Braxton hicks-a stupid question

[madm00se]

Ok, ladies, I've another stupid question for you, braxton hicks, for those of you that have experienced them & real labour, do they feel very much the same as real contractions or milder-how do you know? I'm not 100% certain that what I'm feeling IS braxton hicks, I didn't get them with DD number 1. I'll have about a 5 min period-maybe more, where everything tightens, relaxes, tightens, relaxes (just like proper contractions), but it only last about 5/10 mins. So I'm not sure!! Any advice would be welcome-thanks in advance. I THINK I know for certain that it's not real contractions!!

BHx ime, can be a definite tension up to a slight cramping of the whole tummy, quite brief, you can get on with cooking dinner when they're happening.

Real ctx are much much stronger and persistent, you can't pretend to ignore them.

I found that BH was over the whole abdomen, as lljkk says, whereas real early contractions were a pressing down from the top of the bump with a feeling like you're going to need to visit the loo soon and, yup, it's not easy to ignore them.

IME braxton hicks don't hurt at all even though they are really strong and sometimes make me feel a bit out of breath. However, I know some people find them painful, especially near their EDD. What you're describing sounds to me like BH.

Contractions hurt and are regular.

Ta ladies, it seems to have gone now, whether it was just bump wriggling I don't know, but I do know for defo it wasn't the real thing-EDD 25july. as I said with number 1, I didn't get anything until my waters broke!!Thanks again.

I'm 30 weeks and getting a lot of braxton hicks. In fact yesterday i think they may have been contractions as were quite painful.

Quite worried really as this is dc3 and ds1 was born at 39 weeks, ds2 at 37 weeks and i really really don't want an even earlier one this time.