"Never had BH" question....

[robinator]

I mentioned this to my doc at my last appointment, he said I was probably having them all the time and just haven't noticed. Not really sure how THAT works, but whatever....

My question is, since I've "never" had them, when I do start getting contractions will they be the real thing? I guess I'm worried that BH could start at anytime, and being so close to being fully cooked, I will just assume they are real contractions.

Has anyone else never experienced BH and then ended up getting them at the end, or did you go right into actual contractions? How would I know the difference, since even early contractions don't always follow a pattern?

Any information would be appreciated!

 

[aley28]

You probably have been getting BHs, but haven't noticed them. They are frequently painless and if you're not touching your stomach when they happen, its very possible you wouldn't notice the tightening. I didn't start noticing them in my first pregnancy until towards the end, when I would notice that my stomach was tight, but I couldn't feel it.

I imagine you'll start feeling them at some point. I've been feeling them pretty consistently with this pregnancy since 33ish weeks. They're still BHs at this point, but they're getting stronger and more uncomfortable as the days go on... though, being "fully cooked", sometimes I get a little over-excited if I get a few in a row that last longer than 20 seconds.

Beyond that... I don't really know. I was induced with my first, so I'm kind of useless in answering if you'll "just know" when you go into labor, or if you can immediately tell the difference between a "real" contraction and a BH. (When you're on a pitocin drip and there's three nurses and a machine there to tell you that you're having a contraction, there's no doubt in your mind that its the real thing. )

 

[luz]

I'm sure you get them all the time. They don't hurt like real contractions. You will know the difference, trust me. Real contractions hurt and feel like painful indegestion poo pains! Don't worry, you won't miss your labor!

 

[Nov11_Mummy2b]

As far as I am aware I have only had 2 BH's that have been painful. The 1st time they actually made me vomit and gave me loose bowels. I was literally lent against the wall holding my bump in pain. The thought 'is this it?' crossed both mine and OH's mind.
Since then I haven't felt like that again but I have felt my bump go rock hard several times without any pains and so am assuming that these are also BH's so it is possible to have BH and not feel them. I am a 1st Mummy to be and have asked several people the same question as you. When will I know its the real thing? The reply I usually get is you will know when its the real thing, not that that helps much.
You can always call your MW if your worried its the real thing, or even post on here.
xx

 

[Duejan2012]

With my DD i had NO BH well that i noticed lol. I went and got set up on a monitor at 34 weeks because i felt less movment and sure enough they were showing up on the screen but i had no idea that they were happening. After that i was paying more attention to my body and noticed i acuaally was having alot lol. But when the real thing happend it was a BIG difference. Maybe you will notice them when you get alittle farther. THis time around because i know what im looking for i have been having tons since like 28 weeks or so and notice them alot.

 

[NawlinsMama]

I never felt BHs with DD#1. After I went in for my induction and was put on pitocin, I could clearly see that I was contracting on the monitor, but felt nothing until my waters went and I was in active labor.

So...I have no idea. I haven't felt any with this one yet, either, so I'm just assuming that I don't pay attention to my body AT ALL, or my BHs aren't as uncomfortable as everyone else describes. You will know if you're in labor, though, because BHs will go away if you sit down/take a bath/have some water. Real labor pains will be unaffected by anything you do, and will have a pretty regular pattern. Sorry I can't be of more help, just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone.

 

[JackiePed]

I am someone who's upside-down... lol... because I have PLENTY of experience with braxton-hicks and pre-labor contractions, but NO experience of 'going into labor' and knowing 'this is it!'.
My water always breaks first.

My best guess is.... no, it's not guaranteed that once you start feeling them they ARE labor, but that yes... you'll figure out it's labor pretty quickly if it is.

I bet you'll get a few 'teaser' moments that will frustrate the heck out of you, though...
How bizarre that so many of you have them but don't feel them!

 

[AimeeM]

Last pregnancy i didn't start to get BH till round about now. This time i had loads all the way through. Real contractions will just get more painful until you know its time to ring the hospital. Sometimes people have pain free labour though so if you are having tons of BH then its worth phoning in.

 

[ArcaneSpark]

I also don't think I have had any yet!

 

[lynnikins]

i thought i was getting BH with ds2 but they were contractions lol, got plenty of noticeable ones with ds1 and probably tons of barely noticeable ones with ds2 i just didnt bother paying attention caus i was chasing a toddler around, real contractions are like a wave they start everything goes tight then an ache builds like a period pain ( or back pain ) or both and then peaks and eases and everything goes loose again,

im getting BH this time they are more annoying than anything and only sore if baby has stuck his bum or foot out right before one so my skin tightens and pulls on the poky out bit

 

[Belle25]

Never had a single braxton hicks with dd, and trust me you will know when its the real thing.
xx

 

[mamawannabee]

I haven't had any that I've noticed yet either, I was wondering if it was normal or not. I've had a few moments where I've thought maybe I am just mistaking them for the baby moving, as the feeling sounds similar to what I feel when the baby is moving or rolling.

