Pregnancy opens a whole new slew of questions about what's "normal." For many moms, one common query is, what do Braxton-Hicks feel like? Also known as practice contractions, it's easy to confuse Braxton-Hicks and the onset of true labor. Each mom's experience can feel so different, even for those comparing their first pregnancy to a second pregnancy or third.
If Braxton-Hicks are your dress rehearsal, then knowing how to spot them can better prepare you for the main event. Here, moms weigh in on how Braxton-Hicks felt before their baby's arrival.
Sharp, intense daggers
"I'm pretty sure I got them once at like 6 months pregnant (my doctor also agreed it was probably them), and they felt like sharp, intense daggers in my sides and felt similar to contractions to me. They didn't feel like kicks at all — they felt much more painful and it was hard to walk through them. I'd have to keep stopping and taking deep breaths. Compared to actual contractions, they weren't as painful." — Rebecca S., California
An ab workout
"They started way earlier than I was expecting (20 weeks). It feels like a tightening across my belly, similar to how you feel when doing a sit-up, and my belly gets really hard for a few seconds to a couple of minutes. When I talked to my OB, she mentioned that usually if you lay down and relax, they settle down, and that was the case for me. There has never been any pain so far with the Braxton-Hicks contractions. I've noticed that if I'm pushing my body (for example, working out, building out the nursery, etc.), I will get more of them! If I'm out for a walk, for example, I'll almost always get some small contractions that make me walk a little slower just from the discomfort of my stomach being so tight!" — Kelsey A., Nevada
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All-over tightness
"During my second pregnancy, I experienced Braxton-Hicks throughout the last month. They didn't feel painful or crampy, but my entire stomach would tense and tighten, and if I was lying down, I could almost see the outline of the baby." — Olivia S., New York
A muscle spasm
"I felt them more with my second than my first. It felt like tightening or my belly getting really hard. I would compare it to a muscle spasm. I will say that, to me, Braxton-Hicks and early labor were very similar. So much so that the morning my second son was born, I told my husband I was having BH contractions, but they were like every 30 to 45 minutes (more regular than the previous times, but still so far apart that it was hard to keep track). I didn't know I was in labor until my water broke, and I was in full-blown labor at the hospital 6 centimeters dilated within one to two hours." — Alexa S., New York
A rock-hard bump
"I had them all the time! I don't remember exactly when they started, but it felt like a tightening of my stomach … I would feel my bump and it was rock hard! It wasn't my entire stomach like real contractions, and it never involved my back like my contractions did. I usually noticed it at work when I was on my feet all day and wasn't well-hydrated. They were pretty quick, too — usually less than one minute and no pattern to them. No pain either. They just felt tight!" — Libby R., Minnesota
Visible tightening
"They didn't feel like much, but I did notice a random and visible tightening across my belly. They also didn't appear until late in my pregnancy, around 38 weeks." — Allie V., New Jersey
Internal squeezing
"The first sign for me is a rush in my head and heart palpitations. Then, it feels like my insides are being squeezed, and it distorts my stomach, often creating a bulge. The head rush and palpitations subside, and that's how I know it's over. It lasts about 40 seconds." — Alyssa J., New York
A tingling sensation
"I actually never got real contractions since I had a scheduled C-section. But I did get Braxton-Hicks, which felt like a tightening or cramping over my entire stomach. It wasn't ever that painful for me in the beginning, just more of a tingling sensation. But as I got closer to my due date, the Braxton-Hicks contractions increased in frequency, and felt almost like period cramping — but on the outside of my stomach." — Carly K., New York
Breathtaking cramps
"It felt like a deep cramp that kind of took my breath away — like a tight band grasping my belly, and my belly got super firm. I had one that lasted like 30 to 60 minutes. Although they were intense at the time, real contractions were just so much more intense." — Stephanie H., Utah
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