Braxton Hicks

cspencer85 · March 2014

What do they feel like?

CherSomething · March 2014

Your belly tightens up, like there's a bandage wrapped around your waist and it's being cinched up. They're uncomfortable, but not painful. It usually affects my breathing and I have to take deep breaths.

lest12 · March 2014

Fir me, it's like my uturus getting into a tight little ball.

MrsP419 · March 2014

To me, they felt like my whole belly getting rock hard, stealing my breath sometimes, and then loosening again. If you just feel like a hard bump in one area, it is probably the baby pressing against you. I have a hard time telling BH from baby since I have two in there ;-).

FWIW, if you have regular BH contractions (like time able, multiple per hour), call your OB. My labor for DS started as painless contractions that I *thought* were BH. Better safe than sorry! If you get a ton of them, drink water, lie down, and see what happens.

cspencer85 · March 2014

I think I'm having them right now. I'm pretty crampy/tight feeling. But it's not awful.

cspencer85 · March 2014

Well it's like one big cramp lol. Doesn't seem to be going away. And I'm laying down with a body pillow.

cspencer85 · March 2014

I take that back. It stopped. We'll see if I get another one.

cspencer85 · March 2014

And it's like my hips/low back too

lest12 · March 2014

Try drinking some water and rest with your feet up.

They aren't aba d thing, but like pp said, they shouldn't be coming regularly. My dr's rule is 4 in an hour, call the hotline.

FutureMrsW9 · March 2014

Hmmm I thought my tight tummy was just from being super full at the end of the day, but I wonder if it was actually braxton hicks. Just a super tight full feeling all over my tummy, but it doesn't go away until I go to bed and sleep it off....so maybe I'm just eating too much. I was wondering the same thanks for posting OP! I do think they feel a bit different for everyone based on what I read.

ElTrain5 · March 2014

When I got contractions from being dehydrated they felt like a period cramp and when I touched my belly it was all rigid. Kind of felt like a belt buckle was digging into my lower belly too (wasn't wearing one)

ChristineBaker23 · March 2014

I don't notice the tightness until I feel my belly with my hands usually. The first thing I usually notice is a shortness of breath. From time to time I have mild period cramp like pain with them, which my doc said was normal. They can happen after you eat, after sex, after physical activity, or just cause your uterus felt like practicing. My doc and midwife have told me if you have more than 6 in one hour lay down and put your feet up and drink some water. If they don't stop, get stronger or closer together, or you can time them call the hotline or go to labor and delivery. I did not have regular noticeable Braxton hicks with my first, so all these Braxton hicks this time is totally new to me. But I did have false labor from being dehydrated, no fun! So stay hydrated guys!

ricecakes1216 · March 2014

CherSomething said:
Your belly tightens up, like there's a bandage wrapped around your waist and it's being cinched up. They're uncomfortable, but not painful. It usually affects my breathing and I have to take deep breaths.

This exactly. I get really short of breath when I have them. I get them frequently, mostly when I'm super tired. I flip to my left side, drink water and relax. That usually does the trick.

zolastele · March 2014

This happened to me, and I also thought it was BH, but it was dehydration. It was a kind of dull lower abdomen and lower back cramping that stuck around for several hours, with intermittent but irregular tightening up. I called L&D and they said to chug a bunch of water and see if it went away. It did!

izzetoot · March 2014

FutureMrsW9 said:
Hmmm I thought my tight tummy was just from being super full at the end of the day, but I wonder if it was actually braxton hicks. Just a super tight full feeling all over my tummy, but it doesn't go away until I go to bed and sleep it off....so maybe I'm just eating too much. I was wondering the same thanks for posting OP! I do think they feel a bit different for everyone based on what I read.

I have the same thing almost every night and I also thought it was from eating too much. But at the same time I feel like I eat more during the day and it doesn't happen then? Maybe these are BH? It feels tight and stretched and sore. Same for you?

diagonalley · March 2014

OK so this is probably a stupid question, but can you sometimes feel them on only one side? Or is that just baby? It doesn't feel like baby, but I really have no idea what BH feels like, and I just know it's a weird, different feeling.

brooklyngirl46 · March 2014

Not sure abt the one side thing. My personal rule is anytime i get what could i think might be braxton hicks i drink 2 or 3 glasses of water and lay on my left side.

deedee830 · March 2014

For me they don't hurt, but they can be uncomfortable. My belly gets really tight and I also get short of breath. Thanks for the tip to keep an eye on frequency, I hadn't thought to do that!

