Contractions/ Braxton Hicks

Hi L.,

First off, everyone's pain threshold is different.

So, you want to focus on how often you have them, not the strength of them. Also, even though you're fairly far along (36 weeks is an acceptable time to go into labor) when you have them lay down, relax and time them. BH is your body's way of preparing itself for birth, but it doesn't mean you won't go into labor before your due date. Sorry to say, but that is about the extent of the control you have right now.

I've had 4 births and they were all different. With the first my water broke and I had her at 31 weeks. She was fine and healthy, her lungs were fully developed, but she still had to develop the suck/swallow reflex so she was tube fed for a few days. Once I did go into labor I was only in labor for 5 hours, pushed 4 times and she was born.

The second one my contractions were so mild I didn't know I was in labor, walked up to the OB ward and had him 68 minutes later. It didn't get real painful until my water broke about 30 minutes before I had him.

My 3rd I had strong BH's and had 2 false alarms (the others came so quick I was worried about getting to the hospital in time). I was dialated 3 cm for 3 weeks before I actually went into labor. My due date was off by 2 weeks, so I had him a few days before the doctor's calculation but when he was born the estimated that he was about 10 days over due. (I had 3 ultra sounds during the pregnancy and the calculations were still off - once the baby is born they can calculate the term by many different factors).

This last one I had Braxtons starting at about 24 wks, at 33/34 weeks they were fairly strong but didn't get consistent until I went into labor 3 days before her due date. I was dialated about 1 cm for a couple weeks. Then when I did go into labor the contractions would fluxuate between every 20 mins and every 10 mins. The midwife said to call when they were consistently 15 mins apart. I skipped 15 and went to 7 - 10, when I went into her office I was 7cm dialated. When I laid down and relaxed they eased off, they would be stronger and more frequent when I was up and moving around.

1 mom found this helpful

Yes, you will definitely know when you are in labor. My sister described labor contractions very accurately in my opinion. She said they were like the worst menstral cramps you have ever had. Just make sure you time them when they do happen and if they get too close together go lay down and call your doctor. I've never heard of a doctor charging money for a phone call and I'd rather be safe than sorry. Congratulations!

Hi Lanie!

I was confused too when I was pregnant. Braxton Hicks felt to me like a tightening low in my abdominal section, almost as if something was being squeezed or streched inward rather than a streching outward. When I started have labor contractions I knew the diffrence right away, first they are stronger (and if your asleep you will wake up), they came closer together, and they were more intense when I was having them. My birthing classes helped me a lot to be able to tell the diffrence. I know some hospitals offer an express 1 day birthing class. I hope that some of this helped you. Best of look to you and your little one and I hope you have a great labor...just remember to breath and everything will fall into place.

Most of my BH felt like control top pantyhose! sort of squeezy all over. Real labor was more full body - can't breath or talk or walk while a contraction is happening

Good luck! You can do it!

Yup, you are having contractions. Your body is just getting ready to deliver the baby. When you have a contractions, time how long they last and the time in between each one. If they are coming very frequently contact your doctor.

Braxton Hicks feel tight. YOu can feel you're belly tighten for several seconds and then relax. Towards the end of pregnancy, they feel like you're baby is trying to push his or her way out. They're not painful but can be uncomfortable. Real contractions start out feeling like menstral cramps, so I would definitly call you doctor when you're getting those. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and enjoy your new baby when he or she arrives.

Braxton Hicks for me felt like my whole tummy just getting tight and hard. Real contractions were uncomfortable and regular. For me, from 30-some weeks onward, I had real contractions on and off whenever I would be on my feet to much or get too busy. It wasn't true labor, because they would stop when I would sit down and rest, but they were labor contractions. If you are concerned about preterm labor, just take things a little easier--rest more, stay off your feet a bit, and take time to relax--warm baths are great.

Good luck!

The difference in these contractions is the end result. At the end of a Braxton Hicks nothing really has changed, but at the end of real contractions you will have the baby. My doc always told me that the Braxtons were just practicing for the real thing. One way to be able to tell the difference is to move around. Braxton's will go away if you get up and move around where real ones won't. If you time them you will find a pattern with the real deal. Don't get me wrong they can both be pretty painful, but just watch and wait. When you can time them and have a defined pattern and can almost predict that the next one is coming, then you are probably in labor. Good luck and congrats on the new one.
J.--SAHM of 6

I started feeling Braxton Hicks at 5-6 months. At the beginning they'd only come with activity. My stomach would feel tight and hard. As I neared the birth they were more frequent. As far as I remember the contractions in early labor felt the same as Braxton Hicks, although I did have back ache with my labor contractions but not Braxton Hicks. Labor contractions will increase in intensity and get closer together. It takes time to tell whether you're having Braxton Hicks or labor contractions. In your case, I'm surprised that you call Braxton Hicks as painful. I knew someone who thought abdominal pain at the end of her pregnancy were contractions, but then she found out she had a kidney stone.

L.,
Contractions feel so cool. In general you know you are having a contraction when your whole tummy tightens up. It starts to gradually tighten then becomes hard for about 30 seconds (or more or less). There are different ways to experience them. With my first son they were accompanied with intense back pain and aching the further I got into labor. With my second it was just the tightening of the tummy. Braxton Hicks just tighten up your tummy, sometimes a lot and sometimes just barely. Braxton Hicks can also be accompanied by hot flashes.
So anyway, basically your tummy tightens up! The pain of contractions just get tighter and tighter and more intense the further you get into your labor. It is so amazing!
Anymore questions? Does that help?
J. B.

