Do braxton hicks get picked up on a monitor?

[lala222]

This is really more out of curiosity than anything else..

I was having a few braxton hicks tonight and it just got me thinking. Since they are just "practice" contractions, does anyone know if they show as contractions if your hooked up to a monitor? Or do only real contractions register on one? Really just curiosity getting the better of me

 

[Spiffynoodles]

I'm not sure, but I think that they don't show up, only real ones. Because a friend of mine went to the hospital thinking she was in labor, but they said the contractions weren't being picked up on the monitor, so I take it hers were just Braxton hicks.

And when I went in at 29 weeks with my DS, they said I was definitely having contractions, because they DID show up on the monitor.

 

[BrittBS]

Yes, here is my strip from the other day. I had a few contractions on it. You can see the line barely went up from the baseline but it did pick it up.

 

[lala222]

and those were braxton hicks you had?

 

[BrittBS]

Yes

 

[Spiffynoodles]

BrittBs, thanks for sharing that. I always thought it was weird that nothing would show up, so that makes more sense.

But now I can see why doctors can tell the difference. For comparison, here's a picture of the monitor while I was having real contractions with DS. I was diagnosed with an Irritable Uterus, because the contractions were real, but they weren't dilating me. (Red line was baby's heartbeat, blue line was my contractions).

 

[lala222]

oh wow yeah can really see the difference! braxton hicks BARELY get picked up, but they are still there. puts my curiosity to rest haha thanks girls!

 

[lala222]

BrittBS, you are doing so well! Almost 25 weeks woohoo, your baby is a rockstar, as are you!

 

[BrittBS]

Thank you! Yes, real contractions look like mountains lol. I remember watching them climb with the pain while I was in labor with my daughter! Lol

 

[Gizzyy]

Yes they do

 

[fifie123]

I was hooked up last week and had braxtons and the baseline only went from 14 to about 20 when I had a braxton, real contractions can go up to 90 lolx

 

[lala222]

wow-ee, I wonder if I will get the um, privilege? of actually having contractions this time LOL! scares me as I never had a single contraction with my son (he was born by EMCS at 33 weeks) as he had problems in utero. With this one, no problems present (thank God) so I can go to my 39th week before needing another c-section. I cannot go into active labour as it is too dangerous as my uterus could rupture from where they cut it last time, but I'm sure I'll experience at least some contractions before the 39th week. Thats why I'm so clueless when it comes to them lol.

 

[Spiffynoodles]

Oh yeah, I think I should clarify that the contractions I was having with DS (like the ones from the picture) were painless. And those were registering PAST the 100 mark! They just felt like tightening's, which is how everyone describes Braxton Hicks. So the moral of the story is, you could think you're having a lot of BH, and actually be having real contractions! (Of course, if the contractions are actually putting you into labor, they definitely WILL get painful. )