What Do Braxton Hicks Contractions Feel Like? 4 Women Describe Their Experiences
Key takeaways:
Braxton Hicks contractions are a sign that the uterus is preparing for birth, almost like it’s doing a practice run.
Braxton Hicks contractions are not true labor.
Some people who have experienced Braxton Hicks contractions describe them as less intense than labor pains.
Braxton Hicks contractions — which can happen toward the end of pregnancy — are sometimes described as “false” or “practice” contractions. But the sensation caused by the tightening of the muscles in the uterus is very real.
As the uterus prepares for birth, it can begin to contract on and off during the second or third trimester in what is known as Braxton Hicks contractions. These spontaneous contractions are named after John Braxton Hicks, a 19th-century English doctor who studied them. And they can make it feel like the muscles across your belly are tightening.
While Braxton Hicks are not labor contractions, it can sometimes be to tell them from the real thing. Here’s how four women explain what Braxton Hicks contractions felt like for them.
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Braxton Hicks contractions can cause discomfort
Breina Rippy, a 39-year-old mother of two from Severna Park, Maryland, recalls experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions during her second pregnancy. She knew what they were because she had read about them.
“My stomach would get really hard in certain spots,” she says. “It was hard to breathe and quite uncomfortable. Then, they would completely go away.”
Breina recalls a time when she had Braxton Hicks contractions at work. She remembers feeling a few moments of panic, thinking that the contractions might be the real thing. But she says that she concentrated on keeping calm.
“I was 30-plus weeks pregnant, so I felt pretty confident that it wasn’t actual labor,” she says. “I took a piece of paper and started making tally marks for every contraction. It did make me feel a bit nervous because I was having a lot of them within that hour. But they were not quite close enough to call the doctor.”
When thinking about how the Braxton Hicks contractions compared to her contractions during childbirth, Breina says they were most definitely not the same.
“I had my son naturally and felt it all,” she says. “Labor contractions were agonizing and long. Labor pains were felt much lower in my body, too.”
The contractions can increase in severity
Lacie Mutter, a 40-year-old mother of two in Pasadena, Maryland, experienced Braxton Hicks contractions during the third trimesters of both of her pregnancies.
“I was told with my first what they would feel like,” she says. “With my second, I already was prepared when they came.”
Lacie remembers her Braxton Hicks contractions feeling different as her pregnancies progressed. While some of the contractions were mild and felt more like a dull aching sensation, she says that others were quite painful.
“They felt like period cramps at first — dull aches in my lower abdomen.” she says. “As it got closer to my due date, they got more intense. Some felt like shooting pains or sharp pains that made me catch my breath. Some felt like my insides were exploding.”
Fortunately, she found several things that helped ease the discomfort. Lying down or bouncing on a yoga ball helped the most, she says.
Lacie says that, during her second pregnancy, some of her Braxton Hicks contractions occurred so close together that she thought she might actually be in labor and called her doctor’s after-hours line for advice.
When comparing Braxton Hicks to the contractions she felt while giving birth, Lacie says that the false contractions were much milder, while actual labor was quite painful.
“I have a high tolerance for pain and could not handle [labor contractions] at all,” she says. “I had an epidural with my first but did not have enough time for one with my second. He decided to come very quickly. During labor, I could barely speak, concentrate, or think.”
Timing contractions can help identify what type they are
Cassie Shirk lives in Annapolis, Maryland, and is a 32-year-old mother of three. During her third pregnancy, Cassie experienced Braxton Hicks contractions between weeks 20 and 25. But, at first, she had no idea what they were.
“I never experienced them the way I did during my third pregnancy,” she says of having Braxton Hicks contractions. “If anything, I may have had them a handful of times during my second pregnancy and just brushed them off because they were so sporadic.”
When she experienced the contractions during her third pregnancy, her entire abdomen would get very tight and tense. “I could actually touch my stomach, and it felt hard,” she says.
At times, Cassie says, her Braxton Hicks contractions were so intense that they would take her breath away or make it difficult to breathe deeply.
“They were strongest and most consistent at the end of the day, which made sense since I was typically exhausted from chasing my kids around, exercising, going to work,” she says.
