Hard Stomach

mommymeg143 · August 2014

So...this is a random question and i'm guessing really silly so i'm going to play the FTM card.

My stomach is always hard. I haven't thought anything of it until my doctor's appointment today. When the nurse went to check for LO's heartbeat she mentioned how hard my stomach was and that I was definitely having a contraction. I thought it was so weird because there was no pain, soreness, nothing. She told me to definitely mention it to the doctor. Once the doctor got in, I told her about it and said that my stomach was always hard. She asked if I had been cramping or hurting and I said no. She felt my stomach and said that I was definitely having a contraction and to call her if it continued.

So, my silly question to all of you ladies... Contractions are supposed to hurt..right?? I'm terrified that i'm having all of these contractions and do not realize it because there is no pain there. When it actually matters, I will know right? I mean, of course I will because it WILL hurt. Does anyone else have a constantly hard stomach?? I feel so silly for asking this...but I didn't get a lot of information from the doctor. She was concerned about my Glucose test so she wasn't really focused on this. I know Braxton Hicks are normal, so maybe that's what this is...

kstirton · August 2014

I am of no help to you whatsoever and plan to bring this up to my doctor tomorrow b/c my stomach tightens up sometimes or get's really hard and it doesn't let up for a while ... I thought with Braxton Hick's they let up.

I read somewhere (internet is my worst enemy) that there are some women who do not feel their contractions, labor or Braxton hicks, and that they were never painful ... even though the majority of women will tell you that when your in labor YOU WILL KNOW.

So, sorry I can't help, but thanks for asking this and I'm curious to see what other mom's have to say.

mander82 · August 2014

Our bellies are full of babies and fluids....I thought they were supposed to be hard. :-/

silverwings72 · August 2014

My stomach is hard all the time too but it moves from my upper stomach to my lower. I can tell where LO is by comparing 'hardness.' Does that even make sense? FTM here so I always assumed we would know when we were having a contraction. OMG. Ok off to check the google.

CarrieAnne09 · August 2014

flutterbuggie said:

When I'm standing, my stomach is hard. Sitting not so much. I would think if it's constant though.. It wouldn't be a contraction. Those would come and go.

I'm in the same boat. My stomach is hard often when I'm up and about but when I sit down its pretty soft. To me my stomach being hard feels a lot different than when I get a BH contraction...

MrsG1019 · August 2014

Mine is hard a good 75% of the time. Doc said it's BH & she's not worried ... So I'm going with that. They're never painful so that's good but it's still worrisome that im having BH contractions SOOOO often.

AnnieRoo13 · August 2014

Mine's hard sometimes and soft sometimes. I can definitely tell when I'm having BH though- that feels more like a tenseness in my belly that eventually lets up. Sometimes my belly is hard and I don't think it's a contraction/BH.

mommymeg143 · August 2014

mander82 said:

Our bellies are full of babies and fluids....I thought they were supposed to be hard. :-/

That is exactly what I though, which is why it caught me so off guard when she said that.

lizzielu82 · August 2014

I thought a hard stomach was a good thing! I've been joking that I haven't had a rock hard stomach like this since high school…oops? $:\$ ">

belmont1785 · August 2014

I have (what I assume to be BH) mostly after I have exercised, my tummy will get hard (not painful, but tight, and tense like a muscle spasm sort of - or like when you need to stretch) I usually catches me off guard and causes me to stop and maybe take a deep breath, but then it goes away and I am fine. But I consider my tummy hard as it is too....so I am not sure how you gauge how hard is hard?

Also my Dr told me that BH during exercise/sex or randomly are mostly healthy and a positive thing to prepare your body. But if I was in pain, or uncomfortable or if I didn't feel "right." to call.

scarlet3egonias · August 2014

I was wondering the same thing. Mine is hard like 75% of the time but I'm never in pain. Even when I get up from laying down and I actually notice that the muscles are tighening I still don't hurt... I was literally just thinking yesterday "what if these are contractions but I have some kind of crazy high pain tolerance or something?" (I'll probably kick myself for saying that come November lol)

Melodyhay · August 2014

Mine is hard when I'm standing too. Seems like it gets worse right after I've eaten or if I've been up and around. Yesterday it seemed tighter than usual and randomly achy so I started thinking maybe they were BH. I feel clueless too. Glad I'm not alone.

