contractions

fhugaboom

What do actual contractions feel like? In your opinion of course.

mamacastro

Mine have always felt like a tight ball of pressure expanding. If you put your hand on the spot where the contraction is you should feel it get hard. BH should never feel painful, mine just feels uncomfortable
*Edit spelling

Jessie42613

Period cramps x1000

skruhmin

BH feels like my uterus is being squeezed by the jaws of life.  Real feels like period cramps on steroids.  Transition contractions feel like a hot knife is stabbing my uterus.  Next question.

snowhite12

My whole stomach (not just the lower half) would become extremely hard and felt extremely tight. It wasn't so much painful but uncomfortable for me.

Jessie42613

snowhite12 said:

My whole stomach (not just the lower half) would become extremely hard and felt extremely tight. It wasn't so much painful but uncomfortable for me.

Fun fact- I waited a little too long to go to the hospital because I kept waiting for this tightening sensation everyone talked about, but I never felt it. I thought maybe my contractions were something else. When I finally went to L&D, I was nearly 7cm.

Just keep in mind that what labor felt like to all of us, may not be what it will feel like for you.

dramaphile

My BH felt like a tightening in the front of my belly. Real contractions were low in my belly (maybe because she was so low?) and much more painful. My midwife told me that if you can walk or talk through a contraction, you're probably not in active labor yet (but could be early labor). I found this to be true when I was in labor, the real thing made me stop everything I was doing so I could breathe through it. A warm bath will usually either slow down contractions or help make them more regular if you're in active labor.

MamaRoni

On baby #5 here... and I will say... my BH can be pretty significant BUT.... even with my first. ... I could totally tell when I had I real contraction!
A.... because of the walk and talk theory
B.... it just feels different. ... tight belly.... and like u can feel it thru your bottom... not just in the front or whatever...
C.... I totally feel like my contractions last for less time than a BH... those dern BH seem to go on and on... ha ha

Ps... I was also 5cm when I got to hospital with my first and had him 2 hours later

ammnam14

I had terrible BH throughout my pregnancy so the only difference between BH and contractions for me was that contractions were timeable and consistent. Very painful though.

wetherbeee

The worst pain I've ever felt. Not even kidding. You will know when they're real.

purplepenguin3

Yeah I agree that they are different then BH.  My best indication, as others have said, is:
1. time-able
2. once they get going it is definitely hard to talk or walk through them, I would have to stop and basically I can't pay attention to what you're trying to talk to me about.  
3. they were lower like menstrual cramps 

delujm0

beginning contractions felt like either period cramps, or like "needing to poop" cramps.  Until they started wrapping around to my back as well.

 

and then my baby wound up sunny-side-up, so by the time the contractions were predictable and regularly getting more painful and closer together, they were 100% in my back and it was excrutiating.  i knew that i was in labor as soon as i could time them.  i actually never even felt my BH contractions happening, and wouldn't have known that they were happening at all if my doctor didn't tell me that i was having them during a NST in the late stages of my pregnancy. 

doozer1345

I had back labor so it felt like my back was going to crack under pressure at any moment. It would shoot from the middle of my back to around the sides. I honestly don't think I would wish it on my worst enemy.

shelbibrooke82

skruhmin said:

BH feels like my uterus is being squeezed by the jaws of life.  Real feels like period cramps on steroids.  Transition contractions feel like a hot knife is stabbing my uterus.  Next question.

THIS!!!

cMichelle0423

I've never experienced "period cramps" type of contractions during either one of my labors. For me, it's a sharp stabby pain that wraps around from my belly to my back (not back labor though).

2-Step

I had a lot of painful contractions prior to being in active labor and even spent time at the hospital walking the halls and got sent home because they were so frequent but I wasn't dilating. To me they felt like really bad cramps that made it hard to move talk or breathe. When I reached active labor it felt like I got on a train that was moving faster and faster and couldn't get off, like I had no control of myself or surroundings. That's the best way I can describe the difference between early and active labor.

babybranch

I kept waiting for all these signs but I never had any back pain, no menstrual type cramps, nothing. I got home from work on Friday and started having really heavy pressure in my lower pelvic region. It was a feeling I was getting every 10 minutes. DH told me to call the on call doc and he told me to go to the hospital. Turns out that pressure was my early labor sign. I started having contractions an hour later then came the excruciating menstrual cramp feeling. 5 hours later here comes baby! All I can say it is definitely different for everyone. Just because some have other signs doesn't mean you will. Was quite an experience!