tight bump- what is it?

[madgirl]

i know it's too soon for braxton hicks, and to be honest i didn't have any with ds1 so not sure what it feels like, but i am 15.4 weeks pregnant and every day - usually after lunch in the afternoon (like now- which is why i'm posting!) i get what is like a real tightening of my bump. does anyone else have this??

I've been getting B-Hicks for at least 2 months, and I'm only 19 weeks now! I'm sure I read somewhere (on Mnet?) that they start very early in pregnancy. So could be BH for you, too.... Never got them at all in my other pregnancies.

Sounds like Braxton Hicks to me too. I've been having them for a little while (I'm 22 weeks now) and don't remember having them at all in my first pregnancy (mind you, I remember precious little about my first pregnancy now... so that's probably not a true indicator!)

aha! i reckon it's that then. does that also explain why at 15 weeks i already look as if i am about to drop )o

I think I've had some already madgirl, and I'm only 12 weeks!

aha again! i love it then- makes me feel like it's movement - there's def sth there then!

aha - not the only one then. i didnt realise it was braxton hicks. just thought it was baby pushing itself out or something. it goes all tight and hard and stomach stays 'out' even when lying down. q nice really. i'm 23 wks

aha - not the only one then. i didnt realise it was braxton hicks. just thought it was baby pushing itself out or something. it goes all tight and hard and stomach stays 'out' even when lying down. q nice really. i'm 23 wks

I was relieved too - it took me a couple of weeks to realise what it was and it was only a babycentre mail out that mentioned braxton hicks that made me think "OOOOHHH.... there's not something horribly wrong then!"

A couple have felt quite strong too - not particularly painful but taken the wind out of my sails and I've had to sit down quickly! Is that fairly normal for a second pregnancy at this stage does anyone know?

I'm in my first pregnancy and started having them at about 15/16 weeks. Also began to feel the baby moving around at this stage to. Am now 30wks and probably get a couple an hour.
The doctor seems to think it will help during labour as the BH makes the muscles stronger - any thoughts on this from those that have already given birth?

well i didn't get any with my first pregnancy and let's just say my labour was fairly intensive, so i've high hopes for this one. am v excited as am 75% sure that I felt it move (dare i say kick?) last night. must have been the glass of champagne i was drinking at the time

B-Hicks are like muscle toning for eventual labour, but they also massage the baby to an extent. Positive things to have. Everyone has them but not everyone is aware of them IYKWIM.

I had BH before I could feel the baby - often when in the bath. By 30 weeks they were often coming 20 mins apart! I thought that maybe all this practise labour would help with the real thing - Ha Ha!!

I had them throughout my pregnancies... from about 15weeks onwards. Didnt help with labour one bit as ds1 born by CS after induction and failure to progress. DS2 ES at 38 weeks. They were never particularly painful, just a really strong muscle contraction lasting a few seconds early on on pg and longer as pg progressed. Oh and many throughout the day.

I had Braxton hicks very early with ds1 about 15 weeks too. But with this one they started much later but are more frequent.

I get a tightening not over the whole bump, but only in a small area that gets rock hard, feels like a golf ball under my skin... is that:
(a) a BH contraction?
(b) a leg / arm / elbow?
(c) what my doctor said: an irritated uterus which goes into a spasm and for which I now take two doses of Magnesium Complex per day? (This same doctor also said that BH contractions only start in the last month or two)

I'm scared that taking the magnesium prevents the BH contractions (which I'm actually supposed to have) and that NOT taking it causes spasm (which I'm NOT supposed to have)!!!

Can anyone please shed some light?
BTW I'm 26 weeks, first pregnancy.

I don't think there is a need to take anything at all. It is just part and parcel of normal pregnancy. Try not to worry.