Braxton Hicks

[angelsgirl]

What do braxton hicks usually feel like?
Sharp pain, crampy pain, kinda like gassy pain??? Or do they sometimes not hurt at all?

Also how far along is it til you start having them?

 

[Assisi]

Apparently some people never feel it. I can feel it, it's not sore...just...tight. Do you get them angelsgirl?

 

[Leanna]

Gassy pain is probably gas/indigestion

Braxton hicks feel like contractions, that's whats really annoying about it (sometimes it makes me wonder if its going to be the real thing).... putting my hand on my uterus, it gets smaller (literally, my uterus is above my belly button normally but during a BH it is below) and tighter/harder and then the sensation spreads to my back. Its a general tightening and then it lets go.

 

[angelsgirl]

I don't know if what i am feeling is braxton hicks or not.
Sometimes i can feel my uterus tightening and it doesn't hurt at all, its just a little uncomfortable. But a couple of weeks ago i had the same tightening of the uterus but this time i had quite a sharp pain that was with it.
So I don't really know if it is braxton hicks i am feeling or not.
And i completely forgot to ask my dr yesterday when i was there for my appointment!!!

 

[jgonz]

Sometimes you can get a BH contraction (tightening) With a round ligament pain, which has a sharp pinch/pain.

I've been having a lot of ligament pain lately, especially in the late evening when, I'm guessing, my body is telling me it's had it with carrying this kid around all day. lol

 

[parentingzen]

I agree, that it could be ligament pain. I had that and boy does it hurt. Braxton Hicks were usually just uncomfortable for me. I had them from 5 months on, and more often when I was thirsty. Try taking a drink of water and resting when you have them.

-Amy

 

[angelsgirl]

So normally BH don't have a sharp pain with them???
Do they normally have pain???

I don't know what to expect with them... whether what i have felt as been BH or something else entirely!!!

 

[jgonz]

I've had a lot of BH contractions in my "career" as pregnant mom but they've never had a sharp pain associated with them. Sometimes they've gotten uncomfortable, but not painful... and never a sharp pain.

Round ligament pains can be sharp. These ligaments hold up the uterus and as they stretch (or are forced to stretch by the movements of the baby) they can really be painful. Hormones also contribute to them stretching in the 3rd trimester especially. Soaking in a warm tub of water helps.

 

[angelsgirl]

I do get some sharp pains down either side of my tummy when i have been standing up for too long, usually when I am at work. (my work doesn't like me to sit down at all - i think most of the people there have forgotten what it is like to be pregnant!!!).

I'm kinda glad that the BH usually don't have such a sharp pain associated with them... its really not nice to feel pain like that!!!

This is all so new to me... it is getting a little scary now that i only have about 8 weeks to go...

 

[jgonz]

Don't be scared! Educate yourself about the physical aspects of labor and birth and that will really help. I always recommend Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon. She gives a Lot of info on the technical aspects of labor so you know what to expect.

Dr. Sears' The Pregnancy Book is also good as it has normal pregnancy discomforts and things to watch out for, as well as info on the baby.

Standing for long periods of time... I'd Definately say it's ligament pain. One thing that will help (since you have to stand for work) is getting a pregnancy belt, or a Bella Band, or some sort of band to help support your belly &/or back. I've been amazed at how much the Bella Band has helped me this pregnancy.

HTH~

 

[Leanna]

Whenever you get the braxton hicks, try telling yourself they feel good, not pain ..... its been working for me

 

[angelsgirl]

I have read a fair bit on Labour and Birth.
It still scares me a little, but i am feeling alot calmer about it now than I have before.
I don't know, it seems really silly to stress about something that you don't really know exactly what is going to happen. I feel now that i probably won't be thinking about what I am doing when I go into labour, especially at the end, it will probably be something that I just do...
I could be wrong though...
My husband keeps telling me that everything is going to be ok, we will be surrounded by people who know what they are doing and are there to look after me and my little baby.

 

[Maharg]

I'm due on the same date as you and last week I think I had BH contractions. It did actually feel a little like wind but much more painful and was accompanied by a tightening feeling and me getting really hot and then a kind of lower back pain, but not quite back pain in the usual sense.

I'm a little scared about the labour I guess. Our antenatal classes don't start till 4th April and I keep thinking - what if baby comes before then? But then, I know all about the stages of labour etc., because I studied Child Development at school (many years ago!)and we had to learn all about pregnancy and birth. Looking at the curent literature, not much seems to have changed. I remind myself a lot that people in many other countries don't see child birth in any way connected with medical procedures etc. and that it's supposed to work and lots of people have been giving birth for years. Until it happens to me though, I guess I will feel a little nervous. Talking to people who have had a baby in the last few months can really help - as long as they're sensitive!

God bless,

maharg

 

[Jilly123]

I guess it just depends on the person. I never felt so much as a BH flutter with my daughter...

 

[jgonz]

Jilly it depends on the pregnancy... With some of mine I'd feel BH and others not so much. With one of my pregnancies the BH were Intense~ all the way through the pregnancy (to the point I didn't realize I was in labor when it actually hit. ). With one of my pregnancies, I had No BH at all~ and I was induced with pitocin with that one. Just couldn't seem to go into labor.... (And I only had pit for 1/2 hr. That was enough to kick-start labor. I was 3 days over my due date.)