Braxton Hicks question

talkthewholetime · March 2014

I don't know if this is them or not...

Everything I've seen says "all over" tightening.

I get a tightening feeling above my belly button. Is probably the size of my open hand. Braxton hicks or something else? I can't see any body parts moving under there so I don't think it's the baby.

cnbean · March 2014

It might just be baby's back pressed up tight against you.

Unknown · March 2014

This content has been removed.

kshampeny · March 2014

Mine are in my lower abdomen and feel like a muscle tightening then releasing. Like when you tighten your abs to do a crunch and then release it. Doesn't hurt at all. Just the tightening sensation.

TheBeeCharmer · March 2014

Mine don't make my belly that tight. It's more of just a feeling. It feels like a squeezing and I almost get out of breath. I also feel kind of warm.

RachelCA29 · March 2014

Mine are kind of centered over my belly button, a tightening feeling. It can be uncomfortable, but not painful. I wouldn't say they cover my "whole" belly, but they do spread pretty far from the center out. the whole area gets hard, and the surface area they cover is definitely larger than the baby, so it's not just him leaning. I think the difference would be in how large an area feels tight (larger than baby size or not).

flowerx2 · March 2014

I get the same feeling, but I think it is the baby pushing against me. I'm not sure if I've had any BH.

HARLEYSMOM2010 · March 2014

My BH take my breath Away and make my stomach rock hard all over I get about 10-15 a day

momthatlifts · March 2014

My are in my lower abdomen. Happens a lot right after I use the bathroom too

talkthewholetime · March 2014

Thanks everyone! I think what I'm feeling might be a butt.

tbiscuit18 · March 2014

kshampeny said:

Mine are in my lower abdomen and feel like a muscle tightening then releasing. Like when you tighten your abs to do a crunch and then release it. Doesn't hurt at all. Just the tightening sensation.

This. Although just this past week I had some contractions where they started in my lower back and wrapped around to underneath my belly. These were actually painful. I asked my OB about it and she said those are also BHs. Kind of scary, but she said I'll likely have a few more of those before the real thing.

Krisd6 · March 2014

From time to time I get a really sharp pain at and above my belly button- the area gets really tight. It's painful to stand straight. I feel like that are won't be able to stretch anymore!! My OB said it's the baby- his back/bottom are pushing out near my belly button. She said a BH would be a tightening over my whole stomach and sides- similar to what others have mentioned here.

Hope you feel better!

jfletcher3113 · March 2014

I don't think that's BH but I'm no doctor and as a PP said, not everyone's are the same.

When I get BH, it's my whole stomach and it gets rock hard all over. It lasts for about 30 seconds to a minute then softens.

I get a LOT of BH and have also had what you're describing and for me they are very different. My doctor's advice for tracking BH (I've had some issues with having too many) is if it's all over and if the hardness is like the hardness of my forehead, that's a contraction.

Bootsie327 · March 2014

I actually heard from my doc that BH are usually concentrated in one area, and real contractions are all over. I get BHs several times a day, and it is almost always localized to the top half of my uterus. They aren't painful, but my belly gets rock hard for 30-60 seconds.

Edited for clarity: I don't mean that every time you have all over tightening that it's a real contraction. All I mean is that it's not uncommon for BH to only be in one part of the uterus, but when you do have real contractions, they will be all over. In my birthing class they said real contractions usually start high and radiate downward as they peak.

awc1986 · March 2014

Mine seem to radiate from my lower back like an aching. Like I really need to do BM, but the top of my belly gets hard. They last about 30 seconds and usually happen in the evening.

Sdufort1216 · March 2014

I'm 31 wks and haven't felt them yet ???? is that normal?

bossyferg · March 2014

I havent noticed that hard tightening feeling yet but i do feel menstral like cramps daily that my OB said are also BH. Sometimes i feel them in my lower back as well.

ksyknelvr73 · March 2014

To me, that sounds like a body part since you said how big the area was. I am a STM and I am still not confident that I know what BH's actually are or feel like. I have noticed the last couple weeks especially that my belly will get super hard all over and it's almost a little hard to breathe - but they don't really hurt, if that makes sense. I am starting to think those are BH b/c I don't know what else it could be.

Kageer · March 2014

Sdufort1216 said:
I'm 31 wks and haven't felt them yet ???? is that normal?

Yes totally normal. Some people never feel them, however everyone gets them(regardless of whether you feel them). It is your body's way of practicing for labor.

haylo33 · March 2014

I don't think I have felt any yet. Baby is usually right at the surface near my belly button so my abdomen is always pretty hard

cynthiarene · March 2014

bossyferg said:

I havent noticed that hard tightening feeling yet but i do feel menstral like cramps daily that my OB said are also BH. Sometimes i feel them in my lower back as well.

Mine are like this -- an aching feeling like a period cramp, including a vague nausea feeling. My OB said yep - BHs.

Lizmullen · March 2014

I have the exact same tightening in one spot. It's kinda to the top right of my belly button. I'm positive it's a butt. When I press it she moves and usually gives a nice kick!

Bootsie327 · March 2014

jennish11 said:

Question relating to this topic: Lately I feel like everything triggers a BH (I'm almost 34 weeks).
If I bend over to pick something up - if I get out of a car - roll onto my back in the middle of the night.

It doesn't hurt and they aren't timeable, but just wondering if this happens to anyone else.

Me! I get them easily these days - struggling to put on shoes, getting out of bed, baby moving a lot, etc. I'm hoping this bodes well - my mom got them constantly with all 3 of us and had incredibly easy labors (longest labor was 3.5 hours!!!). There may be no correlation whatsoever, but I'm holding on to this little shred of hope! Haha. I mean, I like to think of it like lifting weights...if your uterus has been contracting a lot it must be getting strong and ready, right?

momo214 · March 2014

Sdufort1216 said:
I'm 31 wks and haven't felt them yet ???? is that normal?

Asked my OB this exact same question yesterday since I haven't had them either. She said very common for FTMs to not have any or just get them very late in pregnancy.

Sdufort1216 · March 2014

well I find it silly but today I felt one for the first time lol I guess I had to post it here first for it to happen haha def knew it was a contraction! totally weird feeling!

jenb_99 · March 2014

With my first I only really got BH contrax when I exerted myself. Lifting laundry baskets, walking upstairs, etc. But this time around everything triggers them. In fact I'm currently waiting to hear back from my nurse on whether it's okay for me to be having them every five minutes while sitting still on the couch.

They're different this time around too. With my first they were a general all-over tightening. With this one I feel only a mild tightness at the top of my belly, accompanied by a breathless feeling, almost like palpitations or anxiety.

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