 

[lucy_lu10]

I don't know if it's true that everyone gets them.
This is my 2nd pregnancy and I certainly never felt anything with my son or so far this time. My water broke at 40+4 days with my son and there was no mistaking contractions after that!! They started immediately and are very intense tightenings in your stomach. It would suck to get BH that felt like that! I would consider yourself lucky because if you haven't felt anything yet, chances are it'll be the real deal when things do start happening. I'm crossing my fingers for the same thing this time around too!!

 

[Sun_Flower]

I'm over 39 weeks and as far as I'm aware I've never had BH - I sometimes wonder if what I think is baby stretching and making my bump more solid is actually BH, but I've definitely never had anything easily recognisable as BH, so I'm just waiting for contractions that I'm sure will be obvious!

 

[JackiePed]

Now I'm REALLY curious... what makes some of us VERY aware of our BH, while others not so much, or not at all? Mine are impossible to miss, and I get them VERY early on. They began, subtly, for me with this pregnancy at a little over 14 weeks or so. Seriously. In fact it was the only way, at first, that I could tell where my uterus was, because it would be all balled up and hard and sticking out for about 15 seconds or so.

But... I had them tons last pregnancy too and they certainly weren't a sign of any danger... I had him at 38 weeks and no threatened ptl that I'm aware of.
I also don't think it has to do with pain tolerance, as I don't find them painful. Sometimes they make me breathless for a minute, and they DO give me the INSANE urge to pee while they're peaking. But they don't *hurt*....

Weird. This makes me very, very curious. I highly doubt those of you who aren't feeling them aren't HAVING them, especially if you're up into 30-something weeks....as it's a pretty much guaranteed thing your body does in preparation for labor, at least, that's what all the pregnancy books will tell you. So you're likely just not feeling them.... and it sounds like it's many, many women who experience (well.... *don't* experience...) this.
I haven't decided whether being a doctor/biologist/medical researcher would be fascinating or downright infuriating.

 

[robinator]

I'm over 39 weeks and as far as I'm aware I've never had BH - I sometimes wonder if what I think is baby stretching and making my bump more solid is actually BH, but I've definitely never had anything easily recognisable as BH, so I'm just waiting for contractions that I'm sure will be obvious!

I wonder that too at times...

 

[milf2be]

Braxton hicks actually start really early in pregnancy (i think its 6 weeks) but you dont start feeling them until later on in your pregnancy. like with everything, different women feel them at different times i didnt start feeling them until i was 37 weeks and even then they were painless, just tight really.
i was induced, but my contractions were very 'noticeable' and unmistakable, i know you feel unsure at the moment, but when you are in labour you will know x

 

[Duejan2012]

Now I'm REALLY curious... what makes some of us VERY aware of our BH, while others not so much, or not at all? Mine are impossible to miss, and I get them VERY early on. They began, subtly, for me with this pregnancy at a little over 14 weeks or so. Seriously. In fact it was the only way, at first, that I could tell where my uterus was, because it would be all balled up and hard and sticking out for about 15 seconds or so.

But... I had them tons last pregnancy too and they certainly weren't a sign of any danger... I had him at 38 weeks and no threatened ptl that I'm aware of.
I also don't think it has to do with pain tolerance, as I don't find them painful. Sometimes they make me breathless for a minute, and they DO give me the INSANE urge to pee while they're peaking. But they don't *hurt*....

Weird. This makes me very, very curious. I highly doubt those of you who aren't feeling them aren't HAVING them, especially if you're up into 30-something weeks....as it's a pretty much guaranteed thing your body does in preparation for labor, at least, that's what all the pregnancy books will tell you. So you're likely just not feeling them.... and it sounds like it's many, many women who experience (well.... *don't* experience...) this.
I haven't decided whether being a doctor/biologist/medical researcher would be fascinating or downright infuriating.

I to dont think that they are not having them they are just not feeling them or aware of what they feel like. Especially if this is their first pregnancy. Like i said i never "had" any with my dd because i believe i wasnt sure what i was looking for. I though those feelings were baby stretching or pushing up on my belly lol. But when i got hooked up to the monitor and saw when they were coming i finally got in tune with my body and relized wow im feeling them very often haha how did i miss them. With second and third etc pregnancys then you are aware of what bh are and what they feel like witch is why my doc said most of us will feel them ALOT sooner then with our first preg. haha i like your quote about being a doc haha i dont know which it would be either lol i too dont think pain tolorence has anything to do with it like you said it just a matter of being in tune with your body and reconizing when they come. This is a very interesting topic i think lol

 

[Nimbus]

Not really felt any BH with either of my pregnancies. Def felt the realt thing though!

 

[Natalie1a]

I'm not aware of having any bh at all, perhaps im getting them confused with baby movements but I'm def not aware of them yet....Nx