Braxton Hicks

[xsadiex]

Hi

I've been noticing them quite regularly, I'm 25 weeks. How many is normal? Do other people at the same stage as me get them too?
x

 

[tiggerz]

I had them reg from 16 wks with my second - its normal I'm afraid xx

 

[lollipop92]

I didnt know you could get them that early on, now i'm scared to get them lol, do they hurt? do they literally just feel like contractions? xx

 

[hellzbellz]

what do they feel like,I think I might have been getting them aswell but I'm only 20 weeks and thought they didn't come till later on in the pregnancy?

 

[cjwilson80]

Yes, someone please describe them...

 

[xsadiex]

They don't hurt me at all, just feel pressure in my belly and touch my bump and it's hard as a rock!

 

[Nikki B]

My bump is always hard as a rock, so I don't know if I'm getting them or not!

 

[hellzbellz]

My bump is always hard as a rock, so I don't know if I'm getting them or not!

same here!

 

[xsadiex]

You can feel the tightness when they happen, it feels kind of strange like loads of pressure. My bump is fairly firm, but when I have a braxton hick it's like a rock haha!

 

[flippityflop]

Is it normal is you DON'T get them?

 

[MissCourtneyP]

They actually start around 14 weeks, but everything is so small then that they're incredibly mild and therefore not noticed until much later. So anytime after that, it's totally normal for you to start feeling them.

Mine have been regular for a couple weeks now...they just feel like a sort of tightening...and they dont *hurt* they're just uncomforable...Its different than real contractions, in that a real contraction is like squeezing a stress ball, and you can actually feel (and sometimes see) your stomach..well...contracting lol. Braxton hicks feel like tightening, but I've never been able to tell when they start/stop, or feel my stomach contracting...I often feel like baby just sort of got lodged out in front when I get them

They're also supposed to ease up if you switch up what you're doing. So if they start up when you're sitting or laying down, if you get up n walk around a bit, they're supposed to ease up and vice versa....

 

[Ceejay123]

I've had them since about .. 16 weeks. I'm now 22 weeks. It feels like my babys turning... Ish. My tummy goes rock hard and uncomfortable. It can make it sore if i move at the same time. It just sort of makes me stop in my tracks, but they don't hurt. Just feel very tight, and your tummy gets a lot firmer. x

 

[MissCourtneyP]

Is it normal is you DON'T get them?

I "didn't get them" with my first, but found out later that they actually start happening around 14 weeks, and it's just a matter of whether or not you *notice* them. It's not abnormal at all not to notice them! Especially since sometimes they never really get very strong...so I never noticed a single BH with Ashlyn at all....just real contractions when labor started...

 

[xsadiex]

Yeah I agree that it feels like the baby is lodged in a funny position, that's why I always stroke my belly when I feel it, then realise it's a braxton hick.

I read somewhere that you should phone your hospital if you have more than 4 per hour and apparently you get them more if you're dehydrated so drink lots of water.

 

[lollipop92]

I think I might have had them in that case lol, thought they were supposed to hurt so I didn't think they were braxton hicks. It does feel like the LO is lodged right at the front it feels strange xx

 

[xsadiex]

Yeah, at first I didn't realise what they were either!

 

[MissCourtneyP]

I think I might have had them in that case lol, thought they were supposed to hurt so I didn't think they were braxton hicks. It does feel like the LO is lodged right at the front it feels strange xx

They're definitely not supposed to hurt. That's one thing I've always been told...if they take your breath away or hurt they *could be* more than BH, and dr needs to be called.

 

[pipsbabybean]

Is it normal is you DON'T get them?

im the same,. havnt felt a thing !! yet!!lol

 

[VoodooDoll]

Your uterus actually contracts throughout the entire pregnancy. You are unlikey to sense it before 14 weeks as your uterus simply isn't far enough out of your pelvic cavity. Some women feel these Braxton Hicks as early as 14 weeks. The sensation is that of a "hardening" of the stomach that lasts for roughly 30 seconds. Some women simply do not notice it. They tend to get more regular and stronger towards the end of the pregnancy, and can get uncomfortable at this point. If you feel real pain with them you need to talk to a health professional, otherwise they are simply a normal part of pregnancy.

 

[Girlnextdoor]

I've been getting them since around 14-15 weeks.