Even though she was used to exercising regularly, the contractions interrupted her usual walks. “Even a 20-minute walk would make me experience some pretty intense Braxton Hicks, both during the walk and then throughout the rest of the day,” she says.
Her solution was to try to lie down and relax. “I knew they wouldn’t last long. So I found that if I got off my feet, they would go away,” she says.
Cassie continued to keep her doctor informed about her Braxton Hicks contractions during her prenatal appointments.
“They would always remind me that if they started to become more frequent to time them and call if they started to be spaced out like real labor contractions," Cassie says.
“With my first two pregnancies, I went into labor. My third was a scheduled repeat C-section,” she adds. “Those contractions [in the first two pregnancies] felt like the worst period cramps and back pain I ever had.”
Even experienced moms can be confused
Megan Bleil lives in Mount Airy, Maryland, and is a 36-year-old mother of two. She says she experienced some degree of Braxton Hicks contractions with both of her pregnancies, but that they were more intense with her second.
Megan says her knowledge of what Braxton Hicks contractions were came from an episode of the 1990s sitcom “Friends.” And she remembers saying to herself, “They’re going to feel like the real deal, but they’re not.”
She says that her plan was to ignore them until she was full term, but that she found out that was easier said than done. During her second pregnancy, her Braxton Hicks contractions were so severe that her husband flew home from out of state, certain that it was the real thing.
“When you haven’t given birth, [Braxton Hicks contractions] feel abnormal and more than uncomfortable,” Megan says. “And even if you have given birth, you’re already aware that labor may start gradually and build — which makes Braxton Hicks contractions so confusing.”
“They felt like my uterus was being squeezed,” she says.
Megan says that, during the second trimester of her second pregnancy, she was almost positive she was experiencing Braxton Hicks. But once they increased in severity, at around 36 weeks, she called her provider’s after-hours line as well as her doula to confirm.
“Tracking them helped me become mentally aware that: No, these are not labor contractions — yet,” she says.
“Physically, [the Braxton Hicks contractions] felt like they may become the real deal. But I had to stay focused on what I was aware of,” Megan says. “Having already given birth, I was aware that when it came to real labor, I lost all ability to speak words. I could grunt, bellow, grimace, and howl. But during a contraction, there was no expressing actual thoughts. My body took over my brain.”
“With Braxton Hicks, I was still able to describe what they felt like or carry on a conversation,” she adds. “Real labor contractions affected my entire body, as well. I felt it in my back, my legs. But Braxton Hicks were centralized in my uterus.”
What does the doctor say?
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH
Medical Editor
It’s true that Braxton Hicks contractions are called “false labor.” But it’s important to understand what that means.
When a person goes into labor, their uterus contracts and their cervix also thins out and opens. Both things need to happen at the same time for labor to progress. But when someone has Braxton Hicks contractions, their cervix isn’t changing. That’s why it’s called “false labor.”
But the contractions themselves are very real. So it’s normal to feel uncomfortable and to think you’re in labor. Whether it’s your first baby or not, it’s really hard — if not impossible — to tell Braxton Hicks contractions from the first stage of labor. After all, you don’t know if you have cervical changes.
It can help to keep track of how often your contractions last and their spacing. (Braxton Hicks contractions don’t get longer and closer together the way true labor contractions do.) But if you’re not sure about the pattern of the contractions or if you think you could be leaking fluid, call your healthcare provider. They can help you monitor your contractions. And if they’re not sure either, they can do a quick exam to make sure your cervix is still closed and that you’re not going into premature labor.
If you know for sure you’re having Braxton Hick contractions, there are things you can try to help them settle down:
Hydrate: Dehydration can trigger Braxton Hicks contractions. Your liquid needs go up during pregnancy, so it doesn’t take much to trigger dehydration. If you notice you’re having contractions, drink a glass or two of water and see if it helps.
Rest: Being active can also trigger Braxton Hicks contractions. That doesn’t mean you should give up on exercise completely. But if you notice you’re having contractions, stop and rest.
Relax: Contractions can be very stressful, so remember to give your mind a rest, too. Try listening to some music or doing a meditation exercise.
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