Contractions, already?

So, last night was a weird night for the baby and me. About the time I went to bed, she started with the hiccups. This is the first time I have felt her do it, and I felt really sorry for her- they were really strong hiccups and lasted for more than an hour- it was weird at first, then mainly just annoying as it got closer to midnight. They say it doesn't bother the baby, but it sures seems like it would... I wouldn't want to hiccup that much! My friend Anne's little girl had hiccups frequently during the pregnancy and continued them now as a newborn. And I was talking to the mom of one of my patients who said one of her twins had hiccups all the time in utero, and after they were born she was able to pinpoint which one, because she continued to hiccup as a baby. Kinda silly!

Well, that wasn't the weirdest part. About 1-2am I was awakened by the tightest squeezing of my huge belly, I was groggy at first- but then recognized it as a contraction! Yikes. So, of course this freaked me out- I dont want to have contractions now! After it stopped and I calmed down- I recognized this as a Braxton Hicks contraction, which is common and no big deal. Didn't keep me from worrying and counting the minutes until the next one- after all what if I was in labor? After about 15 minutes, the only thing going on was my heart pounding - so I woke up Jeff and told him what happened. He seemed unimpressed when I said "I just had a contraction". I think we need to work on that one- when the real thing comes I need the guy to REACT! Start timing them or something at least! Anyway, Braxton Hicks contractions are common during pregnancy after 20 weeks and dont actually mean anything- ie I am not going to have the baby early or anything. They are considered painless (hmm??) "practice" contractions that dont go anywhere. The closer you get to the end of your pregnancy, the more often you feel them and they get stronger and longer. I am not sure I buy the painless thing yet- I am not sure it really hurt last night, but was a bit scary and didn't feel wonderful.

All I know - my one contraction has left me a little freaked out. I have never felt anything like that before. It is getting very real now, someday I could wake up to a much bigger squeeze that could mean she is on her way. LOOK OUT!