Braxton Hicks

Re: Braxton Hicks

• Erin1510 member

  January 2019

  Anytime after 20 week is normal, and before is normal too in second+ pregnancies. They shouldn't be painful but more an uncomfortable tightening. Drink water and lay on your left side to get them to subside more quickly.
  
  I've been having them daily for about a week now and I'm 20 weeks. I notice it more after I do something more physically strenuous. Sitting or laying makes them stop. 

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• wiseh member

  January 2019

  What do Braxton Hicks feel like? I've tried to google but it's not overly helpful. 

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• amandarenee916 member

  January 2019

  They feel like a major tightening in your stomach area. They aren't painful, but all of your muscles contract and your abdomen will feel super hard.

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• wiseh member

  January 2019

  Kind of like a period cramp @amandarenee916? I’ll have to feel my abdomen next time I get what I think is a Braxton Hicks! Thanks

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• stardustdreams member

  January 2019

  I think in my 2nd pregnancy I started feel BH contractions really early... like at 15 weeks. I started feeling like my uterus would turn into a tight ball. That is the only way I could describe them. They started pretty early this time around, too. 

  
  
  

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• sugarbritchesallo member

  January 2019

  With my first two pregnancies I had them almost every day for months on end. They were very uncomfortable. For me it was hard to tell when it was just Braxton Hicks and when it was actual labor because they were so strong and so constant. My doctor with the first baby had to send me to the hospital from my 36 week appointment because I was already 4 cm dialated and had just thought it was normal false contractions still. I'm kind of jealous of the women that never notice them or only have them for a few weeks lol
  
  This time around I've already been noticing them after I go out hiking or do things like carry groceries home for a couple of weeks. I'm just going to try to take things easier and stay better hydrated and hope what they say about getting stronger with multiple pregnancies doesn't hold up. 
  

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• tickledpink123 member

  January 2019

  I've also noticed I'm having Braxton Hicks much earlier this time around.  I agree with what everyone else says-it feels like my stomach tightens into a hard ball.  Later in my last pregnancy, I could touch my stomach and feel how hard it was.  So far with this one, I can't feel it from the outside but I can definitely feel it inside.  I'm sure I will feel that soon enough with this one too.  Mine also come when I've been doing a lot of activity or haven't had enough water.  Laying down and relaxing usually gets rid of them.
  
  For me it was very different than actual labor.  With BH, it felt like it was the top of my belly that would tighten.  With labor, it was much lower and much more painful.

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• mrspotts5 member

  January 2019

  For me, BH are just feel like my uterus is tighening. It doesn’t hurt, but I can definitely feel it and it is definitely annoying. 
  
  I barely had BH with my first. I only noticed them on the last 4 weeks, and even then, I wasn’t sure they were BH. Once my water broke and real labor started, there’s DEFINITELY a difference in BH and labor contractions. 
  
  My OB has been getting onto me about staying active in pregnancy, and I agree. I need to be more active. Labor and giving birth really is like training for a marathon because you’re body goes through so much physical stress. And with my last, I definitely was Not Prepared. So I’m trying to stay active but these darn BH are really getting annoying and make me want to just lay around so they don’t happen!
  

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• sugarbritchesallo member

  January 2019

  For me I guess they were just a lot stronger than most women get. After my water broke in the hospital there was about an hour of more intensely painful contractions but everything up to that point was not much worse than the BH ones, just longer and my back ached more. I was fully dilated before they broke my water in both cases. They were always like, full stomach tightening and a lot of discomfort. My second time around I ended up in the hospital at around 28 weeks for them to stop labor and it was nothing different feeling then either. I'm not sure if I should feel lucky that the excruciating pain lasted for so short a time or unlucky that there's so much discomfort and uncertainty leading up to it. 

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• ShadeofGreen816 member

  January 2019

  I had BH from 15 weeks on even its baby #1. Dr was never worried. Mine though were 100% painless, but it felt like it does when you’re really hungry and it feels like you stomach is twisting up. And then when I had that sensation I could touch my stomach and feel my uterus was hard. They were worst when I was lying down and when my bladder was full. As long as they are irregular and go away you’re fine, typically. But always feel free to ask your doc. 

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• wiseh member

  January 2019

  I'm loving hearing how different everyone's BHs were! I think what I'm feeling is BH, like a really bad period cramp and are often, but irregular. I guess I'll know more as the pregnancy progresses if this is them or not. So many new sensations and so hard to know what is what! 
  

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• melilinn92 member

  January 2019

  I've had 3 great pregnancies with no Braxton hicks... this is my 4th pregnancy and I started feeling them every day at 13 weeks ( I'm currently 18 weeks). The way I knew they were Braxton,  was remembering how contractions feel while in labor, except they are a 0.5% in pain out of 10 being the worst. Some of my braxtons come in a little stronger than others tho.

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