Braxton Hicks - mild discomfort or surprisingly painful?

[squishy]

I'm 38 + 2 - not even sure if what I'm having is Braxton Hicks - they seem to be very quick, start with very tight feeling at the bottom of the bump and then spasm very painfully across what I assume is my pelvic floor. Each one lasts no longer than 10-15 seconds, but I seem to have a series of 4-5 quite close together and then a break with nothing. Any ideas please?

OK, after all that, it's gone quiet since I posted....would still be very interested to hear anyone's feedback/thoughts though...

my b/h contractions lasted about a minute each starting at the front and working their way round the bump. They werent particularly painful but uncomfortable and felt like someone had dumped a 5 stone weight on my tum. Quite often I would get them after standing up from a sitting position, or going for a wee!

quite often at the end of my pregnancies I would have to just stand and wait them out as I developed a shocking waddle when walking with one

braxtons if irregular , don;t last too long and have no particular rhythm

had 3 false alarms myself, bh for 12 hours once and then all stopped....some so bad i couldn't walk..!!

but as soon as real labour started, i knew with the first contraction it was the real thing! but it could be any time now

38 - 42 weeks is normal range!! all gearing up ready now....

I never really knew if I'd had BH or not. I assume that I did when people describe what you have and call them that. It was only in the last week though so maybe that was a completely different thing. Funny how no one (m/w or antenatel etc) ever says what BH or contractions are going to feel like.

Towards the end my Braxton hicks were painful enough to keep me awake for nights on end

Sounds like everyone's are different and they probably were.....I don't think it's my time yet as LO's head wasn't even engaged on Weds....it can't be yet, I only finished work on Friday night!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got them with dd and now with ds2b. Seem to start at around 24 + weeks. I find them unconfortable although I do remember a mw and consultant saying they aren't painfil..! Ha what do they know..!

I find them very uncomfortable. Yes, sure I can talk etc through them but my tummy goes hard and its like a tightening sensation. If dh tries to touch my tummy when I am experiencing them it's awful... Feel like I can't breath..

Mine were worse with each pregnancy, but yes, squishy, those do sound like BH...

Goiod luck for the birth!

surprisingly painful you think, until you actually go into labour and recognise the difference
You forget in between pregnancies too

just as well or you might not entertain the idea at all.

hmmmmm !!

The tightening was no real problem, the spasm across my pelvic floor/girly bits (sorry if TMI) was something else and I definitely couldn't relax/breathe through them....

Hey ho, a bit late now to be worrying!

Thanks!!!

With my 2nd I went into hospital as I was so sure it was labour it wasn't. I felt so stupid esp after having had one chld already, you'd have thought I'd recall...