My epidural left me with some sensation of the pain of the contractions and as they increased, I needed to use gas and air for them as well they were so intense. From what I could see looking at the graph of the monitor I was hooked up to, they made my pre-pitocin contractions look like hiccups.
FYI this is what contractions look like on a monitor if you've never seen them. Top red line is baby's heart rate, bottom red is mine. Black dots are baby's movement (mine never stops!) and the jagged lines are contractions. The last few times you'd just see the line close to the bottom with some spikes.
The monitor can pick up BH contractions because of the fact that your muscles do tighten when you are having them. The actual number itself of the contractions monitor doesnt matter, as your starting number is different for each person. I know my Dr likes to know the difference between my starting number and the climax of my contraction.
I'm 26w2d and have had pre-term contractions for 13 days (that I'm aware of). I was sent to the hospital initially by my OB to monitor the contractions. My FFN was positive so I got the steroid shots and was put on Procardia and released to modified bed rest after 48 hours of IV fluids and monitoring.
Obviously, if I feel like I need to be checked out, I'll do it. but I'd hate to miss the movie just to be "checked" and sent home... Pretty much. They say active labour is when your contractions are time able and are 5 minutes apart, last for one full minute for at least an hour.
Just FYI-- my contractions were never the 3-5 minutes apart like they tell you they should be. They were about 12-20 minutes apart, but I knew things were getting serious when I tried to lay back down in bed at 4am, and I had a horribly painful contraction.
2). Contractions are like orgasms: if you're wondering if it was one or not, it most likely wasn't. 3). No one here can or will diagnose anyone asking questions as to being in pre-labor, labor, crowning, guess your dilation/effacement/station.