Having contractions at night only?!

[missmatronic]

Hi all, looking for a little help from those of you who might have doen this before, or maybe just going through the same thing!! My due date is Friday (makes me 39+4 now, aah!) and for the last few nights I have been experiencing mild-moderate, irregular contractions but literally just at night time - between about 3am - 8am! They are painful but

Comments

[mela_chan]

I'd recommend, that when they start up, you try drinking something, eating something, walking around, taking a shower, and going back to sleep. Not that it helps with the mental part of things, but it does help you to feel proactive. I had contractions like that for weeks before my son was born - starting around 12:30 and then tapering off after a few hours. All along, though, they were helping get my cervix effaced and dilated, so at least even when it wasn't real labor things were moving along. When labor did finally start, it was at 12:25am, about the same time I'd been having contractions each night (though that could be coincidence).

So I would say that the contractions are working to get your body ready for labor and not to get discouraged! It will happen eventually.

[naomijameston]

Pretty much exactly what I was going to say, except that my real labor started during the day. But the "fake" labor was helping me dilate and efface so much that when we finally went into the hospital, I was already 7cm!

[missmatronic]

7cm - that's amazing! I would like that very much :) Thank you.

[naomijameston]

I was a full 10 within an hour, too. :) My OB couldn't believe it!

[ahavah]

A lot of times dehydration can cause sporadic contractions. I know a lot of us tend to avoid drinking a big old glass of water before bed, but try that and see if it helps. Have at least one glass right before bed and keep water by your bedside to sip on if you wake up. It may help.

If not, it could just be baby gearing up for the big thing!

[thesparklegirl]

Maybe you're a bit dehydrated? Try drinking some water to see if they'll stop and let you get back to sleep!

On the other hand, it could be doing *something* and maybe when you officially go into labor it will be shorter because of it!

[missmatronic]

On the other hand, it could be doing *something* and maybe when you officially go into labor it will be shorter because of it!

I *do* like this theory!!

[sandi1743]

are you hydrated enough?

[roseinthefall]

I could have written this the last month of my pregnancy. The last two weeks of my pregnancy contractions like those became a night and day thing. Mine ALWAYS started and became the worse around 3AM, which is exactly around the time I went into real labor when the time came.

Other than going through the regular checklist of dehydration and such I would try not to worry too much about this. If it's any constellation these contractions are likely doing some good for you. I was 2 cm dilated and 90% effaced by the time I went into real labor at 37 weeks. I ended up in real labor for only 8 hours and only had to push for one hour of that. So all this discomfort is probably going to pay off for you in the end!

[missmatronic]

Thank you! The thought that this could be shortening things if it isn't the start is about the only thing making the sleepless nights better at the moment!