What does a contraction really feel like? Does it feel like bad gas??

Question

I've read about how its the tightening of the uterus, but what would you tell or how would you describe it to your closest pregnant friend?

Answer 1

ummmm nothing like gas.... I would describe it as the most pain imaginable times ten... that starts out slowly... with rests in between... then continues to get closer and closer..with less rest periods... until you just wish it could end and some one could stop the pain... but then... you get this sweet little bundle of joy... and the memory of pain will begin to fade... and you will never regret it because this little life is so worth it!

Answer 2

A real contraction can bring a person to tears. Actually, it did bring me to tears. (Warning...this is probably going to be one of those TMI [too much info.] answers, so be warned...) For me, a real, honest-to-God contraction felt like... Imagine the worst, I mean THE worst menstrual cramps you can imagine, and multiply that by 100. Very, very low in your abdomen. Then, on top of that, imagine having food poisoning or the stomach flu or something like that which gives you bad, crampy diarrhea pains that you can feel in your intestines and lower back. Add that on top of the menstrual cramp feeling and a rock hard stomach from the uterus actually contracting and that's what contractions felt like for me. They were so bad, my husband had to remind me to breathe! LOL Looking back, it's funny now, but at the time, I cried and cried. I was actually insane enough to think I could do it without an epidural. Hah! Every time I felt a contraction coming on, I'd tense up, hold my breath, and my cervix wasn't dilating as fast as it could have been. Once I got my epidural, I went from 5 cm. to 10 cm. in an hour.

If this is your first pregnancy, you're probably sick and tired (and pretty confused!) when friends who already have kids or your OB says, "You'll know it when your labor starts." I used to get so frustrated! HOW? How will I just know it's labor starting? What if it's a bad gas pain? Well, to sound like a broken record...trust me, you WILL know. I can't explain it exactly, but I've done the best I can.

Answer 3

Braxton Hicks contractions are pre-term labour contractions. Many women get these earlier on (than actual labour), and they tighten your whole uterus. It feels as if you are contracting your abdominal muscles for about 30-45 seconds. A tense feeling, but not painful.

Labour contractions are also tightening of the uterus, feels like contracting your abdominal muscles, but are followed by a feeling of sharp menstrual like cramps. As labour progresses, these get more intense.

Answer 4

For me it felt more like "pulling" all the way up to my stomach. It wasn't just pain down below the belly button. There are also Braxton Hicks contractions, which are early contraction often brought on by dehydration. If she is having contractions, but its too early, have her drink a ton of water.

Answer 5

A contraction feels like the worse cramps you have ever had...and in some cases like mine times that by like 50

Answer 6

Menstrual cramps. With my first child, I had awakened for three mornings in a row with cramps. The fourth morning I was disheartened to feel cramps again - until I realized that the cramps were of short duration and peaked.

Answer 7

After three pregnancy's i would have to say that contractions feel like the cramps you get when you get a bad case of diarrhea.

Answer 8

Its worse than bad gas. Its feels like there is a really tight band around your abdomen, with no relief for about 5 min. then it starts again...

Answer 9

More like really bad menstrual cramps. But I thought that full on labor actually feels more like a charley horse around your middle,

Answer 10

Your whole stomach gets really tight. You will know it when it happens!!! It does not feel like gas - The baby moving feels like gas.