Braxton Hicks query...

So I was just wondering (what with this being my first bub, and me being completely naive and all :redface: )...

what do Braxton Hicks feel like? Are they different for every woman or is there a general across-the-board type feeling?

The reason I'm asking is because last night, I had a pain that felt a bit like period pain but slightly worse - nothing agonising, just uncomfortable and almost like a 'smarting' kind of pain. Hard to describe, but it did make me squint a little until it was over. I've not had anything since. It was a little disconcerting, but I'm 32 weeks preg on friday so I guess I'm around the right time for BH to start.

I've got a routine Dr's appt tomorrow so I'll definitly run it by him, but I was just wanting an experienced woman's perspective as, let's face it, as good as my Dr is, he'll never have the first person experience that you lovely ladies have :lol:

BTW if there's already a thread answering this, sorry, just let me know where!! Ta xox

My BH were like bad period pain. Also sometimes stabbing or pulling pains. dull back aches that would get worse. . Best thing to do is if you get pain is to move around. If the pain eases then its BH. Usually labour pains dont ease off. I had BH from 25 weeks.

I have the same pains and they sound like BH to me. Mine are like mild period pain (got one now actually) and it goes away after a minute. I usually get them if i have had more of an active day.

Mine were just my whole belly getting really tight & leaving me a bit breathless for a few seconds. No pain though. Just uncomfortable.

I just suddenly notice I have to straighten up, because I can't slouch forward any more! Not painful, but strong, right across my belly. I know everyone's different, it's definitely not unusual to have slightly painful ones.

BH's for me feel like a general hardening of the belly region and can be a bit painful. I also get a bit of a hot flush at the same time and I swear my heart pounds a bit harder.

Hi
BH for me is a tighting of my belly and it kinds of take my breath away. This is my 4th and My having twins. I have been having BH for about a couple of weeks and they have been quite strong, I saw my Ob yesterday and I'm 4 cm dilated this has never happened to me before maybe it's because I've already had 3 pregnancies.

Cathie

I only just noticed that I've been having BHs the other day at 37 weeks when I was lying on my side and I said "oh THAT'S what they feel like." I guess I had noticed my belly tightening before, but I thought it was the baby having a big stretch. It's really just an overall hardening of my entire uterus that is very easy to deal with.

Around 31 weeks I had one experience one night when I woke up with strong period-like cramps that made me go :o and I thought that was a BH, but it happened only once.

Then lately I've had some cramps across my lower abdomen when I'm lying on my side in bed at night before I go to sleep, so I wondered about them, too, but now I'm getting close and baby's full term I'm just thinking "general pre-labour".

I don't know why, but I seem to only notice it when I'm lying on my side. Weird.

Thanks everyone!!

I did run it by Dr but he advised that BH aren't usually painful, so he said he wasn't sure what I may have experienced, but from what you ladies are sharing, I'd say that it was completely normal. Dr wasn't too concerned cause i advised that it wasn't accompanied by any discharge etc (sorry if TMI) and baby is still wriggling around as much as usual.

Thanks again!!

I've found that bh's feel like a tightening of the uterus, goes hard as a rock and makes me feel a bit breathless, and I usually get more when I'm more active, although at this stage of the pregnancy I feel like I'm getting them all the time! It's actually a good thing as your body is getting itself ready for labour. It's amazing that our bodies know what to do without us doing anything! I was also told that when you get a bh it can help to breath through them, or practice any other techniques you might use in labour, in other words use them as practice runs for labour contractions. Good Luck!!