Braxton Hicks

[chelle85]

I have been having Braxton Hicks since around 20 weeks. Now at 38 weeks they are a lot stronger and more frequent. For the last 3 weeks or so I have been woken up several times a night by them.

They never get close together but when I get the tightening I have really unpleasant (bordering painful) cramping and urge to go to the toilet and they are lasting for up to 10 minutes before my uterus softens up again. No amount of changing position eases them off.

I'm beginning to wonder how I will know when I am in labour! Anyone else have BH last this long?

I had them a lot as well from early on. The day I went into labout my braxton Hicks were very frequent but irregular, either every eight mins or every 12 mins. That night they became regular at every eight minutes coupled with period pains and contractions started early hours of the morning, DD arrived before breakfast :)

Did the tightenings you had last long before easing? I'm wondering how I am going to time contractions if my belly is staying hard for up to 10 mins at a time!

Just a couple of minutes on that day, they used to last longer before that. My bump would stay hard for ages, I remember thinking it was odd.