Скачать или смотреть What does it mean if I have dull back pain and slight stomach cramping at 38 weeks?

You mentioned that you're 38 weeks along, you had a little bit of cramping and lower back pain, and you're wondering what this could be due to. And it's very possible that you're having mild contractions, because contractions can be felt as lower abdominal cramping, lower backache, abdominal tightening, pressure, and sometimes you have shooting down your thighs associated with all of those sensations. So basically, contractions are a lot of fun. They can range in intensity and frequency. And really, what it takes is intense and frequent contractions in order for your cervix to dilate. And that's the true definition of labor - when your cervix is dilating from hour to hour. So because you're 38 weeks, you'll want to watch for contractions that are about 4 to 5 minutes apart and intense enough that you have to stop and breathe through them. And once they get to that point, then it's time to go to the hospital and see if you're dilating.

There are other reasons why you'd want to go in sooner though. If you have any bright red vaginal bleeding, if you feel like your water is broken, or you're not feeling your baby move as much as usual, those, too, are reasons to go to the hospital independent of whether or not you're contracting. For example, a lot of women think that if their water breaks, they need to stay at home and wait until contractions start. But actually, your water breaking, in and of itself, is an admit ticket. The things we're looking for are regular and intense contractions that are changing your cervix, your water is broken, or something is wrong with you or the baby, so it's always best to go with the first two. Go to the hospital if you have any questions about what's going on, or you're concerned and you feel like you need to get checked out. Good luck with everything, and if you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at   / intermountainmoms  , and recommend us to your friends and family too.