You want to know how you can tell the difference between a Braxton Hicks contraction and then just baby's movement. And a lot of moms are confused by this. They think they're contracting, and it's baby's movement, or say that it's just the baby moving, when they're actually contracting, and they should get checked out. So a Braxton Hicks contraction is a real contraction. A contraction is a contraction. It's the uterus tightening and squeezing, and the whole point is that if you have enough of them that are intense enough, it will eventually cause the baby's head to put pressure on the cervix so it can thin out and open up, and the baby can come through and be born. But the whole thing about it is if you're preterm, we don't want you to be contracting. So it is important to watch out for signs of preterm labor and regular contractions.
So Braxton Hicks contractions are very infrequent, they're not painful, they're just uncomfortable, you feel a little bit of pressure, they may take your breath away for a second, and then you can go on with your day - maybe just have a few a day. That's okay. But if they start to become regular and intense, you're feeling abdominal tightening, abdominal pressure, lower abdominal cramping, back ache, maybe you have an increase in discharge associated with the pain, leaking of fluid, bleeding or spotting - all of those things are signs of preterm labor and reasons to get checked out. If you're less than 37 weeks and you're contracting every 10 to 15 minutes, which is only 4 to 5 times an hour, then you need to be seen.
Now when it comes to a baby moving, I've been pregnant before, and I remember thinking, "Oh, am I contracting, or what is that?" The best way to tell is to feel your belly. When you feel that extra pressure, touch both sides of your stomach, and a baby's movement will usually be just on the lower half of your belly, or just on the upper half, or just on the right, or just on the left. And a contraction is going to squeeze and get tight everywhere. So that's the best way to tell, really, is just to feel and see if you can tell where your baby is at. And if it's just tight in one spot on your stomach, that's not a contraction. But if it's tight everywhere, and it starts to become intermittent, and there's a pattern to it, then it could very well be a contraction.
Really, in the end, if you have doubts or concerns, call your doctor. They'll ask you more questions about what you've been experiencing, and decide if further investigation is necessary for the pain that you're having. If you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at / intermountainmoms , and recommend us to your friends and family too.