Labor vs. Braxton Hicks

[rbp]

I don't know. I've been having BH for two months. They started coming every 2 min. when I was 34w. I freaked out and went to L&D for monitoring. The contractions wouldn't stop from drinking water or lying down, so they gave me a shot of terbutaline and sent me home.

I will say that I've never had painful contractions, only uncomfortable. So I'm hoping I'll know when I'm actually in labor. What did your labor contractions feel like with your first pregnancy?

[jeaniebueller]

Go sit in a warm bath. If they are BH, they should stop. True contractions will not.

[badtzmaru22]

I had five minute apart contractions for weeks, but they weren't painful, so I didn't think much of them. The end of my pregnancy was really weird though. I was at 4.5cm at my 40w appointment, and still not really in labor (having painful contractions anyway) until after they broke my water in the hospital.

You could always just call and get a check if you're worried.

[starlily]

BH felt like an overall tightening to me.

Labor contractions felt like a gas cramp that had nowhere to go.

[AmyRI]

BH felt tight but never like period cramps to me. Labor was definitely period cramps. And my BH were never time-able.

[curbsideprophet]

Jul 30, 2014 13:11:52 GMT -5 AmyRI said:

BH felt tight but never like period cramps to me. Labor was definitely period cramps. And my BH were never time-able.

Pretty much this. Do you think you might be dehydrated?

[mandapanda18]

Ditto pp's, BH were tight and evey once in a while would be slitghtly uncomfortable. Real labor was like terrible perid cramps going into my spine and vaginal area.

[h]

I always felt like the line between BH and real contractions was pretty fuzzy. I had lots of contractions the last month of each of my pregnancies that were more painful than BH but didn't signify the start of labor. With DS3 in particular, there were several days when I had pretty timetable, fairly uncomfortable contractions throughout much of the day. I just stayed at work and figured I would go home when they were 4-5 minutes apart for an hour or more or too painful to work though (or in between).

[maebyfunke]

For me, BH were only uncomfortable and an overall tightening of my belly. Real contractions started out feeling like period cramps and the cramping from 1st tri. I didn't realize they were contractions until my water broke later that night and thought, "Oh, dur, I've been having irregular contractions today, not cramps." Lol clearly I had no idea what to expect as far as contraction pain went.

[statlerwaldorf]

My water broke. I couldn't tell the difference until after my water broke and the contractions became a lot more intense. The early contractions were less painful than my usual BH.

[jenn248]

Jul 30, 2014 13:11:52 GMT -5 AmyRI said:

BH felt tight but never like period cramps to me. Labor was definitely period cramps. 

Same here.  BH were uncomfortable but not painful.  Labor felt like bad period cramps.  

It can't hurt to go in and get checked out.  The worst thing that will happen is they'll tell you to go home.

[bunch]

Jul 30, 2014 12:55:32 GMT -5 rbp said:

I don't know. I've been having BH for two months. They started coming every 2 min. when I was 34w. I freaked out and went to L&D for monitoring. The contractions wouldn't stop from drinking water or lying down, so they gave me a shot of terbutaline and sent me home.

I will say that I've never had painful contractions, only uncomfortable. So I'm hoping I'll know when I'm actually in labor. What did your labor contractions feel like with your first pregnancy?

This was me with both my kids. When it was real, it hurt significantly more.

[Alyssa]

With BH's I felt mostly tightening in the abdomen and then it would go away. With contractions, I felt a radiating pain that moved from the abdomen, around to the spine. I also had a warm sensation travel down the inside of my thigh. The contractions were much stronger than the BH's.

[barefootcontessa]

Jul 30, 2014 13:20:41 GMT -5 h said:

I always felt like the line between BH and real contractions was pretty fuzzy. I had lots of contractions the last month of each of my pregnancies that were more painful than BH but didn't signify the start of labor. With DS3 in particular, there were several days when I had pretty timetable, fairly uncomfortable contractions throughout much of the day. I just stayed at work and figured I would go home when they were 4-5 minutes apart for an hour or more or too painful to work though (or in between).

this is me.  the way I knew the difference is if they stopped.  

[mannah]

For me, the real contractions felt completely different than Braxton Hicks. They were very very low in my abdomen/pelvis it was a totally new feeling. And they got worse and worse.

[atarianna]

My BH and real contractions were fairly similar too. My active labor/painful contractions didn't really start until transition.

[Deleted]

peggy did you go in? Any more contractions?

[MadamePresident]

I wasnt sure I was in labor even after I started having really intense minutes long contractions 2 minutes apart, until I had a bloody show. 15 minutes later I was holding my baby. If you are thinking is real labor is worth getting checked out.

[mrshandy]

Labor was period cramps that made want to puke and poop at the same time. LOL.