Cramps? Contractions? HELP!

[anagator]

Hi Guys - i just posted this on Feb Mama's board too... but I'm hoping for a quick response....If anyone has any suggestions / advice. .. or can define this I'd be very appreciative. Thanks.
Ok, so here it is ... we're due Feb/27... this is our first as you all know...
Tonight, I twice literally grabbed my left side and doubled over... within a few minutes of eachother... felt like something grabbed my left side and squeezed HARD. It hurt. I doubled over, and was afraid to get up. Only on the left side. Right side was unaffected. It only happened twice, but my GOD it was horrible. No blood, no fluid leaking, and baby is kicking as per the usual. My friend is here... he is a non emergency paramedic... he thought it may be contractions? Can anyone help? Is this a contraction if it only happens on one side? Is this BH? Is this just plain old paranoia??? I'm nervous. Its stopped now, but definately it got my attention, as you can tell from the post! Any input greatly appreciated!! Thanks.

[sandiegogal]

My contractions (real labor contractions) made my belly really tight and uncomfortable, but did not feel like a sharp pain. This was both preterm labor AND my eventual real labor. And I also had BAD back labor :eek: - which just felt like a constant and terrible lower back ache that just won't go away - it started about 1 week before I went into real labor with Diana, and got worse day after day.

My advice...if it happens again, call your doc and ask. In fact, if it were me, I would probably call now and just ask about it. I always figured my docs were there to answer my questions - 24 hours a day if need be through the on-call service - that's what I paid them to do :) Always better to err on the side of caution...

Belly Pats!!

:p Kim

[Jenifer]

Increase your water intake and lay down on your left side for atleast 1/2 hour when this happens. If the pain goes away it was a fake. If the pain increase then it is most likely a contraction.

((HUGS))
Jennifer

[LisaV]

anagator-
It is like a sharp pain on one side, like someone is stabbing you? If that is, I have gotten that frequently with this pg. The first time it happend, i thought oh crap, i'm going into premature labor. It only lasted about 5 minutes then went away. I wrote it off as gas as it started down by where my thigh meets me belly and went around to my back. When it happened again I called the Dr and they told me it was round ligament pain and that as long as it is not a persistant pain and it goes away fairly quickly, i have no spotting or bleeding, or leaking any fluid, there is nothing to be concerned about. I can tell you from my 1st labor experience, when I was actually in labor, I thought I had to go "poopies" really bad. my entire stomach hurt (like the constipation) hurt. when i got to my dr that morning to have her check me (bc I didn't want to go to the hospital and be sent home like a pregnancy loser, as that had happened to me once already with that pg) I was 5 cm dialated. I'm sure that everybody feels labor differently, but with me, it felt like i was soooo constipated. i hope you are feeling better today!

[anagator]

Thanks Ladies,
Reading the replies has helped me to feel much better! The cramps / pains have stopped, and have not recurred... and theres no spotting or leaking of fluid or anything... whew!
I want him to stay in there at least til 38 weeks if we can help it! I'll be 36 weeks as of tomorrow... so I think we'll be ok. Doc says though that if he started coming today, they would let him come, and he would in all likelihood be just fine.