What do braxton-hicks feel like?

[Beppie]

I know there was a similar post, but I don't think it really addressed what they feel like. Can anyone tell me? I'm especially curious how they compare to labor contractions? I've had one baby, but I had no contractions before labor started. Can anyone describe them for me?

[cloe]

Tight. Your stomach tightens and it gets hard and I sometimes felt a little breathless. They are a little unnerving though not painfull. I guess very early labour is the same, though my Dr. said many people don't feel those early contractions at all.

[~MoonGypsy~]

Yeah, my lower belly will feel really hard, in the way and sore to the touch. Kind of just a general uncomfortableness that stems from my stomach.

[spedtchr]

I had BH for months with DD #2...I was so over it by the time she was born!! The BH I had with DD #1 were much as the PP mentioned - just a general tighting of the belly, uncomfortable but not really painful, sometimes left me a bit breathless. The first time around, I got them later in pregnancy, near 36 weeks or later. The second time around, I got them much earlier (before 29 weeks), and there were times when they were downright painful. I had them regularly, too - often I could time them for an hour or two at 4-5 minutes apart. I was being monitored because my water broke at 29 weeks, so no one was terribly concerned at their frequency because I wasn't dialating, but it was truly exhausting! Comparable to labor - well, I was induced the second time, so the BH had nothing on pit-enhanced contractions! : But they were certainally more painful then during my first pregnancy. And I had plenty that took my breath away or that I couldn't talk through.

I've had a few sessions of BH with this pregnancy already, and so far, its really just been a tightening sensation. I probably wouldn't even recognize them as BH except they feel like early ones in previous pregnancies.

[guest9921]

Originally Posted by spedtchr

so the BH had nothing on pit-enhanced contractions! :

I can sympathize with you on the pit contractions. Blah.

My BH's start at the bottom of my uterus and rise to the top, making it quite hard. It feels like a mild to intense tightening and straining of my ligaments first and uterus second.