CherSomething · March 2014

Yeah according to y'all's doctors, I should have called the midwives a couple nights ago. I was getting them every 5 mins for a few hours. Baby was going crazy in my belly. I just tried to relax my body. Next day (yesterday) I stayed home from work to rest my obviously stressed body, they were not so frequent, but standing/walking seemed to trigger them. And sometimes just moving in bed triggered them.
They've slowed down even more today but I'm seriously so tired of getting them. I've been writing them all down today as much as I can recognize them here at work, and so far no regularity. I've recorded only 5 since 8am... Sometimes my belly tightens, but not all the way tight to where my breath changes, so it's confusing.
I clearly overdid it Tuesday. My uterus is pissed.

jshrop · March 2014

When I've had BH I've also had the feeling of needing to poop right away after. Could be that I just needed to go or whatever, but it felt like they've correlated more than not.

jc51206 · March 2014

I asked my doc last night about some mild, very low period-like cramping I was getting and he said it could be BH. I never experienced them with DS, but this time around, I sometimes get a feeling like if I was trying to "push" what my belly would feel like. Sorry, that is a horrible, terrible description, but I think it's BH. I was surprised that the very mild cramp sensation can be BH.

shellbell813 · March 2014

Most of mine tend to be one-sided. Mine tend to be more painful too. One thing I have found to help has been to change my position. If I am sitting when they come on, it helps to stand up and walk a bit. If I am standing/walking, it helps to sit.

cspencer85 · March 2014

Mine went away so whatever it was, I guess I'm fine now. And I read on here the other night that we're supposed to be drinking at least 3 liters of water a day, so I bought a liter bottle of water and I drank it and refilled it throughout the day...so I think I'm drinking enough. Who knows. But like some of you were saying, this happened after I are quite a bit too.

diagonalley · March 2014

I have definitely been feeling it, mostly on one side, all day long. I am directing a show and our show is this weekend so I don't know if it is the stress of that or what. It doesn't hurt, just feels weird. Should I be concerned that I have been feeling them all day?

bluebabyg1 · March 2014

to me they feel like my tummy tightens up and i am a toy in a crane machine (line the ones in dennys) that the crane picks me up and grabs me on my sides but cant quite hold on and i drop and my tummy goes back to normal.

steprozz · March 2014

jshrop said:
When I've had BH I've also had the feeling of needing to poop right away after. Could be that I just needed to go or whatever, but it felt like they've correlated more than not.

I get that feeling every time! if I get too constipated and backed up it causes pretty significant contractions until after I've figured out a way to poop.

crossfitkiwi · April 2014

No pain, just tightening across the front of my belly.

Also, my belly flattens and almost goes square when I have them... is that weird?

kimmyberly26 · April 2014

Its perfectly normal to not feel them. I only have a few later on with DD#1 .

BabyCurtiss2014 · April 2014

MommyP710 said:
OK so this is probably a stupid question, but can you sometimes feel them on only one side? Or is that just baby? It doesn't feel like baby, but I really have no idea what BH feels like, and I just know it's a weird, different feeling.

My OB said if you feel pressure etc on one side only it's the baby! Both sides =BH

diagonalley · April 2014

BabyCurtiss2014 said:

OK so this is probably a stupid question, but can you sometimes feel them on only one side? Or is that just baby? It doesn't feel like baby, but I really have no idea what BH feels like, and I just know it's a weird, different feeling.
My OB said if you feel pressure etc on one side only it's the baby! Both sides =BH

Good to know...thanks

He's creeping up into my ribs on that side occasionally, too. I try to shove him back down, not sure if that really works though lol.

catsinawindow · April 2014

caitykate said:
Is is normal to not have had BH? I have not had these at all...

Yup, totally normal especially if you're a FTM. You might even be having them, but not feel them at all. STM+ tend to feel them more.

Want a personalized experience?

Braxton Hicks

Re: Braxton Hicks

Choose Another Board

Search Boards