what's the difference between bh & "real" contrax?

[saffrongirl]

I've had BH contrax since 23 weeks or so. They consist of a hardening of my uterus and aren't painful per se although they do sometimes take my breath away. The last few days I've had contrax with increasing frequency combined with pressure down low, crampiness, "zings" in my vagina, and an overall "bowel-y" feeling. Would these still be considered BH? What makes them more? Is it regularity (like every ten minutes) or pain?

[2boyzmama]

I think "officially" the difference is cervical change, but that's not easy to determine on your own My contractions are changing, too, most are still just an uncomfortable tightening (and just like you, they kind of take my breath away) but now some are with lots of LOW pressure in my cervix and in my bowels. Tonight I'm getting a backache from them, too, which could be yet another sign of change, or could just be that I was on my feet too much today.

"Real" contractions don't stop if you lay down, drink, change position, etc. BH come and go.

Not exactly helpful, is it?!

[Julia24]

Actually bh and 'real' feel absolutely different to me. Bh is just what you say - entire uterus getting hard and occassionally taking my breath away. But, 'real' ones are really localized for me - WAY low, like way down in my pelvis and they make me want to arch my back and rock....but maybe it's bc I dialate so quickly? I donno. I really think this is one of those things that feels different to each person, yk?

[ElliesMomma]

i went through 31 hours of "real" contractions that my doula thought might have been BH. until i got bloody show.

here's how they were real:
* increasingly painful/intense
* although i didn't stick my fingers up there, i could just "feel" a hole opening up inside me.
* towards the end (right before i got bloody show), the doula asked me how i felt, and i said to be honest, i'm rethinking natural childbirth (i felt like i didn't really want to do it anymore) -- that's when she said this might be real labor. i guess women nearing transition decide all kinds of things, that they "can't do it," that they "don't really want the baby... just take it all away if the pain will stop," etc. [i did go on to have a natural, unmedicated delivery, BTW, about three hours after bloody show.)

i don't know if that helps or not. i didn't really get BH in either of my pregnancies (none that i noticed anyway). i think i have a high tolerance for pain, though.

[EdnaMarie]

Here was the difference to me (not in your DDC):

BH were intense but just a muscle contraction, like if I flexed my arm, but it was my whole insides.
I also had slight menstrual-like cramping towards the end.

"Real" contractions were like bad menstrual cramps (probably not even the worst I ever had) plus my whole body getting in on the BH action simultaneously. It was hard because the first time you are thinking, "It's gonna be pain free," so the pain can be a little surprising. Anyway, that's what I thought.

It was also hard to manage the pain with the intensity of the contractions- I was used to being able to re-process the menstrual cramping as a more warming, burning sensation, but with my whole body contracting, I was not able to re-process pain.

However I would not say it was unmanageable. I remember thinking I understood what one woman in "Ina May's Guide" wrote, that she knew why some women got the epidural, not that she wanted one, but she knew why they got them! That was me, too.

[xelakann]

I guess it depends on everyone. But for me it was all consuming. People kept telling me "I'd know" when they were real. And even though I had tons of promodal labor... when it was the real thing... holy cow! There was no confusion.

It was everything I had to focus through them. There was no mistaking it.

Even knowing that I know this, I still get tricked with my promodal labor this time.

[prettymom]

for me...

BH - kind of hurt
real - hurt like hell