How do you tell if your belly is "tight"?

[LilMomma83]

So...everyone keeps asking about what contractions feel like - and the response I keep reading is, "when your belly feels tight." My belly is ALWAYS tight..I mean like hard as a rock - I can't even pinch skin or anything...my skin is like numb from being stretched so much. How will I know if my belly is "tightening?" Can it get tighter? I just can't picture this I think I might actually "pop" if my belly were to tighten more

[frenchie]

Believe it or not...yes, it can get tighter. The tightness has nothing to do with tightness of your skin, but rather the tightening of your uterus. You can physically feel the tightening.

[Anglyn]

Oh, you'll know, trust me, you'll know!!

[MommytoTwo]

Yeah I have to agree- you will know.

[UltimateSerj]

yup you will know!!

[Cmildenb]

I not only feel tightness, but I feel a change in my breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure with contractions, BH or real.

[MonkeyPrincess]

Originally Posted by Cmildenb

I not only feel tightness, but I feel a change in my breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure with contractions, BH or real.

Yup, me too. I agree...you'll know.

[SashaBear]

What I do when I think I'm having a contraction, is push on the very top of my stomach. Its above my baby's butt and is usually soft because the only thing there are legs! Right now if I push on it is pretty soft and squishy. During a contraction there is no give when I push.

[Amari's Mama]

This is how I've heard it explained...

You actually poke your belly with your index finger. Compare how much resistance you have compared to the following:
--poking your nose
--poking your chin
--poking your forehead

See the difference between the latter three? Poking your belly will probably fall somewhere into that range..

Silly, huh?

Oh... and you'll know.

[luminesce]

You know - I don't even remember my belly tightening with contractions. My entire focus was on that spot in the center of me where all the pain seemed to originate. I'm guessing this spot was my cervix. It was deep inside and took every ounce of my concentration to deal with. I didn't feel much of anything anywhere else!