In plain words
Braxton Hicks contractions are tightenings of the uterus that come and go in the second half of pregnancy. They are irregular. They often feel like the belly squeezing or going hard, and they can be uncomfortable but are usually not painful. Mothers often call them practice contractions or false labor. They often ease with rest, and they do not get closer together or stronger over time. Real labor contractions do. A clinician may ask whether the tightening is regular and building, because that pattern points toward labor. Some clinicians note that the tightening can feel stronger when a person is dehydrated or has a full bladder.
The deeper version
Braxton Hicks contractions are painless or mildly uncomfortable, irregular uterine contractions that typically begin in the second trimester and are felt more often in late pregnancy. They lack the progressive frequency, intensity, and duration of labor and do not produce . Their proposed functions, such as uterine conditioning, are not established. Mild dehydration and bladder fullness are cited as common triggers, although the evidence is largely anecdotal or observational. The clinically relevant task is separating them from . Tightening that becomes regular, painful, or accompanied by cervical change is the pattern clinicians assess for preterm labor, which is evaluated with examination and sometimes with or ultrasound testing.
Where it comes up
- Braxton Hicks and practice contractionsPregnancy: Your Body
- Signs labor is startingGetting Ready for Birth
- Early labor at home: when to go inGetting Ready for Birth
- Drinking enough waterPregnancy: Eating
- The stages of labor, plainlyBirth and the First Days
What mothers here say about Braxton Hicks contractions
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Patient education: Signs of labor and Braxton Hicks contractions
- Cunningham FG and colleagues — Williams Obstetrics, 26th edition, 2022