What does false contractions feel like

5 questions about Braxton Hicks contractions

Speaking of Health

Friday, February 5, 2021

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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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Definition, What They Feel Like, and Triggers

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by Nivin Todd, MD on March 04, 2022

What Are Braxton Hicks Contractions?

Braxton Hicks contractions are the "false" labor pains that a pregnant woman might have before “true” labor. They’re your body's way of getting ready for the real thing. But they don’t mean labor has started or is about to begin.

What Do Braxton Hicks Contractions Feel Like?

Some women describe Braxton Hicks contractions as tightening in their belly that comes and goes. Many say they feel like mild menstrual cramps. Braxton Hicks contractions may be uncomfortable, but they don’t cause labor or open your cervix.

Unlike true labor, Braxton Hicks contractions:

Usually aren’t painful
Don’t have a regular pattern
Don’t get closer together
Don’t last longer as they go on
Don’t get stronger over time
May stop when you change activities or positions
Are felt only in your belly
Taper off and disappear

You may have Braxton Hicks contractions during your third trimester of pregnancy or as early as your second trimester. They’re normal and nothing to worry about.

Triggers of Braxton Hicks Contractions

Dehydration is the most common cause of Braxton Hicks contractions. Other triggers include:

Illness that causes nausea or vomiting
The fetus’s movement
The mother’s activity, especially lifting something or having sex

How Do Braxton Hicks Contractions Compare With True Labor Contractions?

To figure out whether your contractions are the real thing and you're going into labor, ask yourself these questions.

How often do the contractions happen?

False labor: Contractions are often irregular and don’t get closer together.
True labor: Contractions come at regular intervals and last about 30 to 70 seconds. As time goes on, they get stronger and closer together.

Do they change when you move?

False labor: Contractions may stop when you walk or rest. They may go away if you change positions.
True labor: Contractions continue even after you move, change positions, or try to rest.

How strong are they?

False labor: Contractions are usually weak and don't get much stronger. Or they may be strong at first and then get weaker.
True labor: Contractions get stronger at a steady pace.

Where do you feel the pain?

False labor: You usually feel it only in the front of your belly or pelvis.
True labor: Contractions may start in your lower back and move to the front of your abdomen. Or they may start in your abdomen and move to your back.

Other Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy

Sharp, shooting pains on the sides of your belly are called round ligament pain. This happens because the ligaments that support your uterus and attach to your pelvis get stretched as your uterus grows.

Round ligament pain tends to happen with movement, like standing up, rolling over, coughing, sneezing, or even urinating. The pain may also move into your groin. It typically lasts only a few seconds or minutes.

To ease round ligament pain:

Change your position or activity. It might help to lie on your opposite side.
Support your belly when you stand or roll over. Move more slowly.
Try to rest. A hot bath or heating pad may help.

When to Call Your Doctor

Early in your pregnancy, talk to your doctor about what may or may not be expected and when you might need to call them.

If you're not sure that what you're feeling may be labor, call your doctor or midwife. They should be available at any time to answer questions and discuss your concerns.

Call your doctor or midwife right away if you have:

Any vaginal bleeding
Constant fluid leaks, or if your water breaks (this can be gushing or trickling fluid)
Strong contractions every 5 minutes for an hour
Contractions that you can’t "walk through"
A distinct change in your baby's movement, or if you feel fewer than 10 movements every 2 hours
Any signs of true labor before 37 weeks of pregnancy

Treatment of Braxton Hicks Contractions

You don't have to do anything for these contractions. If they’re making you uncomfortable, try one of these tips:

Drink water.
Take a walk. False labor contractions often stop when you change position or get up and move.
If you've been active, take a nap or rest.
Relax by taking a warm bath or listening to music.
Get a massage.

Health & Pregnancy Guide

Getting Pregnant
First Trimester
Second Trimester
Third Trimester
Labor and Delivery
Pregnancy Complications
All Guide Topics

Training contractions during pregnancy

What are training contractions

Childbirth takes place in three periods: opening, expulsion and succession. During the first of them, the uterus contracts, and its cervix opens. Contractions of the uterus during childbirth are called true or labor pains.

