Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have this?

C

cyclinggirl

Cathlete
Hi, don't worry, I WILL call my midwife if this keeps up.

Just curious to know if anyone else has experienced a low tightness, almost like a cramping or a bruised feeling below belly button and above your pelvis?

My baby has dropped...or officially engaged as far as I know. But I haven't felt any pain associated with it since it happend last weekend. Today, tonight rather, I feel so heavy down there and can't keep my hands off my lower belly. It feels tight and tender.

They decided not to give me a late ultrasound even though early on it appeared that I might have placenta previa...so I'm wondering what it is and if there's any relationship or if this is just "normal". I have had some braxton hicks now and then, especially after long walks...but this feels different.

My baby is moving around and seems to be doing fine...we're always up late and tonight is no different.

If anyone knows what this might be, let me know. I plan to call my midwife's office if it continues.

Thanks!!
steph
 
Hi Steph,

I don't have any words of wisdom for you, but wanted to send you some good vibes. I hope your sensations are only due to the baby dropping and your body stretching out. After Nico turned upside down over a month ago, I was very tender and tight down there, too - but only for one night. Now I'm tight and tender up on my right side where he keeps his feet crammed into my ribs.

Call your midwife and see what's up - and keep us posted :) I'll be thinking about you!

arancini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Arancini,

Thanks for thinking of me. I appreciate the positive vibes. Sorry about the Nico rib kicking you're experiencing...ouch!

I did call my midwives group late last night and the midwife on call said it was normal. She gave me a position to get into to relieve the pressure and get the baby's head unstuck without turning. Basically on knees with my forearms on my bed and butt in the air. She said to do it 15-20 minutes if I could stand it and to do it before bedtime or when things feel tight.

Honestly? It's not a comfy position so I could only hack it for less than 10 minutes -- I have a horrible head cold so putting my head low was torture. I went to bed and got up at 3am with the same tightness and had to get a yoga mat and do it in another room. I think it helped a bit. But this morning I didn't get to do it b/c we had day long birthing class that started early.

The good news? DH learned a new technique in class that helped loosen my pelvic muscles, I'll be asking him for help with this new discomfort. :) It made the class worth it just to have him see the other dads rubbing backs, shoulders, faces etc, and see that he could do it too -- awesome!! So glad to see that he gets it and is capable, he's been pretty distracted by our home buying stress so I was having my doubts about our birth day teamwork.

So I'm hoping my tightness subsides as I stretch out too...lots of BH lately...good practice I suppose. :)

Take care and big hello to Nico, maybe he'll be a soccer star!!

-steph
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

I'm so glad you've found some methods for relieving the tightness - and that DH can help you, too. I'm also glad that what you're feeling is normal :)

How is the new house project coming along? I hope it's not too stressful (although I know it certainly can be ... DH is still super stressed even though we're IN the new house).

BTW, what is the technique that your DH is using to relax your pelvic muscles? We're doing private classes at home due to DH's travel schedule, but mostly we've been practicing "forced relaxation" as far as the physical goes. Kinda oxymoronic sounding, huh?

Just as I read your line about Nico being a soccer star he gave me a big kick ... I hope your little one is doing well and stays head down until your big day!

arancini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hi Arancini,

I'm feeling a bit more normal today, I think a lot of the discomfort is due to strong Braxton hicks that I've been having while I'm seated. When I get up I feel an awkward tight pulling sensation, I'm sure my body will adjust to this new feeling.

The house situation got pretty complex and far more stressful than expected (thanks for asking). Seems like even the small stuff became a battle, but we're hoping to have our P&S on Monday and then move into the house in the next 2+ weeks -- provided it's ready and all the seller's stuff is out (this relates to the "battle" I mentioned).

I can relate to your comments about your DH being super stressed even though you're IN the house. I sooo hope that DH can chill a bit and enjoy our new space and prep for the baby. He's racing ahead to all the home improvement and decoration projects and it's exhausting just to listen to him, it's as though he forgets that there will be an actual baby to look after and enjoy as well. ") Men...gotta love 'em! I hope yours finds a way to de-stress, it's tough when you're traveling. He probably comes home and wants to "do it all" to make up for lost time. Good luck!

