What it is
A tightening belly that goes hard as a ball and then softens, with no real pain and no pattern: that is a Braxton Hicks contraction. Some call it false labor or practice contractions. The uterus is a muscle, and it flexes through pregnancy. Nearly every pregnant woman has them, whether or not she feels them.
What's typical
They often show up after week 20 and get stronger toward the end. Each lasts 30 seconds to two minutes. They are irregular, do not get closer together, and often stop if you change position, pee, or drink water. Real labor contractions build: longer, stronger, closer together, and they keep going no matter what you do.
What's known
ACOG describes Braxton Hicks as normal. The test providers use is time and change: contractions that stay irregular and fade are practice. Before 37 weeks, regular tightenings every ten minutes or less for an hour are treated as possible preterm labor until proven otherwise.
What helps
- Drink a big glass of water and lie on your left side for 30 minutes. If they fade, that was the answer.
- Empty your bladder.
- Change what you are doing: if you were walking, rest. If you were resting, walk.
- Time a few. Irregular and fading means practice.
When to call someone
- Nowcontractions with bleeding, fluid leaking, or the baby moving less than usual.
- Now, before 37 weeks: tightenings every ten minutes or less for an hour that do not stop with water and rest.
- Todaycontractions that are painful, regular, and getting closer together. At term, call when you cannot talk through them.
Who helps
Tools: Due Date Calculator · Birth Plan Generator
Related
- Signs labor is startingGetting Ready for Birth
- Short cervix and signs of preterm laborPregnancy: Your Body
- Early labor at home: when to go inGetting Ready for Birth
- Round ligament painPregnancy: Your Body
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Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Patient FAQ on how to tell when labor begins
- NHS — Signs that labour has begun
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