I have been feeling a tightening all over my belly, as if I were doing sit-ups and were holding in a crunch position. Or as if I had a muscle cramp in my abdomen. I was wondering if these are Braxton Hicks contractions.
2007-02-18 18:17:43 · 9 answers · asked by gg55 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
i'm 27 weeks pregnant
2007-02-18 19:31:57 · update #1
What you are describing sounds like BH contractions, I don't know how far along in pregnancy you are but that is what mine feel like.
2007-02-18 18:26:13 · answer #1 · answered by Sakora 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Braxton Hicks are sporadic uterine contractions that actually start at about 6 weeks, although you won't be able to feel them that early. You probably won't start to notice them until sometime after midpregnancy, if you notice them at all (some women don't). They get their name from John Braxton Hicks, an English doctor who first described them in 1872.
As your pregnancy progresses, Braxton Hicks contractions tend to come somewhat more often, but until you get to your last few weeks, they should remain infrequent, irregular, and essentially painless. Sometimes, though, Braxton Hicks are hard to distinguish from early signs of preterm labor.
Play it safe and don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. If you haven't hit 37 weeks yet and you're having four or more contractions in an hour, or have any other signs of preterm labor, call your caregiver immediately.
By the time you're within a couple of weeks of your due date, these contractions may get more intense and more frequent, and cause some discomfort. Unlike the earlier painless and sporadic Braxton Hicks contractions that caused no obvious cervical change, these may help your cervix "ripen": gradually soften and efface, and maybe even begin to dilate a bit. This period is sometimes referred to as "pre-labor."
2007-02-19 02:26:43 · answer #2 · answered by Tenn Gal 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You probably are having them. But every women feels them differently. When i was asking around trying to find out what they felt like i got a million different answers to it. I had a friend tell me that she felt the tightening and "loosining" in her belly but it also came with a pain in her lower back. When i found out i was having them i just felt a solid pain in my lower abdomen that would come and go. The only reason i knew that that was what it was, was because i went to the hospital thinking there was something wrong with the baby...They hooked me up to a thing that tells if your contracting or not. So that's how i knew mine were the braxton hicks...so every women's different....but, it sounds like you might be having some.
2007-02-19 02:32:49 · answer #3 · answered by ebabygurlmlove 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're general tightening of the abdominal muscles. Not so powerful, typically, as a real labor pain, but toward the end of pregnancy they can be pretty darned strong.
If we knew how far along you are, we could probably give you more accurate information.. because how they feel changes over the length of the pregnancy. At first, they're just like a tightening low in the abdomen... middle trimester, they're all-over, but not so strong, because the baby's not so big yet. At the end, they can be very strong, and can actually follow a pattern at times.
If they're making you uncomfortable, make sure you talk to your OB/GYN about them. Mine caused pre-term labor with my last pregnancy...
If you're having them frequently and you don't want labor to start yet, make sure you're getting plenty of rest.. put your feet up. If you're full-term, keep walking!
2007-02-19 02:23:49 · answer #4 · answered by Amy S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They feel just like regular contractions but they don't cause the uterus to push the baby out. You don't say how pregnant you are but I would advise you to go to the hospital and get checked out just in case they are the real deal.
2007-02-19 02:22:05 · answer #5 · answered by nd721 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, sounds like you got em.
They won't hurt anything.
I had them for months before i had my daughter.
but if you keep feeling contactions several times within an hour...call ur doc.
I had to have contractions stopped twice.
And she was born the day after her due date. No problems.
2007-02-19 02:26:10 · answer #6 · answered by lkjgfyfukh 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They felt like mild period cramps to me. Sometimes they even felt like a constipated feeling, even though I wasn't constipated.
2007-02-19 02:21:48 · answer #7 · answered by HarleeNicole 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to me it feels like pressure on the tummy for a few seconds, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes almost unoticable.
2007-02-19 02:42:23 · answer #8 · answered by jjsoccer_18 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I can't.
2007-02-19 02:19:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