Braxton Hicks?

WVUPetunia

Okay, I feel goofy, but sometimes I think I have trouble telling the difference between Braxton Hicks making my stomach tight/hard and just feeling baby and thinking my stomach is hard.  I think I've had a few Braxton Hicks tonight, so I am lying down and drinking water like the doctor had told me to do...  But then I wonder if my paranoia is making me overly conscious and if some of them are really just his butt or something sticking out and feeling hard under my touch. :P  I'm not in any pain, just feeling some tightness sometimes.  Am I the only one who gets confused like this?  I see my OB Thursday morning, so I'll talk to her more about it then, but I was wondering what others have thought/experienced in the meantime...

Faith722

You're not alone.  I have no clue what I'm feeling at times.  When I asked my ob about whether the tightness I get are Braxton Hicks a few weeks ago, he blew it off like it doesn't matter.  He basically said unless there's a pattern or significant pain to not worry.  I plan to ask another ob in the practice about it at my next visit.

jacksmom119

Same here nooo idea! I couldn't tell with my son either. Let us know what your dr says!

shanflan02

I'm having the same problem. I have no idea. I also have a doctors appt coming up next week here. Let me know what yours says.

avila01

Yeah...I have no clue what I'm feeling.  I have a feeling I won't ever know what BH really feel like unless I just happen to have one while at the OB's office and can ask "is this what BH is??"

nmoe

That sounds similar to what I'm experiencing, and my OB said it's Braxton Hicks.  I've had a feeling of "tightening" and I've also had what I'd describe as painless, almost menstral like cramps.  OB said it was Braxton Hicks.

On Monday I had PAINFUL cramping and ended up in the ER.  Those were actual contractions, not Braxton Hicks.  From what I understand, Braxton Hicks should not be painful.  If you are experiencing pain, that is when you need to call your OB.

Tennis Chick

Put me in the boat with the rest of you. I guess I haven't felt that 'tightening and releasing' that others have talked about. My belly will just randomly be hard (happens most often when I'm working out), but it has not been painful in the slightest. Please report back what you find out! 

shutupanddance07

I haven't felt a darn thing. I know they shouldn't hurt, but you'd think it would at least feel like something, right? 

WVUPetunia

I will ask her if she has any tips on distinguishing the difference.  I had a stressful day at work yesterday with a citizen acting out (like, involving 3 of our security team members...  and they're former cops, not dudes with little hats, lol, so it was getting pretty serious), so that stress is what led me to think they were BH...  I think some of them were. But then again, sometimes he just feels like a lump in there, so I think some of it was just him sitting there!  I'll report back if the OB has any good clarification for me.

AngelxxRose

I had no idea if I had them with my first, but I started having them recently with this baby.  It took me about a week to realize that is what was happening.  For me, when I have one, I notice that I feel a little short of breath/can't take a deep breath because of the tightening and hardening in my uterus.  It lasts about a minute or so and then goes away.  They aren't painful, just noticable.  Whenever I have them I just try to take it easy and drink more water.  I usually get them at the end of the day after running around too much. 

CandaceLeigh

WVUPetunia:

I will ask her if she has any tips on distinguishing the difference.  I had a stressful day at work yesterday with a citizen acting out (like, involving 3 of our security team members...  and they're former cops, not dudes with little hats, lol, so it was getting pretty serious), so that stress is what led me to think they were BH...  I think some of them were. But then again, sometimes he just feels like a lump in there, so I think some of it was just him sitting there!  I'll report back if the OB has any good clarification for me.

If you had a stressful day yesterday and were physical wth someone, you likely had BH.  Here's something to help you.  Find  baby's head and back and then feel the other side of your stomach.  For me, if its just baby, the other side is softer than where she's laying.  Also, if you think you're having BH, try blowing out forcefully like you're blowng up a balloon.  If it is BH, you'll have a hard time because your muscles are already being used.  If it isn't, you'll be able to do it easily.  You are correct that *most of the time* BH should not be painful.  They can be uncomfortable, but not painful.  If they are painful, call your doctor.

