Health Forum

I am 36 weeks pregnant with my first baby. My doctor says that he is head down, but hasn't dropped all the way. Since then I keep feeling the urge to make a bowel movement, but when I try, there is nothing there. Is this normal?
I have also been getting a lot of cramping (like menstral cramps).

The second part of my question is, I have been experiencing a lot of head aches/ dizziness. My blood pressure has been fine, but I have a trace of protein and blood in my urine, has anyone else experienced this?

I am 38 weeks preggo with my 2nd and have had the same thing the past week of so. The feeling of having to go to the bathroom but nothing is there. The menstrual cramping was a sign of labor for me with my first. But when I went into labor with him, they were consistently a couple minutes apart, and nothing I did eased the pain..they only got stronger. The past couple of days I've had on and off menstrual cramping also, but nothing consistent. In my experience, I KNEW when it was labor because they got closer together and extremely painful...I couldn't walk or talk through them.

Keep an eye on how often they are happening....and if they get to be 5 minutes apart and each last 1 minute...for over an hour...go to the hospital. If they are sporadic and ease up if you change positions, etc...you are probably just feeling the growing pains of the last month of pregnancy as your body readies itself for birth.

Headaches are common during the last weeks of pregnancy, as is dizziness as you are carrying a lot of weight in your belly and your center of balance is way off track. If you start seeing white spots though, go to the ER as this can be a sign of preeclampsia. Since your blood pressure is fine, that doesn't sound like the case for you though.

I remember how stressful my first was and being nervous that I wouldn't know when I was in labor. TRUST me..you will just KNOW. :) Good luck!

I am 38 weeks preggo with my 2nd and have had the same thing the past week of so. The feeling of having to go to the bathroom but nothing is there. The menstrual cramping was a sign of labor for me with my first. But when I went into labor with him, they were consistently a couple minutes apart, and nothing I did eased the pain..they only got stronger. The past couple of days I've had on and off menstrual cramping also, but nothing consistent. In my experience, I KNEW when it was labor because they got closer together and extremely painful...I couldn't walk or talk through them.

Keep an eye on how often they are happening....and if they get to be 5 minutes apart and each last 1 minute...for over an hour...go to the hospital. If they are sporadic and ease up if you change positions, etc...you are probably just feeling the growing pains of the last month of pregnancy as your body readies itself for birth.

Headaches are common during the last weeks of pregnancy, as is dizziness as you are carrying a lot of weight in your belly and your center of balance is way off track. If you start seeing white spots though, go to the ER as this can be a sign of preeclampsia. Since your blood pressure is fine, that doesn't sound like the case for you though.

I remember how stressful my first was and being nervous that I wouldn't know when I was in labor. TRUST me..you will just KNOW. :) Good luck!

could be in labor, call your OBs emergency line, or go to the ER