Labor conntractions feel different for every woman, and even for every pregnacy! My water broke with my first AND she was posterior (facing my tummy instead of my back) so it was ALL back labor! My others were more 'normal' in the belly. Generally they would start mild, grow in intensity until a peak and then gradually drop off. A contraction will usually last 30sec-1 min I think.

What you described sounds a lot like gas pain! Especially the all over and then settling into your right side (that's where the colon starts I think, so gas is more likey to hurt there). With baby squishing everything else up, it's very possible to get gas pain more than when you're not pregnant. You may want to ask your Doc if there's any gas relief (Gas-X or phazyme) that you can use. I've always used the baby gas drops myself, and they're probably safe, but ask anyway. If the pain continues or gets worse, or if you don't find yourself passing gas after a bit, then don't just pass it off as gas - especially if it comes and goes in cycles.

Oh the joys of pregnancy!! :)

I am a labor doula. What one of the responces said was right. Look for stonger, longer, and closer together. I also tell my clients to drink a large glass of water right when they are wondering if it is going to continue. A lot of the time women will get contractions when they are dehydrated. The other thing to do is change what you are doing. I personally get braxten hicks when I walk around, but my mom got them when she was sitting. So I would stop and drink and they would go away. With my last pregnancy my doctor told me to take an extra calcium to see if it would go away. Since than I have heard from other people that it works. As always talk with your doctor and drink lots of water. :) I contracted starting at 4 months and some of my pregnancies went to 41 wks 3 days and 42wks 1 day. As long as they are not getting stronger longer or closer together you should be fine.

For me the Braxton Hicks felt like uncomfortable tightness in my abdomen, and I could feel with my hand that my belly was very hard. Sometimes they did feel more achy like cramps.

With real contractions, they were much more regular, and they HURT! By the time we left for the hospital, I was almost falling over from pain every time I had a contraction - not to scare you or anything! ;-) But the real contractions, I don't know how to describe it, they just felt different. Stronger and more painful.

Congrats on your pregnancy, good luck with that and with buying your house!

I went to the hospital 2 times thinking I was in labor. I had pretty regular contractions for 3 weeks before I was really in labor. Everyone kept telling me I would know when they are real contractions and they were right. At the time I thought they were crazy and just wanted someone to tell me what to feel. The mild cramping and pain is normal your body is preparing to have a baby. Some things to look for are the loss of your mucas plug. This can happen in several large chunks over a few days or all at one. It will be a lot. Also you will have bloody discharge before you have the baby. Real contractions feel like you are being cut in two. I know that sounds bad, but I don't know how else to describe it. You will get through it and the end result is worth every second of pain. However, real contractions are much more than cramps or pains, they are very intense and will take your breath away. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Generally true labor contractions will get longer in length, closer in frequency and stronger in intensity. A Braxton Hicks contraction might get closer together but not consistently, or they may feel stronger but go away when you move around. Some moms say that they only experience Braxton Hicks contractions when moving around and they cease when mom sits down.

Braxton Hicks vs True Labor

Braxton Hicks
Contractions dont get closer together
Contractions dont get stronger
Contractions tend to only are felt in the front
Contractions dont last longer
Walking has no effect on the contractions
Cervix doesn't change

True Labor
Contractions do get closer together
Contractions do get stronger
Contractions tend to be felt all over (front and back)
Contractions do last longer
Walking makes the contractions stronger
Cervix opens and thins

Well I am no expert, but with my baby, I felt something weird with the first contraction. It didn't hurt, it was just oh, wow that felt different. When I went to the bathroom shortly after I noticed a small amount of leakage (so small that I wasn't sure it that is what it actually was). This all wqas at about 9pm. I thought something might be up, but by 4am I knew the baby was coming. It wasn't painful but uncomfortable and well just different. I know it isn't helpful, but be confident in your body that you will know when it is time. However if you are at risk for delivering too early...I'd ask your medical provider what signs to watch for and when to call or go in. I wish you the best of luck and if you are anything like most of the women population...you will have plenty of time of KNOWING you are in labor before the baby actually comes.

FYI, that test is not a for sure either way. I had very close contractions, at 32 weeks however, they were not intense and didn't get painful. I was told that I was dehydrated and to drink drink drink. They subsided and I had a dr's appt 2 days later. They said I was 1.5 cm dialated and took that test. It was positive and I was orderd to bedrest. He was born at 38 weeks and I had contractions until then, Again, not intense or painful. My water broke after I picked up my 4 year old. So time them and if they get painful call your dr. With your first you will have plenty of time to to get to the hospital.

Congratulations! You've had a lot of good responses. I think you're having contractions but you'll KNOW when you're in labor. At least I did. With my first I had BH contractions for months! I didn't realize that's what it was until I had one at an appointment. My tummy would get extremely tight and stay that way for a little while. It happened all the time for me towards the end of my pregnancy. It never really hurt unless the baby was caught in a weird position. When I had real contractions (at 39 weeks) I could barely breath. They started right away, were super close together, long and it was painful. They lasted for a minute and came every other minute. By the time I got to the hospital I was at a 5 and 100% effaced and had my baby 5 hours later and only because I had to wait for my OB to finish a scheduled C-Section. She walked in right when I was pushing and would have missed it all if she wasn't there. Labor for me is really quick. I'm now 35 weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby and have been having BH for a couple of months. They're more frequent and get more intense as I get closer to my due date. It's been a little different this time because I have had pain and cramping. The last time I had the pain was a month ago and they checked and I was negative for pre-term labor. Every one and each pregnancy is SO different, it's the truth. So hopefully you'll just KNOW when you're in labor but if you change your activity and they still don't go away and get closer and longer and more painful then go in! I wish you and your husband the best with your new home and new baby! Both are very exciting!!