THE TECHNIQUE...

So the technique DH learned was a way of relieving back and hip pressure to the pelvic girdle. You get on all fours and/or lean forward bracing yourself on a birth ball with your knees on the floor. He's behind you in a chair and leans over and locates your pelvic bones (might be tough now so you may have to help him).

He grasps them the same way he would if you were dancing and he might be going for a lift from behind (thumbs on your back). His hands push together and slightly up, as though his thumbs might meet in the middle of the back of your waist. This would cause your pants to bunch up or gap in the back, and if you're small his thumbs might meet and create a "w" shape with his fingers. You should feel a sense of relief, of weight being taken off your back as your pelvic bones and muscles are moved. If you don't feel anything you may not be having any pain or pressure...OR he might not be doing it quite right, the lifting UP part is important. So he's pushing his hands together and slightly up at the same time. (It's tough to describe, if the move had a name I'd look it up for illustrations! Sorry.)

---

Are you enjoying your personal classes at home? That sounds very cool! I hope you also somehow get to meet some other moms who are due around your due date, I met 2 who are due within days of me. Our class will have A reunion with the babies in February after the last one is born -- should be fun to see!

Sprout is doing well, growing and moving tons -- right now. It's exciting to see and feel all the movements. Okay, this is gross, but I actually felt her peeing the other day and it totally freaked me out. But I guess they're drinking and urinating regularly now. I'm now a bit more convinced that it's a girl due to the direction of the flow. ")

On that note, hope you and the soccer star are having a good one!

Steph
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Steph,

Thanks for describing the pressure relieving technique - I'll have DH try it out tonight (now that he's home from Paris - "poor" guy).

My private classes are great - and my instructor brings along her 3 month old, who just lays on the floor giggling the whole time. The cats think he's some sort of new species and sit around him in a circle staring :)

I hope moving goes smoothly. I can't imagine doing it now - it was hard enough at 6 months. I imagine your DH will do almost all of it, just as my poor DH had to (except for the movers, of course). I've found unpacking is the most challenging thing now - bending over and picking stuff up is a PIA. Putting things into the boxes was much easier :) And I hope the old owners leave peacefully.

You can feel Sprout pee?? That is so cool - and weird, at the same time. I think Nico's flow goes a different direction, seeing as he's a boy, so I don't think I'll get to feel that.

Hang in there with the BH. Sometimes mine make it so I just have to lay on my side for a minute. And I don't know who the lucky ladies are that have them last just a few seconds - mine seem to last several minutes.

Take care,
arancini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Arancini...not feeling so sorry for your DH...I'd love to be in Paris about now. :) Let me know how the new manuever pans out.

Your private class sounds so personal and fun, and it's cool that your instructor brings her baby. You already have a baby/mama friend to chat with and call later on if you want to. Plus, your cat is getting used to a baby -- sounds like the total package!!

My DH hasn't moved much in his lifetime so I have the bulk of experience there -- some 20+ moves under my belt. Long story...nomadic childhood and early 20's. I'll be planning and arranging/organizing and letting the movers know where stuff should go. But you're right DH's job is to carry heavy objects...not something I can do at this point -- he loves physical labor though,so he'll be in his element! :)

He's been great lately about the fact that BH come whenever and last for 1-3 minutes. I'll keep in mind that the UNpacking might be more difficult now (thanks for the tip!). No deep boxes assigned to me!!

DH's 13 year old daughter lives with us PT and I think she'll be a HUGE help. She's totally psyched about the new house and she's never moved before so it's an exciting experience for her. So now it's just getting her to part with old toys, clothes, and some barely seen stuffed animals...that's been the tough part. She's handing down a few to Sprout but most will go to her cousins. She has a virtual wildlife preserve of stuffed animals -- it's NUTS!!!!

I'll also try the side lying for BH, sounds like it could help.

Take care, have a good week!

