Braxton hicks not painful

Braxton Hicks | Tommy's

Tommy's PregnancyHub

Braxton Hicks contractions are the body’s way of preparing for labour, but if you have them it doesn’t mean your labour has started. Here, we explain more about Braxton Hicks.

What are Braxton Hicks?

Braxton Hicks are when the womb contracts and relaxes. Sometimes they are known as false labour pains.

Not all women will have Braxton Hicks contractions. If you do, you’ll usually feel them during the second or third trimester.

Braxton Hicks are completely normal and many women experience them during pregnancy. Your midwife will probably talk to you about them at some point, and you can ask questions at any time. You may also learn more about them during antenatal classes.

What do Braxton Hicks feel like?

They may be uncomfortable, but they are not painful. Women often describe Braxton Hicks contractions as feeling like mild menstrual cramps or a tightening in a specific area of the stomach that comes and goes.

"I find them like a mild stitch that goes almost as quickly as it comes. Not painful but you're definitely aware it's there. You will soon realise when you do go into labour that Braxton Hicks cannot be mistaken for labour pains."

Claire

"I have had Braxton Hicks, but I didn't know I was experiencing it - it was only because I was at the day assessment unit because I was concerned with the movements of baby that the midwife told me I was experiencing them. I asked the midwife that saw me if they were 'practice contractions' and she said they weren't contractions."

Kim

"For me the Braxton Hicks make my bump feel really tight as if my skin is being stretched, my bump also goes solid! Although not painful they can feel intense when I am out on a long walk with my family!"

Sarah

Why will I get Braxton Hicks?

We don’t really know why women get Braxton Hicks contractions. But we do know some of the things that trigger them, such as:

being very active
having a full bladder
having sex
being dehydrated.

What’s the difference between Braxton Hicks and labour contractions?

Unlike labour contractions, Braxton Hicks contractions:

vary in length and strength
happen infrequently, are unpredictable and non-rhythmic
are more uncomfortable than painful
do not increase in frequency, duration or intensity
lessen and then disappear, only to reappear at some time in the future.

Compared with Braxton Hicks, labour contractions:

are noticeably, and increasingly, longer
are more regular
are more frequent
are painful
increase in intensity.

Nearer the end of your pregnancy, Braxton Hicks contractions may form more of a pattern and increase in frequency and intensity. Lots of women often mistake Braxton Hicks contractions for the start of labour. But, unlike labour contractions, Braxton Hicks contractions do not cause the cervix (the entrance to the womb) to open (dilate).

How are Braxton Hicks contractions treated?

There is no treatment for Braxton Hicks contractions. But there are things you can do to ease them, such as:

changing position
lying down if you’ve been very active – find out more about exercise in pregnancy
going for a walk if you’ve been sitting down for a long time
relaxing, such as taking a warm bath, having a massage, or having a nap
drinking some water to rehydrate.

When should I contact my midwife?

It’s always best to contact your midwife or maternity unit for advice if you are not sure whether you are having Braxton Hicks or labour contractions.

It’s also a good idea to call them if the tightenings continue, especially if you are less than 37 weeks pregnant.

Call your midwife or maternity unit straight away if:

you have any vaginal bleeding
your waters break
you have strong contractions every five minutes that last 30-60 seconds)
these twinges become very painful
you have any concerns about your baby’s movements.

Review dates

Reviewed: 03 July 2019 | Next review: 03 July 2021

This content is currently being reviewed by our team. Updated information will be coming soon.

5 questions about Braxton Hicks contractions

Speaking of Health

Friday, February 5, 2021

Topics in this Post

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Some of the bodily changes during pregnancy can be confusing. For some women, Braxton Hicks contractions can be particularly puzzling. They are uncomfortable, but painless, contractions during pregnancy and are sometimes referred to as "false labor" pains.

Here are answers to 5 common questions about Braxton Hicks contractions:

1. What do Braxton Hicks contractions feel like?

Braxton Hicks contractions are mild, irregular contractions during pregnancy. They feel like tightness in your abdomen. Some women feel a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, while some women don't feel them at all. They typically last less than 30 seconds, and they are uncomfortable but rarely painful.

