Braxton Hicks.

[Wuxiapian]

When did yours start?

I'm 28+4 and have been experiencing tightenings since about 23 weeks.

I was in hospital last week for checks and told the midwife in triage. She told me it's too early to be getting Braxton Hicks.

Should I be worried?

[Sleepthief]

17 weeks this time (but it is DC4!). IME the MW was talking shit

[lalouche]

She is talking bollocks. Amazed that a healthcare professional can be so ignorant of something so basic. Am on dc3 and every single time bh started at about 16w.

[LittlePeaPod]

She's talking rubbish. I am 37+3 and have been having them since about 25/26 weeks and my MW has been aware.. Initially they were just tightenings but then started getting stronger and more painful about 32/33 weeks.

[Wuxiapian]

Had this constant tightening for 3 hours now and beginning to worry. It's not letting up at all.

How long do you think I should give it before ringing triage?

[LittlePeaPod]

I would call them now. Always, always better calling sooner and playing it safe. Call them now Op. I am sure all will be well though..

[MrsPatMustard]

Your midwife is talking crap. My midwife spotted me having a Braxton Hicks during an appointment at around 26 weeks. You can have them from very early on - sometimes first trimester, you just tend not to notice the very early ones. They become more obvious the further along you are...

[bellablot]

Around 17 weeks DC4

[samsmother]

OP I mentioned to my midwife I thought I'd been getting BH at my 23 week apt. She basically brushed me off saying although not impossible it's uncommon at that stage and most likely uterus stretching. I let her talk but I know how BH feel and I had them similar time when pregnant with my DS. Am 29 weeks now and still get them sometimes really quite uncomfortable

[Wuxiapian]

Had a nice, hot shower and the tightening has eased, thankfully.

Wondering if it was trapped wind, could that have been it??

Going to bed now. Will hopefully have a decent night.

[Naomilouise1992]

I'm 32 weeks and don't think iv had any? Is this normal xxx

[PrammyMammy]

I'm due on Saturday and haven't had any.
With my other 2 I had then for a few week leading to the birth 36/37 weeks onwards.

[Naomilouise1992]

Oh that's good thought I was odd one out!! Any sign I baby coming never no might come Xmas day :) xxxxx

[lalouche]

I sometimes get a series of them when I'm tired and a bit dehydrated; they do pass though. They are not painful which helps abate the panic! Am 29 weeks today.

[CrispyFB]

I had them from 10 weeks last pregnancy - 11 weeks or so this one. Thing is, they're always there, even from six weeks - it's just whether you can feel them or not! I was hyper-sensitive to them after being at high risk for PTL with DC2. Midwife needs to go back to school.

Common triggers are dehydration, overdoing it, full bladder, something tight around your abdomen or an awkward position. The usual suggestion is to drink lots of water, go for a wee and have a nice lie down and see what happens. If it goes away, great, if it doesn't, call! Sometimes they can be caused by UTIs which does require medical intervention, other times it could be something even more serious.

Trapped wind could well be a cause - anything making that area a bit unhappy!

[lalouche]

I do wonder if them being painful from an early stage is a warning sign that shouldn't be ignored. With DC2, who was born three months early, I was stopped in my tracks by the BHs, they were that strong and uncomfortable. I didn't pay them any attention because I was remembering what they were like in my first pregnancy at 40 weeks, rather than what they usually feel like at 20-25 weeks. Now at 29w with DC3, I can definitely feel when they are happening but they are in no way painful.

[AndWHOOSHTheyWereGone]

I had very strong, painful BH from 28 weeks with both pregnancies. Baby engaged early both times aswell. There is very little information out there about painful BH. Most mws also will tell you that they shouldn't be painful. Mine were, both times. Not enough to be in agony but enough to cause me to take paracetamol and get in the bath. Mine would also last several hours, getting closer together etc mimicking labour.

The way you can tell they are BH is the following - they won't last longer than 40 seconds at most, per contraction. They won't be felt in your back whereas a lot of labour contractions are felt in your back and very low down. They may last over several hours but they won't be regimented - you may find the following pattern for BH: 20mins apart (x4), 15mins apart (x3), 17mins apart (x2), 3mins apart (x10), 5mins apart (x4) etc.

Labour contractions, including early labour, will be far more gradual and you will not jump from close together to far apart to closer again. Don't get me wrong, you may have a few that come two together or a brief gap when in labour but it won't constantly jump about like above. The rule of thump I was told was that labour will obviously become more and more painful until you can't talk through them. BH won't. So if they are regular for 4-5 hours, becoming increasingly painful and lasting 45seconds - a minute you may need to check you have your bag packed! Otherwise, it's BH.

If it helps, both my labours were quick and fairly easy. Im sure all that contracting in the weeks leading up helped.

[LittleH78]

I'm 39w and this may sound really stupid, but I've heard BH described as 'like period pains' and have been getting something similar but only very low down in pelvis - was expecting them to be over whole tummy... They went away after some breathing exercises but were they BH or something else? Any ideas? Not over-worried as baby still bouncing for Britain the rest of the time!

[quackojuliet]

Little, I'm 36 weeks and have had similar period pain too, low down, but hardly noticed any tightenings. Not everyone notices the BHs. I thought the period pain could be the baby moving down/engaging/things generally hotting up. Is a good sign anyway!

[AndWHOOSHTheyWereGone]

If you are getting period pain without contractions then that does sound like baby getting lower and applying pressure to the pelvis. Have either if you noticed your bump "drop" recently? It would look smaller when you look down at it, and there would be less pressure on ribs and lungs etc?

[LittleH78]

I've not noticed any drop, but everyone else has! I'm doing a beach-ball up the jumper routine. Hopefully she's just getting ready to show herself to the world. Thanks for the reassurance Whoosh!

[AndWHOOSHTheyWereGone]

Don't worry, I knew several women who didn't drop until right before labour kicked off. All that pressure is a good sign though. Lots of walking and sitting really upright will help baby head lower as well.

[lalouche]

AndWHOOSH with the pain thing I was talking early early - as in pre-25 weeks. In retrospect, the BH I was getting in pregnancy number 2 were not normal. I was not in early labour, but had an incompetent cervix and was silently dilating. I was fooled by pg number 1 into thinking that they were normal, but I was wrong. If I had my time again, and was being regularly stopped in my tracks by BH - as in not being able to move or talk through them - at 24w pregnant, I would definitely get myself checked out.

[quackojuliet]

I feel like I've dropped, like I recall before my boobs were sort of resting on my bump (!) And now there is boobs...gap...bulge! And I feel like my bump looks small.
Good to hear its all progress.

[lastnightopenedmyeyes]

Mine started at 16 weeks, your midwife is totally wrong :(

[Wibblypiglikesbananas]

I've had two children and still don't know what BH feel like. What I thought were BH at 38 weeks with DC2 turned out to be actual contractions and he arrived a couple of hours later...