Steph


p.s. have you been doing the Tupler ab moves? I noticed that you mentioned them in a post. I was into it until my right side began getting really tight. Still love the theory behind it though, hope to use it in labor.
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Steph,

I have slowed down a lot on my Tupler training. My right side is also very sore and tight (Nico has been curled up, head down, with his feet up high on my right side for 2 months). I can do about half as many sets - but then I usually have to take a break or stop if I'm too sore. It helps if I do some during a standing pelvic tilt - I just have to be sure I keep my lower back very straight otherwise I don't think the moves are effective. I've maintained my Muscle Max and Gym Style rotation though, so hopefully my abs won't fall apart (no diastasis that I can detect anyway). I've been reading Ina Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth and have convinced myself that as long as I can at least get up on all fours during labor I'll be good to go ...

I was 13 when my first half-brother was born :) I was thrilled with him and really enjoyed helping. Well, I enjoyed it until my stepmonster decided to force me into unpaid babysitting stints that would last all weekend. So, I'll bet your DH's daughter will be a big help and have lots of fun with your new Sprout!

Take care,
arancini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hi Steph,
I'm at about 34 weeks now, and I've just started experiencing that tenderness you wrote about. My baby turned into the head-down position about a week ago, so as you say, maybe it's my body trying to adjust to the new allocation of space (which is increasingly in short supply). I will try that exercise you mentioned. Now that you're a little further along, are you still feeling that tenderness? How much more of this do I have to look forward to?
Manmohini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

By the way, Steph and Arancini, sounds like you two are also planning on natural childbirth. Is that right? I am gathering that from a few things you've said. I'm going that way myself, and find I have to be cautious about to whom I mention that. Have you found this as well?
Manmohini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Manmohini,

Yep - I'm going to try for a natural birth (if my plan changes though, I'm not going to beat myself up about it). I live in Chapel Hill and have found that a lot of people think natural childbirth is totally normal. I actually haven't stumbled a cross anyone who thinks otherwise (at least among my friends and others to whom I've mentioned it - but I'm an artist and my husband is a medical scientist). There is so much research that proves how detrimental drugs can be for both the baby and the mother that if you're not considering going without them, then you are questioned.

It sounds like you are having the opposite experience though ... but you can always find support through other people, even if they are in cyberspace ;) Have you read Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Birth? Very inspirational ...

Hang in there,
arancini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Ladies,

Sorry I've been lagging behind, just trying to finish up the details of purchasing our home and planning the move. (fingers crossed!)

Manmohini, my pressure has subsided. I had it for 2 days and then it went away. I see my midwife on Tuesday so we'll see if it has anything to do with my baby changing position or not. It still feels upside down and engaged, just not quite as low. We'll see...

Arancini, glad to hear that you're hanging in there with Tupler too. The exhale and pushing makes so much sense to me.

Yes, I'm definitely planning on natural childbirth. I have lots of allergic reactions to medications that have popped up in the last 2 years, so I'm highly motivated to avoid the affects on myself and my baby. My midwives know what to offer, what not to offer and unless I get into deep trouble, I hope to follow through as naturally as possible. This week I'm being tested for a few things so I can use the birthing pool at my hospital...provided I pass the tests, and the timing and our health is stable. I think it would be a wonderful experience but am prepared for a non-pool birth too.

I'm taking the hypno babies self study course right now, to control pain and relax. So far I'm feeling wonderful about the program. I love how it gives you some real tools to use during your birth experience. I was happy to discover that my hospital supports and teaches hypno birthing -- it doesn't get better than that!

Manmohini, I have the opposite problem, I have to be careful NOT to assume that other moms are going for a natural birth. I work in the uber liberal Cambridge, MA...and that's where my hospital is. So I have lots of support in that direction. But just across the river in Boston the C-section rate is pretty high and I think many women with the intention to go natural wind up with "emergency C's". And others are sort of discouraged out of the natural experience..."Why suffer, when you don't have to?", seems to be the attitude. That's gotta be frustrating.

With the pockets of different attitudes about childbirth across the nation it can be tough to get support for your ideas depending on where you live. Just know there are plenty of us like-minded women out here. Feel free to reach out online as Arancini said, it's such a great way to get honest support.

