Braxton Hicks - Or Just the Baby?

[DoubleDD]

Hello everybody! I'm just under 37 weeks and for the last few days I've been having these wierd sensations in my bump! It's hard to describe but it mainly feels as though the baby is having a good old stretch and pushing my belly right out! Sometimes when it happens my belly feels harder than usual, and sometimes it's accompanied by a lump in a specific place but not always. And, sometimes it feels as though my breathing is very slightly restricted. Is that just what it is - the baby? Or are these the mythical (in my case, so far - I think!) braxton hicks!? Thanks in advance for any answers!

I never had BH so can't comment on them. But, it doesn't sound like labour to me.

That said... if they are coming regularly and you think it may be labour, ring your mw or hospital just in case.

My guess is that baby is stretching and due to the very limited room in there it feels different, or that they are BH.

I'm almost 34 weeks and have got what I call the 'hardening' of the belly - feels like a shell has gone over the belly - (usually for a few minutes) for a few weeks now! I keep thinking it's the baby but in the last 2 weeks, I am beginning to suspect it's BH even though it always occurs on top of my belly (above belly button!) and never below and I thought BH happens around the groin area...

Definitely sounds like bh to me.
When your belly goes hard, feels tight,expands slightly (mine pulses also) and then goes down after a minute or so then it's usually a bh.

If your belly becomes as hard as and the shape of a watermelon all over it is BH, if it is hard locally your baby is pushing something out against the wall of your uterus. My boy's fave is his bum. Forcefully. It can make breathing hard...