experienced the "snot like discharge" and if so what is it?

Thanks so much in advance! Its so good having other mummies to talk to!

Edited by StephiG

Flutterby wrote: I first felt BH at 16 wks with this one. Mine are exactly like you discribed, except my whole bump goes hard. It normally starts off in my lower back and moves around to pelvic area and up. They feel like intense pressure and if I am lying down I feel the pressure in my chest as well.

That sounds like what I got! My lower tummy just went all hard and it felt like someone was squeezing the muscles really really tightly. And I tried to move to get it to ease up but it didnt (I was in the shower at the time, so tried using the hot water aswell) but it didnt stop. Then when I got into bed, the same thing happened again. Havent felt anything since though.

Do you get them often? Or just once every few days, weeks etc?

Yep that sounds like braxton hicks, some baby books describe it as feeling like a belt tightening and it's fine, just means your uterus is practicising. I found later in pregnancy the tightness would be across the top of the bump so it really isn't doing anything, proper labour is down low and hurts like a .........

Pregnancy comes with a lot of gross types of discharge but it might be worth just checking with your midwife, as they can always do a swab test and have it sent away to rule out any infections.

yep i had braxton hicks since about 13 weeks (this is my first baby also), sometimes they can be quite painful, and re the discharge, i have also had the snot type one, i used to get it intermittently from about 9 weeks, and asked my midwife and a dr about it and they said not to worry as its normal to have all different types of discharge including the snotty type one, and if its not a huge amount i wouldnt worry, i get it every other day at least now just a bit, usually in the morning..

my bh have started to feel like period pains and have moved to the lower abdomen apart from more the top of the bump, so they have increased in discomfort over the weeks, if they are quite frequent and are becoming really painful and not just uncomfortable thats when you need to call your midwife asap..

and if the snotty discharge is blood tinged i would also call the midwife then

two_boys wrote: Yep that sounds like braxton hicks, some baby books describe it as feeling like a belt tightening and it's fine, just means your uterus is practicising. I found later in pregnancy the tightness would be across the top of the bump so it really isn't doing anything, proper labour is down low and hurts like a ......... Pregnancy comes with a lot of gross types of discharge but it might be worth just checking with your midwife, as they can always do a swab test and have it sent away to rule out any infections.

My tightening was down low but didnt hurt which was good! Just very noticeable! I will definitely talk to her about the discharge though! Was meant to bring it up with her at the last appointment but totally forgot! Next appointment is on the 3rd of Feb, 2 days after my anatomy scan, so will discuss it then. I havent had any more of it though since I had it the other day :D

busymum wrote: Yep that's braxton hicks and you'll feel them off and on with no regular pattern for the remainder of the pregnancy. When you have contractions, you'll feel things changing inside as well as the outer tightenings. Re the mucous discharge, that's really common too and will come and go throughout the pregnancy. It's yucky but could be worse, I guess! If there's no blood, then no worries. When you get to the end of your pregnancy and have a 'show' that is also mucous (a mucous plug) but it wouldn't be contained in a piece of toilet tissue.

Im glad to hear that they are BH and nothing serious! If it was something serious im sure I would know about it by now!

Also, what do you mean by "it wouldnt be contained in a piece of toilet tissue". Do you mean that its a lot bigger and would be in the toilet? Also, can people at my stage of pregnancy lose their mucous plug. And what happens if they do? So many questions! lol

I started having BH from 19 weeks. And it's really normal to have a lot more discharge than normal! Well that's what i got told!!