A few weeks before giving birth, the precursor period begins, during which the cervix softens and flattens, and the woman feels uterine contractions - training contractions. Many, especially those who are preparing to become a mother for the first time, are frightened by these sensations, taking them for the onset of childbirth and go to the hospital in vain.

False contractions are uterine contractions that do not dilate the cervix. Usually a woman feels tension in her stomach and if she tries to feel the uterus, the organ will seem very hard to her. Sensations during training bouts last from a few seconds to two minutes. Such contractions are painless, some patients feel only slight discomfort. In addition, this condition occurs irregularly.

If the pain during contractions becomes severe, it is necessary to calculate how much time passes between them. If the intervals become the same, then labor begins and it is necessary to go to the hospital.

When training contractions start

False contractions can appear from the twentieth week of pregnancy, but often women do not feel them. Many pregnant women do not experience false contractions throughout their term, and their appearance at a later date is often frightening. Therefore, it is necessary to know the differences between false and true contractions.

How to distinguish false contractions from labor

False contractions	Labor pains
Irregular . The intervals between them can be from several hours to several days.	Periodic. Between contractions, approximately the same time intervals, which decrease as the cervix opens.
Painless . Pregnant women characterize the sensations during false contractions as a slight discomfort. Very rarely, seizures are painful.	Painful . True contractions are always accompanied by severe pain.
Easy to dock . An attack can be relieved by changing the position of the body, taking a warm shower or doing breathing exercises.	Cannot be docked . Pain with true contractions cannot be removed. Later, the contractions turn into pushing, which continues until the baby is born.
The cervix is not changed . If you nevertheless arrived at the maternity hospital, then during the examination the gynecologist will not see the disclosure.	Cervix dilating . During a vaginal examination, the gynecologist will see that the cervix is opening, which means that the patient is entering the first stage of labor.

If there is blood or watery discharge from the vagina, severe pulling pain in the lower back, or contractions become more regular, prolonged and painful, you should consult a doctor, even if you are in the early period. These conditions can be signs of placental abruption, leakage or outpouring of water and preterm labor.

How to reduce the pain of training contractions

One of the following methods will help relieve the discomfort of false contractions:

Take a bath or shower. Warm water will help the uterine muscles relax.
Take a walk outside.
Try to take a comfortable position, use for this special pillows and rollers for pregnant women.
Sign up for a gymnastics course for pregnant women. They teach special exercises that help stop false contractions.

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Braxton Hicks contractions. How to distinguish between false and real contractions?

Braxton-Hicks contractions, or false labor pains, are irregular contractions and relaxation of the uterine muscles as a way of preparing for true labor. They are thought to start around 6 weeks of gestation but are not usually felt until the 2nd or 3rd trimester.

False contractions are a normal part of pregnancy. They may be uncomfortable, but not painful. Women describe them as a feeling that feels like mild menstrual cramps or tightness in a specific area of the abdomen that quickly resolves.

They are also irregular in duration and intensity, occur infrequently, are unpredictable and not rhythmic, and are more uncomfortable than painful.

Braxton Hicks contractions tend to increase in frequency and intensity towards the end of pregnancy. Women often mistake Braxton Hicks contractions for real labor. However, unlike real contractions, they do not dilate the cervix and result in the birth of a baby.

Braxton Hicks contractions occur when the muscle fibers of the uterus contract and relax. The exact etiology of Braxton Hicks contractions is unknown. However, there are circumstances that can cause them:

when the woman is very active,
when the bladder is full,
after sexual activity,
when a woman is dehydrated.

Common among all these circumstances is the potential stress on the fetus and the need for increased blood flow to the placenta to provide oxygen to the fetus.

Change position or activity level: if you have been very active, lie down; if you have been sitting for a long time, go for a walk.
Relax: take a warm bath, massage, read a book, listen to music or take a nap.

If you have Braxton Hicks contractions or if they continue and become more frequent and intense, you should see your doctor.

When assessing for Braxton Hicks contractions, there are a few key questions to ask yourself. We have prepared a table for you with questions, the answers to which will help you understand what kind of contractions you have:

Braxton Higgs contractions

Real labor pains

How often do contractions occur?

Irregular and do not increase over time.