What is Braxton Hicks Contractions?
Braxton Hicks contractions are occasional tightenings and relaxations of the womb’s muscle. Sometimes, these are also known as “fake labor” pains. They are thought to start around the 6th week of pregnancy, but usually aren’t noticed until the pregnancy is much further along. Their purpose is to get the body ready for real labor, but they don’t mean labor has started or is about to start.
It’s normal to experience Braxton Hicks contractions during pregnancy. They might be a bit uncomfortable, but they generally aren’t painful. Some women say they feel like mild period pains or a specific area in the belly tightening up and then relaxing.
Braxton Hicks contractions are different from the contractions you get when you’re in actual labor. They are irregular, don’t occur very often, are unpredictable and don’t follow a rhythm, and are more uncomfortable than painful. They don’t get more frequent, longer, or stronger over time like real labor contractions do. Instead, they ease off and then stop, only to start up again sometime later. They might happen more often and feel stronger towards the end of the pregnancy. Some women confuse Braxton Hicks contractions with real labor. However, unlike real labor contractions, Braxton Hicks contractions don’t open up the cervix and don’t end in giving birth.
What Causes Braxton Hicks Contractions?
Braxton Hicks contractions occur when the muscles in the uterus tighten and then relax. What exactly causes these contractions is not fully understood. But there are specific circumstances recognized to spark these contractions. For example, when a woman is highly active, when her bladder is full, after sexual activity, or when she’s dehydrated.
What these triggers have in common is that they can potentially stress the baby. Plus, these situations may require an increased blood flow to the placenta, the organ that supplies the baby with oxygen.
Risk Factors and Frequency for Braxton Hicks Contractions
Braxton Hicks contractions are a normal part of every pregnancy, but each woman’s experience with them can be different. They usually become noticeable in the third trimester of pregnancy, but some women can feel them as early as the second trimester. These contractions can sometimes be mistaken for real labor, especially towards the end of the third trimester. This is particularly common in women experiencing their first pregnancy. They may think they are going into labor, only to find out that these are just Braxton Hicks contractions and not actual labor.
Signs and Symptoms of Braxton Hicks Contractions
When a woman is assessed for Braxton Hicks contractions (sometimes referred to as “practice contractions”), healthcare providers will want to distinguish them from true labor contractions. They will typically seek answers to several key questions:
- How often do the contractions occur? Braxton Hicks contractions aren’t regular and don’t get closer together with time. True labor contractions, however, do occur at regular intervals. They get stronger and closer together with time.
- How long do the contractions last? Braxton Hicks contractions are unpredictable, they could last for as few as 30 seconds or as many as 2 minutes. True labor contractions usually last between 30 and 90 seconds and their duration increases over time.
- How strong are the contractions? Braxton Hicks contractions are typically weak and either remain the same or get weaker and then disappear. True labor contractions progressively get stronger over time.
- Where are the contractions felt? Braxton Hicks contractions are frequently felt in the front of the abdomen or in one specific area, whereas true labor contractions start in the midback and wrap around to the abdomen.
- Do the contractions change with movement? Braxton Hicks contractions might stop if the woman changes her activity level or position, and she might even sleep through them. True labor contractions, on the other hand, continue irrespective of movement or changes in position, and might even become stronger.
Upon physical examination, the healthcare provider might find an area of the abdomen that feels tight or as though it’s in spasm due to uterine muscle contraction. The healthcare provider wouldn’t usually be able to feel contractions specifically in the top section of the uterus (the uterine fundus). The woman will also be checked for any bleeding from the uterus or amniotic membrane rupture. When the cervix is examined, it wouldn’t typically show signs of effacement (thinning) or dilation (opening) as a result of Braxton Hicks contractions.
Testing for Braxton Hicks Contractions
To identify Braxton Hicks contractions, or ‘practice contractions’, there are no lab or imaging tests available. Instead, the diagnosis is made by physically examining the expectant mother’s stomach to feel the contractions.
Treatment Options for Braxton Hicks Contractions
During the middle of the pregnancy, it’s essential for the pregnant woman and her healthcare provider to discuss what she may experience in the later part of her pregnancy. One common occurrence is Braxton Hicks contractions. Educating her about these contractions can help reduce any anxiety if they happen.
Braxton Hicks contractions don’t have a specific medical treatment, but certain actions can help to alleviate them. If they were brought on by certain conditions, making changes can help. These actions can include:
* Modifying activity levels or body position. For example, if the woman has been very active, resting may help. If she’s been sitting for a long time, taking a brief walk might be beneficial.
* Relaxing. This could include taking a warm bath, getting a massage, reading a book, listening to calming music, or taking a nap.
* Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated.
If these steps don’t lessen the Braxton Hicks contractions, or if the contractions continue to become more frequent or intense, it’s important to get in touch with the healthcare provider.
The healthcare provider should also be immediately contacted if any of the following symptoms occur:
* Vaginal bleeding
* Fluid leaking from the vagina
* Strong contractions occurring every 5 minutes for an hour
* Contractions that are so intense that the woman cannot “walk through” them
* A significant change in the baby’s movements, or if there are fewer than ten movements every 2 hours.
What else can Braxton Hicks Contractions be?
Several conditions or situations can cause symptoms like stomach bloating, including:
- Missing a menstrual period (amenorrhea)
- An accumulation of fluid in the stomach area (ascites)
- A bladder that is full
- Build-up of blood within the uterus (hematometra)
- Feeling like you are going to throw up (nausea)
- Growth of fluid-filled cysts in the ovaries (ovarian cysts)
- A false belief or sensation of being pregnant when you’re not (pseudocyesis)
- Growth of benign tumors in the uterus (uterine fibroids)
- Throwing up (vomiting)
These may need to be considered when a doctor evaluates symptoms related to the stomach area.