Wishing the best to you the natural way!

Steph
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Manmohini,

I forgot to say that I hope your tenderness and discomfort subsides. When it happened to me I felt like a different person, moving around was not comfortable or fun. So I hope you feel better soon. Keep us posted.

Best,
Steph
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Steph,

Where do you live/work in Cambridge? I lived there for 5 years before I married DH and moved here to be with him. I used to work in Kendall Square and have had 8 apartments - from Allston to Porter to Davis :)

It's no small wonder finding a new home in that area has been such a process for you!

arancini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey there Arancini,

Small world eh? I only work in Cambridge, but I did live in Central Square for a while. I lived happily in Davis for 5 years. Have lived in East Arlington, Belmont, Southie, Roslindale, Newton, and Charlestown...and many moves within each. But we found a place outside the "city", it's in Wayland. A beautiful home but lots of hoops to jump through, though we're pretty sure it's all worth it.

Did you say you're an artist? What's your medium? My passion is filmmaking but I'm not yet making a living at it.

Maybe we can share more details offline...not sure if this site has a PM (personal message) function, I'll check it out.

So, where are you living now??

Steph
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Steph,

I haven't had a chance to look into the PM function either ...

Wayland is beautiful One of my best friends grew up there and her parents still do. I'm sure it will be a great place to raise Sprout.

I work in oil and encaustic - but my studio has yet to really be unpacked in the new house. I have it all planned out though and have a space where Nico can sleep/play when I'm working. When I lived in NYC I used to work for Charlie Ahearn (filmmaker who did Wild Style and then some artist-documentaries). What kind of film are you into?

More later,
Erica
arancini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Arancini (Erica)...what is Arancini anyway? Your favorite food... a family name?

That's cool that you'll have space to work and for Nico too. Encaustic sounds so interesting. I used to paint decades ago but used acrylics with gel and cement mediums...I was cheap and impatient. I liked to layer the colors and it worked well. I sold my work to people with office spaces when I was a broke student(bit of a sell out).

I'd love to see your stuff if it's online.

I'm into making documentaries and some experimental films. I take the one man band video journalist approach. My themes mainly revolve around unsung heroes and the nature of family. Most of these ideas can be accomplished alone but I branched out last year and worked on a feature production with a group of people. That film will be going to festivals this winter/spring. It was great experience, it'll be fun to see where the film goes.

BTW you were right, I packed tonight and it was pretty tough. I took a fall the other day and landed on my hands and knees...skinned both knees badly on cement. So I wasn't able to bend or kneel while packing -- not good. I'm hoping my knees heal quickly, I'll need them for squatting and all sorts of fun positions for birthing. (My timing is so poor lately!!!)

What did you do for Charlie Ahearn?

Enjoy the weekend!
Steph
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Steph,

Arancini is both one of my favorite foods and a cat :) It means "little orange" in Italian. In terms of food, they sell these traditional, deep fried rice balls on the street. They are stuffed with cheesy rice and usually either a red sauce w/peas in the middle or a meat sauce. They are VERY addictive (good thing DH's favorite thing to do is cook!). One of my cats is a tiny orange girl I took in off the street ... hence the name. I use it as a nom de plume.

I have REALLY ancient stuff online at ericamackay.com. When I moved to NC I tried showing more "demure" stuff instead of the super explicit feminist stuff I did before. Now that I've decided to abort sales in the South (everybody wants pictures of lighthouses), after Nico is born I will return to my true calling.

Your films sound really interesting - and I'll bet being pregnant has you hopping with ideas :) Do you have any projects planned? I'll bet all of that is on hold for now, eh?

Charlie Ahearn is the DH of a painter I apprenticed in NYC; so mostly I ran errands for him, chatted, and was at their house/studio all the time. Not much in terms of direct filmmaking, but I got to see how his ideas evolved. Very nice guy (and I adored his wife).

Hope you're doing well ... try emailing me off of my website :)

Erica


arancini
 
RE: Lower abdominal tighness @ 34 weeks...anyone have t...

Hey Erica,

I emailed you from your website, hope you got it. Let me know.

Steph
 
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