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