BTDT Moms: Braxton Hicks

I've been experiencing braxton hicks contractions for most of this week. I spoke with my OB during one of my visits this week and they said everything was normal on the NST and they stated they would probably continue.

My question is how do you know when they turn real? When they are more often/frequent?

Any advice is appreciated!!

Re: BTDT Moms: Braxton Hicks

in my experience, real contractions feel nothing like Braxton hicks. BH was a tightening across my belly that lasted anywhere from 30sec - 2min. A contraction was for me felt like pressure in my lower belly.

Re: BTDT Moms: Braxton Hicks

Oh it is SOOOOOO different.

Braxton hicks never had a "peak" for me. I could tell I was having one cause my stomach would get like those air tight bags with the air all sucked out.

Contractions has a definate start, a peak, and then an end and they were painful.

Re: BTDT Moms: Braxton Hicks

Like the pp said, real contractions feel different from BH. BH always felt light a tightening for me but real contractions felt like strong menstrual cramps.

Re: BTDT Moms: Braxton Hicks

I had BH for WEEKS from about 32 weeks on, sometimes lasting for hours. Sometimes they even hurt, but most of the time they were just uncomfortable.

The day I went into labor, I didn't realize it at first. Most of the day, my back was just KILLING me. So much so that I took a tylenol (which I never did!!).

My back just kept hurting more and more as the day went on and around 6:30 that evening, I started to actually feel contractions. Only they were pretty crazy and every time I had one, I felt like I had to pee SO BADLY. It was happening every 8-10 minutes where I'd get this crazy ridiculous urge to pee. After a few times, one of the times I went to pee during the contraction, I started getting huge globs of mucus (clear / greenish). That happened a few times in a row.

About 2 1/2 hours later (around 9:15 pm), I went to the bathroom during one of the contractions and instead of clear, I saw blood in the discharge.

By the time I got to the hospital, it was 9:30 pm and I was having contractions every 6 minutes. When the nurse checked me in L&D, I was already 5 cm and 100%. One hour later, I was 9 cm.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that you're not going to miss being in labor.

Re: BTDT Moms: Braxton Hicks

Trust me, you will know! I thought with my first that I would never know i was in labor but I surely figured it out. That labor I started with extremely bad cramps (like i ate something bad), I was running to the bathroom thinking I was going to have to go & nothing but a little blood (TMI). After about 30 minutes, every time the "contraction" pain would come, I would not be able to walk or talk. Got to the hospital about 2 hours after labor began & was already 6cm dilated

With my 2nd, I woke up in the middle of the night at 32w6d & knew I was having BH bc they were very high & across my belly (about 3 inches below your bustline). When I finally fell asleep & then woke, I was having extreme menstrual cramping & that is when I knew I needed to get to the hospital. I got there & was 2cm dilated but quickly progressed.