What do Braxton Hicks feel like?

[decaffeinated]

When I had my DS, I had a c-section at 38 +4, with no braxton hicks at all.

I'm nearly 36 weeks and experiencing some very funny sensations in what feels like my cervix, along with a little tightening in my lower bump.

It's enough sensation to make me stop what I'm doing, and if I breathe out in a nice long breath it soon passes.

Can anyone tell me whether they sound like braxton hicks? I've had a couple of moments like this over the last couple of weeks, but for the last hour or two today, I've had quite a few.

Now I'm wondering, do I start timing them to see if they're regular, or should I just assume they're braxton's and get on as normal!

Hi decaf, congrats on the pregnancy. My BHs felt like my muscles were clenching but there was no pain. In the days before my labour, they were strong enough to take my breath away for a sec but still didn't hurt. Also anything touching my bump (eg when midwife palpated me), it would set them off. Feeling was mainly at bottom of the bump.

My contractions felt different. They were still in the lower stomach/pelvic area but felt intense - so like my muscles were actually working instead of just clenching. Breathing out and relaxing made them easier to deal with but they didn't stop.

People say you'll "know" when it's real. I didn't for the first hour - it was only once they wouldn't go away that I realised it was starting. Then I remembered to relax as adrenaline can slow things down. So take a bath, go for a walk or do anything which relaxes you. If the feelings stop - likely to be BHs! I wouldn't worry about timing until you get a few within a half hour/hour window (better to get your DH to time as you should be relaxing!)

good luck

It sounds like BH to me. Probably your uterus toning itself and gearing up for birth?

I used to get them with any physical effort - even getting up off a chair was enough to set one off. With my second birth, in the last week I had them very regularly in the evenings, then the last evening they were very regular indeed and gradually turned into proper uncomfortable contractions.