These contractions also tend to occur more often and become stronger as you approach your due date. Finally, they're more likely to occur in the afternoon or evening, after physical activity, or after sex.

2. What is the purpose of Braxton Hicks contractions?

Braxton Hicks contractions help tone your uterus' muscles and prepare your cervix for birth.

3. How can you tell the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and labor contractions?

There are three primary differences between Braxton Hicks contractions and true contractions:

Pattern
Time your contractions from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next. Look for a regular pattern of contractions that get progressively stronger and closer together. Braxton Hicks contractions will remain irregular.
Duration
Time how long each contraction lasts. True contractions last about 30 to 70 seconds.
Change
True contractions continue regardless of your activity level or position. With false labor, the contractions might stop when you walk, rest or change position.

Contact your health care provider if contractions become regular and steadily increase in strength.

4. How can you ease the discomfort of Braxton Hicks contractions?

For some women, Braxton Hicks contractions can be uncomfortable, and they tend to become stronger as their due dates approach.

Here are a few things to try to relieve any unpleasant feelings:

Change your position, such as lying down or going for a walk.
Take a warm bath.
Get a massage from your partner.
Practice your breathing exercises.

5. What happens if you go to the hospital and you're not actually in labor?

During pregnancy, expect false alarms. No one knows for sure what triggers labor, and every woman's experience is different. Sometimes it's hard to tell when labor begins.

Don't hesitate to call your health care provider if you're confused about whether you're in labor or if you are experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. Preterm labor can be especially sneaky. If you have any signs of labor before 37 weeks, especially if you also experience vaginal spotting, consult your health care provider.

If you arrive at the hospital in false labor, don't feel embarrassed or frustrated. Think of it as a practice run. The real thing is likely on its way.

Amy Brien, M.D., is an OB-GYN in Mankato, Minnesota.

For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

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false or real / “Waiting for a baby”

February

Shortly before the birth, the expectant mother may be disturbed by training contractions, rhythmic contractions of the uterus, which quickly pass and appear occasionally. How to distinguish them from real contractions, and why they are needed, we will try to find out.

For the first time, the phenomenon of temporary contractions was described by the English doctor John Braxton Hicks. That is why they are called - Braxton Hicks contractions or false, training contractions, precursor contractions. In his scientific work of 1872, he argued that these contractions are short-term (from half a minute to 2 minutes) contractions of the muscles of the uterus, which are felt by a pregnant woman as an increase in the tone of the uterus. They appear after the 20th week of pregnancy. And during the day they happen often, but the expectant mother in the daytime may not even notice them. However, as time goes on, they intensify, becoming more and more obvious.

WHAT DO YOU NEED FALSE BROUGHT

The uterus is a muscular organ. And like any muscle that has to perform the work allotted to it in the body, it needs training. After all, if she hangs for all forty weeks like a bag, she will not cope with the load in childbirth. Thus, the purpose of training or false contractions is to prepare the uterus and cervix for childbirth. That is why one of the names of training bouts is contractions harbingers - harbingers of an approaching birth.

ARE FALSE PARTS PAINFUL?

As a rule, false contractions are painless, but with increasing duration they become more noticeable and bring more discomfort. However, in all women, they manifest themselves in different ways, someone does not feel them at all, and someone does not sleep at night, tossing and turning and trying to find a comfortable position for sleeping. It all depends on the pain threshold. The main thing in this situation is to stop being nervous about this and calm yourself with the thought that such training is necessary for the most important upcoming event - the birth of your crumbs. And to calm down a little and sleep better, ask your doctor to prescribe a sedative for you and get a special pillow for expectant and nursing mothers. With her, falling asleep and experiencing the discomfort of the last weeks of pregnancy will be much easier!

HOW TO LIVE WITH FREQUENT PARTS

Some expectant mothers complain that their Braxton Hicks contractions are frequent and cause significant discomfort, even when they are doing housework or other light physical activity. In such a situation, obstetricians are advised to lie down or vice versa, take an easy walk, in any case, change the type of activity. If training contractions bother you a lot, it is recommended to drink a glass of water, juice or herbal tea, calm down and get some rest. Ask someone close to give you a massage. Lie in silence. And to also benefit from training fights, try doing breathing exercises: practice breathing techniques in childbirth in practice.

HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE TRAINING FROM LIVING

The most important thing to understand is that real contractions are much more painful than Braxton Hicks contractions. You will understand it right away. In addition, the contractions that bring you closer to childbirth are more regular. The contractions begin in the lower back, spread to the front of the abdomen, and occur every 10 minutes (or more than 5 contractions per hour). Then they occur with an interval of about 30-70 seconds and over time the intervals between them are reduced. Some women describe the sensations of labor pains as severe menstrual cramps, or sensations during diarrhea, when the pain rolls in waves in the abdomen. These contractions, unlike false ones, continue even after a change in position and when walking, constantly intensifying. As soon as you feel all these symptoms, call your ob-gyn - hour X has arrived. If in doubt, also do not be afraid to disturb the doctor. The doctor will ask you a few questions that will help him determine the type of contractions and eliminate all your doubts and worries. After all, it is always better to consult a doctor and trust his professional experience.

You should seek help if:

• you have more than four contractions an hour and they happen regularly
• contractions are accompanied by pain in the lower spine
• contractions are accompanied by watery or bloody vaginal discharge
• the contractions are so strong that it is very difficult for you to endure them
• there is a marked change in the child's movement, or less than 10 movements every 2 hours
• you think your waters have started to break

Alla Misyutina, Consultant Physician, Independent Laboratory INVITRO

Dear women, during labor, the body needs a lot of oxygen, so proper breathing is very important. A large influx of oxygen into the blood of mother and baby alleviates the condition of the crumbs, which during childbirth experiences oxygen starvation. Special breathing techniques help to properly open the birth canal and make contractions and attempts as effective as possible.

Different types of breathing should be used at different stages of labor.

• During "false" contractions, breathing should be deep and slow. During the period when the contractions become more intense, it is necessary to use "pain-relieving breathing". This breathing is slow, deep, the inhalation is done through the nose, it should be longer than the exhalation through the mouth. More details: inhale is done at the expense of 1-2-3-4, and exhale - at the expense of 1-2-3-4-5-6. With the help of such breathing: mom relaxes, distracts from pain, focuses on the score; the baby receives as much as possible, so he needs oxygen.
• In breaks from contractions, you need to rest and breathe evenly without any effort, so that you can then easily follow the doctor's recommendations.
• During attempts, you need to exhale all the air from the lungs, then take a deep breath and push for up to 6-9 seconds. Quickly exhale all the air, quickly take a deep breath and again hold your breath for 6-9 seconds, and so on - about three times per attempt.
• In breaks from attempts to rest and breathe deeply, evenly and relaxed.
• It is very important to only push on the perineum and never push on the head. In this case, all efforts are wasted and will appear in the form of burst vessels in the eyes and on the face.
• In the period after the birth of the head, it is necessary to stop pushing and breathing shallowly, some call this breathing “dog-like”, deep breathing can harm both mom and baby. Then everything goes on as usual, the main thing is to obey the doctor.
• After the baby was born, within half an hour the last stage of labor begins - the birth of the placenta. Special breathing is no longer required, at the doctor's command, push a little into the perineum and EVERYTHING! Dear women, pain during childbirth is good, it means that your baby will be born soon. There is no need to resist the pain, this is a mistake that brings a woman and a child nothing but fatigue. On the contrary, it is necessary to concentrate and help in every possible way to give birth to a healthy baby.

BIRTH AGAIN

So, you have decided that this is no longer a “teaching”, but the beginning of childbirth. In addition to contractions, the onset of labor can be indicated by the outflow of amniotic fluid and the passage of a mucous plug that closes the lumen of the cervix. The mucous plug can also come off 2-3 days before delivery. However, her departure does not always mean that it is time to go to the hospital. During pregnancy, the cervix is tightly closed. With the onset of labor pains, its opening begins: the cervix of the uterus gradually expands to 10-12 cm in diameter (full disclosure). The birth canal is preparing to "release" the child from the womb. Intrauterine pressure increases during contractions as the uterus shrinks. And in the end, this leads to rupture of the fetal bladder and the outflow of part of the amniotic fluid.

