# Back pain and menstral-like cramping... Am I getting close to labor???



## sunshynbaby (Dec 10, 2008)

I am having lower back pain and menstral cramps in addition to cervical pain and pressure that I have had since the baby dropped awhile back. Does this mean I'm close to labor? It doesn't come and go really, but I fear that I might be mentally blocking out the real pain. I tend to do that after years of really horrible menstral cramps. I don't feel anything like the braxton hicks that I have been having. The back pain seemed to come on suddenly last night, and the menstral cramping type pain came on gradually afterward. Is this just normal pain near the end, or should I be concerned???


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## Norasmomma (Feb 26, 2008)

I know it may be a little TMI but are you having loose stools? I had menstrual like cramping and back pain with my labor-it's pretty normal to feel like that. I also just plain felt weird, hard to explain just generally different than I ever had before.


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## sunshynbaby (Dec 10, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Norasmomma* 
I know it may be a little TMI but are you having loose stools? I had menstrual like cramping and back pain with my labor-it's pretty normal to feel like that. I also just plain felt weird, hard to explain just generally different than I ever had before.

No loose stool...


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

The _only_ indication that I was in labour with ds1 was back pain. It wasn't in waves - just one solid back pain that wouldn't go away. It was several hours before I realized I was in labour...no cramping at first or anything like that. You could very well be either very close, or already _in_ labour.


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## purplemoon (Sep 24, 2008)

It sounds like early labor to me.


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## melamama (Oct 8, 2002)

Could be early labor, but could also be prodromal.

Really the only way to know is if it continues and becomes more intense.


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## sunshynbaby (Dec 10, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *melamama* 
Could be early labor, but could also be prodromal.

Really the only way to know is if it continues and becomes more intense.

It's been over 20 hours since the back pain started, so I'm sure you are right.


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## melamama (Oct 8, 2002)

Do you have a chiro. to visit?
I feel like in these last weeks I slip out of alignment really easily.

That might help.


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## savithny (Oct 23, 2005)

That was exactly how labor started with me, both times. A bit of a backache and then waves of menstrual-like cramps. Took me awhile to realize it was coming in time-able waves.


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