Describe Braxton hicks for me. I don't think I got them a lot with my first pregnancy. This time, I think, maybe? Hard to know what's just pregnancy discomfort and what are BH. Not that it really matters as long as it isn't labor...
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I never had them with my first pregnancy... but have been having them a LOT this time around. For me, it's never anything timable, and it doesn't even have an obvious start and stop. It's just ongoing general tightness/hardness/soreness of my belly. It usually starts around 4 in the afternoon and lasts through the evening.
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@Truth Bombs: like, your belly just feels more too full than usual and it's sort of sore because of it? It almost feels like the baby is way too far forward and is pushing to get out- wondering if that's them?
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Tightening of the whole stomach, especially at the top, and like a tingling uncomfortable feeling. I had them all the time in both pregnancies.
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@Foodnerd81: no you will know--it gets hard all over and almost like the muscles are all spasming tightly together.
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@Foodnerd81: It's more like my ab muscles are really really sore. Which is hilarious, because I have no ab muscles left. The tightness pushes in as opposed to out if that makes sense.
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It feels like a contraction. Your whole abdomen gets rock hard and feels uncomfortable. I also get out of breath. It is more uncomfortable than painful.
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What @travellingbee said. I could tell I was having them as early as 10 weeks from the out of breath feeling. They were just much milder early on. Mine were also frequently timable, but we know now that I was high risk for preterm labor, so my experience is not one to compare to.
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I never had them with my first but I had loads with my second (not looking forward to them again this time as I'm sure they'll start even earlier!). As others have said, they felt like my entire belly tightening - it wasn't painful per se, just uncomfortable as it felt as though every abdominal muscle I had was contracting at once. For me, they were worse when I was active or if I hadn't drunk enough water.
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@Torchwood: Mine started early with both pregnancies and were/are sometimes timeable, but I didn't go into labor preterm. In fact I went past my due date. They did nothing to dilate me at all. I guess I just have an irritable uterus.
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@travellingbee: Mine were also much more frequent than normal (every 2-3 minutes on a regular basis). But the midwives and MFM's didn't think it was anything to worry about, so I assume that really is no big deal for some women.
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@Torchwood: oh mine weren't that often! jeez!
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@travellingbee: Yeah, it was a lot. I'm still surprised no one took it seriously. I was told not to worry unless basically my water broke (a bit more than that, but not much).
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mine start with a tingling butterfly feeling, kind of like when you're on a rollercoaster or go over a big bump in the road.... then my tummy tightens from my back all the way around like a band. they're not painful like a cramp or contraction, but uncomfortable because of the tightness making it harder to move/breathe. i've been getting them since about 30 weeks, though much more frequent now at 37 weeks.
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Ok that makes sense, thanks! Nope guess I'm just having usual uncomfortable feelings vs BH so far. This def feels more like pushing out than in. I do remember a few at the very end of my first pregnancy now.
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Definitely an all over tightness/soreness. I started getting them very early with LO1, probably around 16/17 weeks. She didn't come until 41+5 so they clearly didn't do much!!!
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@Foodnerd81: I actually called the on call doc yesterday for some sharp pains around my belly button and she told me it sounds like baby is just running out of room and pushing hard. She said all the aches and pains are much more painful in subsequent pregnancies. Gggrrreeaatttt.
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@Truth Bombs: my belly button has been tender too, actually just above my belly button. There is a stretch mark that has formed there, but on closer inspection I can see that my abs have seperated further *hooraaay* and there is a small "triangle" gap just above my belly button which is tender. If I push my finger on it, sometimes baby will get irritated with me and push back haha
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