The first, preparatory, period of labor for women giving birth for the first time takes an average of 12 hours, and 2-4 hours less for those who have second births. At the beginning of the second stage of labor, contractions join the contractions - contractions of the muscles of the abdominal wall and diaphragm. In addition to the fact that different muscle groups are involved in contractions and attempts, they have one more important difference: contractions are an involuntary and uncontrollable phenomenon, neither their strength nor frequency depend on the woman in labor, while attempts to a certain extent obey her will , it can delay or strengthen them. Therefore, at this stage of childbirth, a lot depends on the expectant mother and her ability to quickly and correctly follow the commands of the obstetrician taking delivery. And most importantly - to tune in correctly and not allow panic and thoughts about something bad. Obstetricians and gynecologists recommend that mothers perceive childbirth as a holiday, a baby's birthday. Then it will be easier to concentrate on the fact that now your main task is to help the baby be born. If, during childbirth, the expectant mother panics, the concentration of adrenaline in her blood will increase significantly. Which will not have a very good effect on the process of childbirth. Adrenaline affects the synthesis of oxytocin, which significantly weakens contractions and slows down the process of childbirth. In addition, adrenaline completely blocks the production of endorphins, which will increase the feeling of pain during contractions and attempts. That is why it is so important to properly tune in, concentrate and help the baby to be born as soon as possible.

Lilia Egorova

Braxton-Hicks contractions: when to worry | mother today

Braxton Hicks contractions often occur during pregnancy. They occur from the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy and are a type of sporadic contractions that occur as the uterus begins to prepare for what will later become labor. However, these contractions can also bother many pregnant women. Especially to young mothers. Now, is there any real risk? do When to worry about Braxton Hicks contractions ?

Those who have never experienced such contractions are worried when the stomach tightens and they usually go to the doctor because they feel that they will give birth prematurely. None of this is real, in most cases Braxton-Hicks contractions are unpleasant but not painful and are not a sign of the onset of labor. They do not cause pain, although they are very uncomfortable.

Index

1 Characteristics of Braxton-Hicks contractions
2 When to call your doctor

Characteristics of Braxton Hicks contractions

As we mentioned above, Braxton Hicks contractions are present during pregnancy and are a very common symptom from the second trimester. This is tension that appears in the abdomen in a timely manner, although it is not a sign that childbirth is inevitable. On the contrary, these are contractions that serve to prepare the uterus for the time of childbirth. They are necessary for softening and toning the cervix, facilitating blood flow to the placenta.

braxton hicks contractions

That's why when it comes to braxton hicks contractions don't worry They are a healthy sign of pregnancy. You may notice that the abdomen tightens and the contractions are short and irregular, and there may also be pain in various areas around the abdomen. They can appear from the 20th week of pregnancy, increasing in frequency and intensity as the expected date of delivery approaches. Although the first entries occur in the second trimester, it is in the third trimester that they are most palpable. Until the 37th week, Braxton-Hicks contractions are very pronounced. Unlike labor pains, they are irregular.

To find out if this is Braxton Hicks contractions or real contractions, you can consider the typical symptoms of these contractions:

Mild pain in the groin or lower abdomen.
Contractions are short and do not increase.
Contractions are very frequent, that is, they do not happen in a row.
Contractions are not stronger or more painful.
When you change position or rest, mild discomfort or pain stops.

Many pregnant women wonder when and why Braxton Hicks contractions occur. In general, they are closely related to several issues. The main causes of Braxton Hicks contractions are:

Increased activity of the mother.
Constant touching of the mother's abdomen.
Poor hydration.
Have sex.
Distended maternal bladder.
Fatigue.

Time control is one of the best ways to find out which contractions you are talking about. Contractions are regular, while Braxton Hicks contractions are sporadic.

When to call a doctor

It is not always easy to know when all the processes and symptoms are within the expected range. This is why it is recommended to keep a record of pain and frequency when Braxton Hicks contractions occur. There are some symptoms that may serve as a warning. If you experience any of the following symptoms at braxton hicks contractions what to worry about or rather take care of: