Braxton-Hicks Contractions

[Earthy Birthy]

From Wikipedia:

"Braxton Hicks are named after the English doctor who first described them. In 1872, John Braxton Hicks investigated the latter stages of pregnancy and noted that many women felt contractions without being near birth."

Okay, maybe I've just got too much time on my hands here, but I am so tired of hearing this term. I have tried to eliminate BH from my midwifery vocabulary. I refer to these cntx as "warm-up cntx", simply because I know that birthing women and midwives, well before Dr. John Braxton Hicks' time, probably had a name for these cntx, and it most certainly wouldn't have been some male doctor's name. Anytime I am explaining to a client why I don't use that term, I always back it up by saying that I'm quite positive that Dr. Braxton Hicks never even experienced *one* of the cntx that he named after himself.

So what do you call them? And does anyone know where I would start to look for the pre-BH term?

[redhen]

I like practice or warm-up contractions and I completely agree with you!

[mrflowers]

The Dutch call them "hard belly" (harde buik); I think it's the perfect description!

[Inner_Serenity]

Well since I don't use the term contractions... I use the terms Birth waves and Pressure waves.... I just call BH, Prewaves...

The imagery of following the pressure of your body like an ocean wave is so much more grounded and natural that it eads to better relaxation...

Tia

[MsBlack]

I call em warmups...I just hate the idea of calling anything by a man's name, that has to do with things only women do. Ditto for the Bishop's score, McRoberts position, etc. I just don't use these titles for these exclusively women's things!

[Reha]

I like to call them toning contractions.