Good luck.  It is confusing, but BH are like "practice contractions" and you're body trying to figure out what it's going to be doing on the big day.

WVUPetunia

CandaceLeigh:

WVUPetunia:

I will ask her if she has any tips on distinguishing the difference.  I had a stressful day at work yesterday with a citizen acting out (like, involving 3 of our security team members...  and they're former cops, not dudes with little hats, lol, so it was getting pretty serious), so that stress is what led me to think they were BH...  I think some of them were. But then again, sometimes he just feels like a lump in there, so I think some of it was just him sitting there!  I'll report back if the OB has any good clarification for me.

If you had a stressful day yesterday and were physical wth someone, you likely had BH.  Here's something to help you.  Find  baby's head and back and then feel the other side of your stomach.  For me, if its just baby, the other side is softer than where she's laying.  Also, if you think you're having BH, try blowing out forcefully like you're blowng up a balloon.  If it is BH, you'll have a hard time because your muscles are already being used.  If it isn't, you'll be able to do it easily.  You are correct that *most of the time* BH should not be painful.  They can be uncomfortable, but not painful.  If they are painful, call your doctor.

Good luck.  It is confusing, but BH are like "practice contractions" and you're body trying to figure out what it's going to be doing on the big day.

Luckily, I wasn't physically involved because I was hanging out behind a Kevlar counter and bulletproof glass...  And there's no way our security guys would let anything happen to me, but it was still stressful. (I work for a state agency, and "I took" this guy's money for child support...  So he was irate, belligerent, and also drunk/possibly high.)  But yeah, there was definitely a stress/emotional level of involvement.

  Thanks for the tip about trying to blow up a balloon!  I will try that out next time...  I have no idea how to find his head though??   It all feels like lump to me, lol.  I'll ask the OB to point it out for me tomorrow.

CandaceLeigh

WVUPetunia:

CandaceLeigh:

WVUPetunia:

I will ask her if she has any tips on distinguishing the difference.  I had a stressful day at work yesterday with a citizen acting out (like, involving 3 of our security team members...  and they're former cops, not dudes with little hats, lol, so it was getting pretty serious), so that stress is what led me to think they were BH...  I think some of them were. But then again, sometimes he just feels like a lump in there, so I think some of it was just him sitting there!  I'll report back if the OB has any good clarification for me.

If you had a stressful day yesterday and were physical wth someone, you likely had BH.  Here's something to help you.  Find  baby's head and back and then feel the other side of your stomach.  For me, if its just baby, the other side is softer than where she's laying.  Also, if you think you're having BH, try blowing out forcefully like you're blowng up a balloon.  If it is BH, you'll have a hard time because your muscles are already being used.  If it isn't, you'll be able to do it easily.  You are correct that *most of the time* BH should not be painful.  They can be uncomfortable, but not painful.  If they are painful, call your doctor.

Good luck.  It is confusing, but BH are like "practice contractions" and you're body trying to figure out what it's going to be doing on the big day.

Luckily, I wasn't physically involved because I was hanging out behind a Kevlar counter and bulletproof glass...  And there's no way our security guys would let anything happen to me, but it was still stressful. (I work for a state agency, and "I took" this guy's money for child support...  So he was irate, belligerent, and also drunk/possibly high.)  But yeah, there was definitely a stress/emotional level of involvement.

  Thanks for the tip about trying to blow up a balloon!  I will try that out next time...  I have no idea how to find his head though??   It all feels like lump to me, lol.  I'll ask the OB to point it out for me tomorrow.

There's great info about this on www.spinningbabies.com.  It's hard to explain, but your OB can help you determine positions.  Once you find the baby, it's easier to do it the second time because you realize where the back is and can follow that to find the head or bottom.

fusionbride

I found this page helpful:

https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/true-false-labor