False labor

[hisbloodformysins]

I read in my pregnancy book the differences between braxton hicks contractions and false labor... correct me if you have a different understanding.

Braxton hicks is having contractions but without the pain.

False labor is having contractions, pain, but they are irregular and sporadic and go away.

that being said I went to my son's first flag football game yesterday and while sitting in the bleachers my uterus started to contract and I felt like i was having mild contractions because I'd experience the cramping/discomfort and it lasted for several minutes then go away and come back in 2-3 minutes and this happened several times.

It was so mild it was almost questionable... I wondered if the baby was just pressing against my belly a certain way, but other times it was more obvious. I began to wonder if I was going to go into labor.

Then I remembered that in the last months it's common for this to happen, it's your body preparing for the real thing.

No longer having them so obviously it was false labor.

HB

 

[jgonz]

Having had lots of BH contractions in my career LOL I have to disagree with that definition. BH are practice contractions. They can be extremely mild, to downright painful. I've had all types.

The only Real difference between "real" labor contractions and BH is that BH contractions do not change the condition of the cervix, while labor contractions do.

And the term "false labor" is really not a real thing... Usually what people mean by false labor is actually Early labor, which changes the condition of the cervix, starting the process of thinning and effacing. So there really is nothing false about it... Some women start the process of early labor several weeks before they go into active labor, which is why I guess the term false labor came about... lol

 

[Called2Grace]

My BH contrax were painful, although not the "pelvis ripping in two" pain that I had with actual labour contrax

 

[Jillymac]

I've read that BH contractions tend to not get closer together whereas real labour contrx do. And they can be painful or just feel like your belly goes hard.

I'm getting a bit nervous about experiencing them and worried I won't be able to tell the difference.

Would I be right in saying that you should just sit them out, maybe time them a bit to see if they are just BH and if not accompanied by any other labour signs then you're fine just to stay at home and not contact the hospital?

Do a lot of people mistake BH and end up in hospital do you think?

 

[jgonz]

Would I be right in saying that you should just sit them out, maybe time them a bit to see if they are just BH and if not accompanied by any other labour signs then you're fine just to stay at home and not contact the hospital?

Yes, that would be appropriate.

 

[Called2Grace]

I used to get BH 5 mins apart for a couple of hours at a time.

 

[Gods4me]

^me to.

i had my first BH when i was 24 weeks and i go them all the way to the end on an off for a few days at a time. althou i had them for a full week before i went in to labour.

and my bh were sore

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

I'm currently 30 weeks and I don't think I've had any BH... I have no idea what they feel like- so maybe I have and I just don't know???

 

[greenie]

In all three of my pregnancies (this one included) I've never had Braxton Hicks.... I was made to think they were quite common but after talking to other women it seems a lot of women don't get them??

 

[jgonz]

I've read that we all have them all the time... it's just that until your uterus is bigger you don't feel them. Some women feel them during their periods though~ cramps.

I've had a couple pregnancies that I didn't feel any either... which bothered me because they are Practice contractions and help tone & strengthen the uterus for labor, so I felt, Great... no practicing for this labor. With one of those pregnancies I was induced (tiny bit of pit for a short time) but the other one I went into labor just fine on my own.

 

[Happy Being Me]

I've had 3 kids with #4 due in winter. I've had BH with all of them and they have always had some pain.

 

[angelsamongus]

I'm on preg #2 and have had bh both times not fun. I dislike them very much. They hurt and I usually have to pee afterwords. The entire stomach gets hard. Like I said there not fun.