Hi Everyone,

I am a Mom of 4, three of my babies were born premature. I really want to share the story about the pre-term labor I experienced with my youngest daughter, because it was so unusual, and I have yet to meet anyone who has had the same experience. When I was 31 weeks pregnant (hospital records say 27, but they are wrong), I experienced what felt like Braxton-Hicks contractions. This was my third pregnancy so, I already know what REAL labor feels like,and with my first premature baby, I experienced REAL labor, I also experienced REAL labor with my fourth child who was also premature. This time it was very different. There was no pain, just an occasional tightening of my uterus. I honestly thought it was just Braxton -Hicks.

This happened on and off for a few hours, nothing regular, and definitely not more than 5 an hour. I felt some pressure, so I went to the bathroom, and noticed I was bleeding, that was when I knew something was wrong. My husband came home from work, and drove me to the hospital.

I walked into the Emergency Room and registered myself at the desk. Because I was not panicked, and not in pain, the ER made me sit and wait for maternity. About an hour later maternity came and took me upstairs. They strapped me to the contraction monitor. The monitor detected nothing, nada, not one single contraction. Sarcastically, the nurse said "You tell me when you have a contraction". She was assuming it was false labor or whatever and I did not know what I was talking about. Unfortunately, by that time, my contractions stopped completely. They finally decided to do an internal exam, and guess what? I was a full ten centimeters dilated.

Because the hospital did not have a NICU, they then transferred me to another hospital a couple blocks away. After a prolapsed cord when they tried turning the baby who was breach and had not dropped, she was delivered by emergency C-section, at 3lbs 4oz, and 14 inches long. She is now a healthy 21 year old, and pregnant with her first child.

I just wanted to share because so often I read what the warning signs, and symptoms of premature labor are, and I did not experience them the way they are described. Has anyone else experienced this?