Can anyone describe the difference between braxton hicks and real contractions?

[NoTeaForMe]

Hi all,

I have no idea if I'm clutching at straws or what but to help me out can someone describe how braxton hicks and real contractions feel different?

Today I have done everything possible to kick start labour and am left not knowing if I have overdone it or have done the job well! But either way am v v umcomfortable! I'd love to know that I have succeeded in getting things going but don't want to end up disappointed again when it amounts to nothing!

Thanks in advance!

For me BH always made my entire bump go hard and were uncomfortable. Contractions were more low down like period pain.

Good luck!

I find that my BH feel quite similar to real contractions. The only difference is that my BH are really quite irregular in that they can last about 5 seconds or a minute and there is usually more time in between them.

I found them to be similar. The test is if you move and the pain stops, it's BH, if it continues, it's labour.

My BH were in my bump at the front and were tightenings that got more and more painful as I got up to giving birth.

However my contractions were in my back and then down into my bottom. In a totally different place. I don't remember feeling any tummy pain at all when I was in labour.

Mine were completely different - BH were bump-hardening, pretty painless and made me slightly breathless. Real contractions felt like someone forcing a big nail very slowly into my coccyx - definite lower back pain (where you attach a TENS machine, basically).

YES!! i had loads of braxton hicks (that made me dilate) but they were painless tightenings that made my bump go hard, these alone got me to 3cm. i kept asking my MW whats the difference between these and contractions...i soon found out once my waters broke. contractions are painful tightenings, 'i dont know what to do with myself' pain...a very clear difference for me. but everyone is different

And every pregnancy is different. Had forgotten BH in first pregnancy but they were like very strong tightenings of bump, but 2nd pregnancy were painful enough to wake me up, but if I turned over they stopped.

They can go on for weeks.