Braxton Hicks

MotherOfDucks · January 2016

It's that time already. I swear they start earlier each time.

Anyway... My tips for BH is to get lots of water and extra magnesium. A lot of women drink RRL tea, but since I'm a (multiple times) preemie mom, I can't have it.

TM14 · January 2016

I'm only 15w and its beginning. I swear it wasn't until after 20w with my daughter.

anskip · January 2016

Oh wow! I didn't feel them until about 28 weeks or so with DD. I didn't even think about them starting early! Thanks for the heads up!

CosmoAnne1 · January 2016

My 3rd pregnancy I had them very early. I am 13w5d and have not had them yet.

stillcozy · January 2016

Can you describe what they feel like?

anskip · January 2016

@Lindsayleigh1989 it's like a tightening over your whole belly. It only lasts for a short while. Your entire belly gets really hard and everything just feels super tight. I hope that makes sense!! It's definitely different than labor pains!!

afrazer521 · January 2016

@Lindsayleigh1989 I was actually reading about them online too because it didn't even occur to me that I might be having bh because honestly I kind of forgot about them lol. Online it talks about how it's tightening in the lower uterus/groin. Mine are the complete opposite. Like pp said for me it almost feels like a band across my midsection tightening for a few moments then releasing. Contractions, again for me, we're more of a rolling cramp where you can feel it start and peak and ebb. I've definitely been having just that tightening feeling like something is almost squeezing me at a constant pressure then going away. Not painful not uncomfortable and I definitely never felt them with my first.

anskip · January 2016

Yes. Exactly this. Mine were that way. I didn't notice them until way later, and when I mentioned them to my doc he said oh you've had hundreds! Well, what do I know! I did notice them more when I got stressed. My parents had just split up and we're going through a rather ugly divorce in which both my brother and I were put in the middle, so I had lots of stress on and off. I finally got to the point of not answering the phone.

jlgriff11 · January 2016

I assume they come earlier the more kids you've had? I am in no mood for that shit already.

elenabrent · January 2016

Tonight during yoga there were a few times where my whole midsection tightened and then it passed. I thought at first it was RLP, but maybe it was BH. I didn't think they would start this early (15+5)

stillcozy · January 2016

Are they painful? I mean if I get labor pains this early someone should have told me Haha

whataboutscience · January 2016

Some people say they are painful. I didn't think so, but I think they depend on your pain tolerance. It's just a tightening/cramping. Sometimes when I was running they felt sharp and I knew it was time to slow down. Like pp said, they are nothing like labor pains.

pandamonium20 · January 2016

With my first pregnancy, I had an ultrasound at 16w and the tech pointed out the BH contractions on screen. I felt nothing, though.

afrazer521 · January 2016

@Lindsayleigh1989 my mom had them with me, 2nd child, and said they were painful. Mine aren't at all. Not even uncomfortable really. Kind of just odd feeling. Doesn't feel like labor at all to me.

dolewhipper · January 2016

@Lindsayleigh1989 I'm in the same boat as you-no idea! I guess when it happens to us hopefully it'll be like, oh, this is what the bumpies were talking about. Hahah

Thank you STM+ for heads up!

anskip · January 2016

None of mine were painful at all. They can be uncomfortable, but drink some water, take it easy, and lay on your left side. That always helped.

HRiely · January 2016

They aren't painful really unless you have gas on top of it. Lol
I am 12.4 weeks and already getting them. This is my third pregnancy and they are undeniable when you feel them. Magnesium is great but it works even better of you take calcium magnesium.

juliagulia38 · January 2016

Ugh I have BH too. This is my third and I'm 15 weeks. I'm not looking forward to 24 more weeks of this! My BH feel more like cramps. My contractions were cramps too.

amandajmonceaux · January 2016

I think I been having them for weeks now. Just didn't figure I could be since it's so early.

MotherOfDucks · January 2016

Lindsayleigh1989 said:
Are they painful? I mean if I get labor pains this early someone should have told me Haha

Haha. No. They can get uncomfortable if they get more intense when you're further along. But it's definitely not pain. It's just a tightening sensation. Of course I don't feel like the early labor contractions are particularly painful either. I like to use that time to sleep before labor really gets going.

Deepoet · January 2016

I have been having them since 8 weeks!

kayham12 · January 2016

I never felt them with my first. Only the real contractions. I was NOT in pain until I was 5cm. Then I called on the drugs.

words are hard sometimes. I wouldn't say I was comfortable, but being uncomfortable started about 34 weeks.

ach298 · January 2016

I definitely had them earlier with DS2 than I did with my first. I think with my second pregnancy they started around 25 weeks. However, my late third trimester BHs felt no different from my labor contractions, even after I got hooked up to pitocin after my labor stalled and the baby had decels. My contractions didn't hurt until my water broke.

I mean, they would make me pause and focus but it wasn't painful. If I had waited until my contractions had started to hurt, I could easily have had the baby in the hospital lobby. So basically it is still best to follow the "if you have more than 4 BH in an hour, call your doctor" and rest and hydrate as much as possible.