so what do braxton hicks feel like and when do you normally start getting them? I'm clueless about…

you will feel your stomach tightening up and getting hard and then relax. you may also feel pressure. they don't hurt though.

my lower stomach just got all tense and kinda tingly and tight and then faded after a while. so I was just curious @junebaby

could be that or the baby balling up.

ah okay lol thanks! I was just wondering cause I didn't recall feeling that before @junebaby

I didn't get any until I was around 30-31 wks but my whole lower stomach area gets just super tight.

I know the other day I went shopping and my whole stomach got rock hard and then relaxed after a while but it felt so weird.

@junebaby, @mdomke22 so does that feeling come and go as quickly as an actual contraction or does that feeling happen gradually then gradually go? I've always been confused by BH lol

some of mine lasted what seemed like a few minutes. but I think there more around a min tops. but it comes on real fast to me but you Def kno when you have them.... there the most uncomfortable things ever... my daughter liked to push up to my lungs too when that happened so I sometimes just be stuck sitting there until it passed lol but if you drink alot of water it helps them alot and you get them less frequent.

you can have them off and on for hours at a time. if you have more than five in a hour though and they don't go away with change in activity, like rest or a bath then you should get checked because sometimes real contractions can feel like braxton hicks. with my oldest daughter I never had pain until they broke my water. I had what I thought were Braxton hicks all day. my father convinced me to go get checked and by the time I reached the hospital I was dilated to a 7. so just watch for consistent contractions that don't go away.

@arielle,

Hmm, okay @mdomke22 @junebaby. I've read several times how to tell them apart as far as frequency and intensity but I've just been confused on how the BH come and go because it's different from the real thing. Thanks ladies!

@arielle, the main thing to tell the difference is that Braxton hicks don't hey they're just uncomfortable. the real contractions will have you in actual pain like to where you can't talk

omg i started getting them at 16 wks i didnt kw wat it was until i asked n it kind of freaked me out i thought it was too early but apparently its more common than i thought there just annoying