what do contractions feel like?

Question

Can anyone try and explain im 37 weeks pregnant and still not sure if iv even had Braxton Hicks contractions yet? My pregnancy book says it feels like a tightening of the womb. can anyone explain better?

Answer 1

I'm in the same boat...not sure if what I've been experiencing has been braxton hicks or just the baby punching me really hard. But what I've been told is that it feels like a rolling tightening feeling going across the belly and deep in the groin. The real things go from back to front....you feel a tightening in the back (Pain) and it crawls around the front. Like someone squeezing your muscles I guess. But sometimes to me it just feels like the baby is stretching out and then relaxes.

Answer 2

Some women never feel a single braxton hicks contraction.

Braxton Hicks are a strange feeling. When I had them my tummy got so tight that it felt kind of like a big rock. It feels almost like you are sucking in your stomach as hard as you can, but you can't release it. Also, even if they get uncomfortable, or hurt some, don't mistake them for real labor.

I had very painful (or what I thought were very painful) braxton hicks for about 2 weeks before Maya was born. Every night I was telling my husband, "I think I'm in labor" After a couple of weeks he started ignoring me and then I really did go into labor and I knew it, there was no more "thinking" anything. So if you "think" your contractions are labor, they aren't. If you can't talk or walk for about 30 seconds or more, and it happens every 5 minutes, then it's time to go.

Answer 3

Yes, i had a ton. Starting from 17 weeks pregnant. They were tightenings, some i felt, some not so much. I went in to labour and was in labour for a week stopping at 5 - 7cm dilated!!! Swine that was. But to describe those pains looking back. In early labour they hurt a bit more then the usual Braxton Hicks i had experienced. They had a twinge to them like the whole of my bump was tightening. In active labour the tightenings came very low down and diffent to the Braxton Hicks i had experienced. I knew thety were different, starting low tightenings and could cope to full blown, bite the gas/air inhaler ouch! You haven't got long left now and it seems if you are getting the false labour pains you are prepping up for it. You will know the difference, i cant explain it but you will. For me the Braxton Hicks helped me to get so dillated i think. It may have took a week but when my waters broke, i went back in to hospital 7-8cm dilated, sat on a birthing ball and had a 9lb5oz baby on gas and air with no stitches so it helped! All the best to you and your beautiful baby X

Answer 4

All women have Braxton Hicks contractions, even non pregnant. It is a normal contracting and relaxing of the uterus that happens all through life. When you are pregnant it just is more noticeable. Some women feel it a lot, some don't at all until real labor. For me it started at around 32 weeks. My uterus/belly would get hard and then relax.

Here is a good talk forum to visit. Go to Talk Forums and Third Trimester. The site is Canadian but you can talk to other moms in the same week and stage.

Answer 5

my braxton hicks are an all over tightening over my stomach - they don't hurt but are uncomfortable sometimes (they can affect my breathing slightly). I didn't get ANY of these in my first pregnancy - the first contractions i ever felt were like period pains. They felt very deep and weren't that painful at all. It was only when i realised they were 10 mins apart that i realised it must be early labour. They got more and more painful as time went on until they were closer and lasting for longer each time. Then i started getting pains in my back too which normally means baby is moving down more.

Answer 6

Contractions feel like cramps when your on your period but 20 zillion times worse. Believe me YOU WILL KNOW when you are having a contraction. Your stomach will harden and you will feel an extreme, intense pain in your stomach and back-just like period cramps but WOW it just hurts. Not everyone gets Braxton Hicks but if you do it is not near the same or strength as a real contraction. When you are having a contraction, you can't speak you just have the desire to breath and get through it-it is all you can concentrate on until it is over. The closer and closer you get to having the baby, your contractions will get stronger and stronger and the contractions will happen much more frequently. Do not stress yourself out about this. Women are STRONG and you will be amazed and so proud of yourself for going through the labor and giving birth to a beautiful baby that you will love more than life itself.

Answer 7

Braxton Hicks are tightnings and Can be painful but they don't tend to be regular or in any sort of pattern.
Labour contractions can feel like bad period cramps and sometimes feel like you've got bad wind. I got my contractions right round my lower back and if you have suffered back pain during pregnancy you'll probably get this too. You should time your contactions. If they are real they should be getting more intense, become closer together and last longer.
If in doubt, call your community midwife. They'll probably tell you not to go in to hospital until you are contracting about every 5 minutes and they are lasting for around 60 seconds each time.

I hope this makes sense for you and helps a bit.
Good luck! :)

Answer 8

You'll definitely feel tightening of the abdomen. The pain will travel from your abdomen to your back (lots of back pain as the baby moves down). You will also have contractions that are evenly spaced apart and than get closer together. They shouldn't get better with walking, drinking lots of water or laying down and changing positions, in fact they should get worse. Not only that but you will experience (not everyone will) diarrhea or constipation.

With my 1st pregnancy I had such bad cramping when I was in labor I didn't even want to walk and I felt sick, I mean physically sick and drained.

Oh and the last time I had an epidural the anesthesiologist was so nice to give me all the pain medication I needed. Seriously it didn't even hurt when I pushed my son out. I could feel his head moving though, that is the only way I knew he was coming otherwise he would've fallen on the floor because my doctor and all the nurses including my husband where standing around chatting. I had to yell twice just to get his attention.

Answer 9

I'm not going to be much help here but wanted to comment about your question..I'm 38 weeks pregnant and went to the hospital a few days ago for "contractions" every 15 minutes (they told me to call when I was having 4 an hour because I am having a c-section...) They measured my "contractions" and said I was in fact having them every 15 minutes but they are Braxton Hicks and they sent me home...So I'm confused as well :)

I hope someone is able to answer your question :)

Answer 10

If you have had an orgasm your stomach tightens up and almost gets uncomfortable, well the tightening sensation is exactly like a contraction. With a braxton contraction, it doesn't hurt most of the time, with a real contraction it is the hardening of your uterus with period like cramps with it. A real contraction hurts so bad, you will know when your having one!
Good luck!