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AbbyMN needs your Braxton Hicks comments...

29 replies

AbbyMumsnet · 03/09/2008 15:14

Am just working on some stuff for the site and need to get some good quotes re' Braxton Hicks. Did you have them? If so, what was your experience of them? From how early on did you get them? What did they feel like? How did they compare with real contractions? How long did they last, their intensity, etc? Did they cause you problems and, if so, did you find a way of alleviating them? What would be your advice to a first time mum trying to work out the difference between BH and the real thing?

Your thoughts, as ever, will be much appreciated.

OP posts:

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Carmenere · 03/09/2008 15:15

They are mother natures joke on first time mothers.

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FluffyMummy123 · 03/09/2008 15:16

Message withdrawn

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RhinestoneCowgirl · 03/09/2008 15:17

'the difference between BH and the real thing?' erm, the real ones blardy hurt?

Got them first time round, more this time, bloody annoying and make me want to pee all the time. Bump goes rock hard but not painful.

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Twiglett · 03/09/2008 15:18

Never had them, or if I did didn't recognise them as BH .. never had a contraction either

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WigWamBam · 03/09/2008 15:19

I didn't have them either.

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mellyonion · 03/09/2008 15:19

i loved having bh...i had them with all 3 kids, and from about 30 odd weeks onwards.

i felt like my tummy was shrink wrapping my baby! you could see my bump tighten up and see far more lumps and bumps of the baby at term.....

the difference between bh and real labour contractions? bh don't hurt...they can be uncomfortable, but real contractions feel like they have purpose...they come from deeper, rather than a surface sort of tightening.

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belgo · 03/09/2008 15:20

I ended up in hospital with braxton hicks when I was 34 weeks pregnant with dd1,(first pregnancy) and I was convinced I was in labour, so much so I was on the verge of asking for an epidural. It turns out they were caused by a urinary tract infection! They went with paracetamol, and antibiotics for the infection. DD1 born at 40 weeks.

I am now 35 weeks pregnant with db3, and am experiencing intense braxton hicks. I had one in a shop yesterday, I leaned over the shop counter and went 'ohhh', which got me quite a few worried glances!

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TigerFeet · 03/09/2008 15:20

I only ever really had them immediately after an orgasm.

HTH

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Ewe · 03/09/2008 15:21

If you aren't sure whether they are BH or the real thing, have a bath or go to sleep. If they are real neither of these things will ease them and you won't be able to sleep through them!

(Disclaimer: This is generally speaking, there are of course some exceptions to this I am sure before you all come saying you could sleep through your real contractions!)

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inzidoodle · 03/09/2008 15:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

milkmoustache · 03/09/2008 15:24

With my first pregnancy I had BH from around 20 wks until the very end. With my second not a single one. I never went into natural labour and both were by C section. I foolishly thought that all the 'practice' contractions were going to make a difference - how wrong I was!

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Dropdeadfred · 03/09/2008 15:25

Exactly what mellyonion said (she's the first I've heard describe it like that aprt from me. My whole bump seemed to 'shrinkwrap' the baby...for major 1-20 secs then gradually soften again. I loved them!! Wish real contractions were like that!!

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Pruners · 03/09/2008 15:28

Message withdrawn

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missorinoco · 03/09/2008 15:43

my braxton hicks didn't last more than a few hours, and didn't hurt/get worse although they were uncomfortable.

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PinkTulips · 03/09/2008 16:08

mine are never painful but often extremely uncomfortable, it feels like someone has taken a sheet and wrapped it around your waist and is pulling it tight behind you. they often make me a bit breathless and can have me pacing the floor for hours. like i said though, i never mistook them for labour as they were never painful in the way contractions are.

i got them from 25 weeks with dd, from 20 weeks with ds (thanks to the effing smear test they gave me setting them off ) and have actually had them in the last few days with this baby, i'm 18 weeks

as i got closer to labour they seem to gradually increase in intesnsity, sometimes verging on painful and i seem to have them 24/7. about 18 hours before my babies wre born they suddenly start to hurt and i start calling them contractions.

my old gp never used the word braxton hicks at all though, he called them contractions as he maintained that as they were your uterus contracting it was pointless to call them anything else.

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AnAngelWithin · 03/09/2008 16:14

DS once misheard them as being called backside dicks contraptions sorry thats no help at all is it!?

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bundle · 03/09/2008 16:15

never had them

did get the runs though

and sciatica

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JustineMumsnot · 03/09/2008 16:15

never had them either

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MrsSprat · 03/09/2008 16:23

BH were very different from labour contractions and having experienced the latter, its impossible to confuse one with the other. I agree with the sheet-tightening descriptions. Felt a bit like a first half of a spasm, and my entire bump went completely rigid and as hard as a cricket ball for anything up to a minute. A bit like clenching your fist really hard.

Not painful, but could knock the wind out of you a bit, especially if you are walking/climbing stairs. Also had them from about 30 weeks.

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AbbyMumsnet · 03/09/2008 16:30

Thanks for all this - any thoughts on ways to ease the discomfort?

OP posts:

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lucykate · 03/09/2008 16:32

i had them with both my dc's. started about 20 weeks, maybe earlier, they were pretty frequent, it was sort of like the bump going taught and more solid for a for about 30 seconds, then relaxing. no pain, just a bit uncomfortable, real contractions were much more powerful. didn't cause any problems.

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Flamesparrow · 03/09/2008 16:34

Didn't have em. Felt a bit cheated tbh.

People kept feeling my very hard bump (always very hard) telling me I was having BH. Was boring.

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PeppermintPatty · 03/09/2008 16:35

I got them from about 28 weeks onwards.
And I always got the at exactly the same time every day - at about 6pm, when I was usually walking home from work.
The journey took twice as long as normal as I often had to stop walking and take some deep breaths when I was having one.
They don't hurt - just uncomfortable, and I felt a bit winded.

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MrsSprat · 03/09/2008 16:35

Ease the discomfort - if you're doing something: stop, and ideally lie down on a sofa!

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VeniVidiVickiQV · 03/09/2008 16:35

I was a weirdy and felt braxton hicks contractions VERY early on in first pg (12 weeks )

By 28 weeks they had become much more noticeable.

By 36 weeks they were really uncomfortable at times - particularly in the evening or late at night. They'd last a good 45 seconds and go on for a good hour or so.

When I was in early labour and contracting, I didnt actually realise I was having contractions. It was only because I was hooked up to a CTG monitor that they knew I was in labour. I couldnt feel a thing (only at first...!) In fact, early labour pains were more like gripy period pain/aches.

The exact same thing happened with my second pg.