What Do Contractions Feel Like?

What Does Braxton Hicks Feel Like?

Braxton Hicks contractions, also called practice contractions, can be mistaken for true labor. They typically begin early in pregnancy and may stop toward the end of your third trimester. Braxton Hicks contractions are irregular, painless contractions that can make your uterus feel hard.

What is the Purpose of Braxton Hicks Contractions?

Braxton Hicks contractions are a sign of your body preparing for labor. They happen for no reason and are totally harmless. Contractions are sometimes mistaken for the real thing. But they're not and you'll be fine. I bet you didn't know you were even having them!

CONTRACTIONS ARE AN IMPROVEMENT. People who hear about your birth often comment that it sounds like you're in the hospital already. Don't be alarmed if you're still feeling OK. You are on your way to feeling better soon!

Braxton Hicks vs. Labor Contractions

Unlike labour contractions, Braxton Hicks contractions: vary in length and strength. They happen infrequently, they are unpredictable and non-rhythmic, they are more uncomfortable than painful and do not increase in frequency, duration or intensity. They lessen and then disappear, only to reappear at some time in the future. Compared with Braxton Hicks, labour contractions: are noticeably, and increasingly, longer - they are more regular and are more frequent, painful and increase in intensity. Nearer the end of your pregnancy, Braxton Hicks contractions may form more of a pattern and increase in frequency and intensity. Lots of women often mistake Braxton Hicks contractions for the start of labour. But, unlike labour contractions, Braxton Hicks contractions do not cause the cervix (the entrance to the womb) to open (dilate).

"If I'm waiting for an induction, I'll have contractions that will be on the lower part of the uterus," she said. "If it's coming down to the time of the actual birth, I'll get them on the top part of the uterus."

When do the Braxton Hicks contractions happen?

You can have Braxton Hicks contractions from your eighth week of pregnancy (the first trimester) onwards. They become more regular in the second trimester, when you feel them about three to four times a day.

What Causes Braxton Hicks?

Braxton Hicks contractions are usually caused by pressure on the cervix, which is the opening of the uterus. The cervix protrudes as the baby moves down through the pelvis and gets closer to entering the birth canal (vagina).

What You Can Do When You Experience Contractions

• Drink up. Even minor dehydration can cause these practice contractions.

• Move. Try changing your position during a painful contraction — if you're sitting, stand up (and vice versa). Walking and resting can both make a difference too.

• Visualize. Use these contractions as a chance to practice the breathing and visualization techniques you've learned in your childbirth education class. (Your partner or coach can practice too!)

The most important thing you can do if you're having Braxton Hicks contractions is to keep track of them. The more often they happen, the more likely it is that they're a sign of preterm labor. That said, they're not always a sign of something worse. "Braxton Hicks are not a marker for preterm labor. They're just a warning that your uterus is getting ready to contract. They're a warning and not a cause," Dr. Nalini Gupta, MD, a labor and delivery doctor in Boston, Massachusetts, told HuffPost.