kaimee27 · August 2014

I've been having a lot of BH lately too. I actually called the on-call number at my doctor's office the other evening because I was having them every 4-15 minutes for 2 hours and nothing would get them to let up. They basically just told me to go to labor and delivery, but they started to ease up so I never did. Since then, they've been pretty frequent, but not painful. It sounds like maybe this is just going to be what we're experiencing at this point in our pregnancies? FTM so I'm definitely no expert!

kimberly_ann81 · August 2014

Sounds like Braxton Hicks to me. Mine did this with the boys as well as now. No pain just tight and hard. Contractions are usually lower then were you will feel the BH, at least they were for me. My contractions hurt the farther along in labor I got. I went to a baby shower while in labor with Peanut and nobody there knew because it was just starting.

amstickan · August 2014

Braxton Hicks are different than real contractions. Different people may experience them differently. Although, a couple weeks ago, I had a 3 hour Braxton Hick contraction in addition to vomitting and had to go to the ER. So just be wary of other symptoms you may be having. (Mine was just dehydration)

CarrieAnne09 · August 2014

I'm glad we're all in the same boat and this seems very normal. I was starting to freak out a bit about it all.

sparklingwhit · August 2014

Ya, my doc told me that I was having a contraction last time too! I told him that I must be having constant contractions because I can't remember the last time it wasn't hard.

He then went into a speel about how some women have tiger stomachs than others in pregnancy (go figure, we're all different). It can have a lot to do with you skin elasticity, your pre-pregnancy shape, the amount of exercise or exertion you put into each day, how often you are sitting/standing throughout the day.

Moral of the story: don't worry too much. If your doc isn't worried, then you shouldn't be. Also, as a FTM, I am pretty sure you are really going to notice a difference when you have a "real" contraction. A lot of women (including myself) don't notice Braxton Hicks at all.

jkrose10 · August 2014

With my first I had Braxton Hicks without even knowing. When the reals are here, you will know.

lil_shocker · August 2014

You may not notice labor progressing contractions if they aren't part of active labor, if that makes sense. When I was 36 weeks pregnant with my son, I went in for my first internal exam and the midwife was shocked that I was 100% effaced and 4 cm dilated and had no idea that I was even having contractions. I didn't feel anything. A few days later I went into active labor and had my son.

I don't think and hope that you aren't having contractions that are dilating your cervix. It is likely just Braxton hicks. But be aware that sometimes you don't notice or feel the type of contractions which make you dilate.

Kristil2014 · August 2014

At my 3d ultrasound on the weekend the tech was amazed at how hard my belly got. I haven't felt any pain or discomfort. I figured it just depends on her position. She likes to hang out on the right side of my belly, which seems to be harder than the left side, cause there is baby there.

I have had a couple BH contractions and they just feel like a mini muscle spasm. I haven't had any cramping on any other contractions. I see my MW next week, so I will ask her for more info at my appointment.

I am so glad that I am not the only one experiencing hard belly. It truly freaked me out the first time. Now it just seems like part of everyday life.

clumsyatheart · August 2014

Mine's done this too, since about 15 weeks! I'm assuming it has to be BH contractions. Today during my workout, my stomach ultra hardened to the point where my obliques sucked in and i could see the outline of baby. I totally grossed myself out staring at it. I expected her to rip through my stomach a la Alien.

So glad we're all experiencing such fun times together!

aa98 · August 2014

I've been having belly tightness off and on for 7-8 weeks. I mentioned it to my Ob two visits ago and he explained that I was having BHs and it's not anything to worry about as long as they weren't accompanied by pain or bleeding. I mentioned it again at my next appointment as I was more aware of them and noticed they would last a couple of hours and not just a few minutes like the books said. Again, he said, no worries, as long as they ease up and aren't in a pattern. Now I notice that my belly gets really tight and uncomfortable when I have been excessively exerting myself, like climbing multiple flights of stairs or I've been on my feet all day and they are especially bad if I'm dehydrated. I figure as long as they eventually ease up with rest, everything is fine. I'll keep checking back to see what you all find out from your docs.

creativesoul83 · August 2014

My stomach has been hard quite a bit. I am FTM and figured normal as well it is tighter depending on little man position and is harder after I have eaten.

I noticed something weird/cool today I started flexing my abs just to see and my stomach looks like it is doing the wave. It is funny. figure since mentioning stomachs I could throw that out there.

mommymeg143 · August 2014

Thank you for all the responses!! I knew my N14 girls could help me out.

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