Braxton Hicks contractions: what they feel like and how to tell them from labor

Your belly goes tight and hard, holds for a little while, then softens again. Maybe it’s late, you’re close to your due date, and you’re wondering whether this is the start. Tightenings like this are often Braxton Hicks contractions, a normal part of pregnancy that doesn’t open your cervix.

The clearest clue is what happens over time. Braxton Hicks stay irregular and don’t build. Labor contractions settle into a pattern: they come at regular intervals and get closer together, longer and stronger, whatever you do.

What are Braxton Hicks contractions?

Braxton Hicks contractions are tightenings of your uterus that happen before labor. Cleveland Clinic calls them false labor contractions, and the NHS calls them practice contractions. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, an information service funded by the Australian Government, says they tone the muscles of the uterus for birth.

They don’t dilate (open) your cervix. Some healthcare providers think they may help soften and thin it, Cleveland Clinic notes. Not everyone gets them, though.

When do Braxton Hicks start?

Braxton Hicks can begin in the second or third trimester, according to Cleveland Clinic. Nebraska Medicine says they can start as early as 20 weeks but are more common in the weeks before delivery. Baylor Scott & White Health calls them very common in the third trimester. The NHS describes them as happening particularly toward the end of pregnancy.

So an occasional tightening at 24 or 30 weeks can be normal. Before 37 weeks, watch whether they become regular or come with other signs of preterm labor, listed further down.

What do Braxton Hicks feel like?

Nebraska Medicine describes a tightening or squeezing in the front of the belly. Your bump goes firm for a short time, usually less than a minute, and then relaxes. Cleveland Clinic compares the feeling to mild menstrual cramps or random tightness in your abdomen. The NHS says Braxton Hicks may feel uncomfortable but are usually painless.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says they usually last around 30 seconds. Labor contractions get longer as they continue, and our guide on how long contractions last gives typical values for each stage. Even when a Braxton Hicks contraction is uncomfortable, you should still be able to talk and walk through it, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Where you feel them can help too. Braxton Hicks are usually felt in the front or lower belly, often in one area. Baylor Scott & White Health notes that labor contractions often begin in the lower back and move to the front. Some start in the belly and move to the back instead.

What triggers Braxton Hicks?

Braxton Hicks often have a trigger. Baylor Scott & White Health names dehydration as the most common one and lists these other common causes:

• being very active, or lifting something heavy
• a full bladder
• sex
• your baby moving
• being ill, for example with a cold or the flu

Nebraska Medicine adds that you might notice them more at the end of the day and after physical activity.

If you seem to be having a lot of them, check that list first. A busy day with too little to drink can be enough. Frequent tightenings that stay irregular and settle when you rest and drink fit the Braxton Hicks pattern. Tightenings that come at regular intervals are a different story, especially before 37 weeks.

Braxton Hicks vs. real contractions

The pattern over an hour or more tells you much more than any single contraction. The table sums up what Cleveland Clinic, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, Nebraska Medicine and Baylor Scott & White Health describe.

	Braxton Hicks	Labor contractions
Pattern	Irregular, don’t get closer together	Come at regular intervals, closer together over time
Length	Often about 30 seconds, usually under a minute	30 to 90 seconds, getting longer
Strength	Don’t build; uncomfortable more than painful	Get stronger; hard to walk or talk through
Where	Front or lower belly, often one area	Belly and lower back, often moving from back to front
Walking, resting, changing position	Often ease; lying down may make them stop	Keep going; walking may make them stronger
Cervix	Doesn’t open	Opens (dilates)

If your contractions come in a regular-looking pattern for hours and then fade away, the guide to prodromal labor explains what may be going on.

Cleveland Clinic adds that Braxton Hicks usually come without other signs of labor. With real labor, your water may break, or you may have a bloody show or lose your mucus plug.

Watch the pattern for an hour

When you can’t tell, give it an hour. Time the contractions, and meanwhile try the things that usually settle Braxton Hicks. The hour only gives you a rough idea. Your provider can check whether your cervix is opening with a pelvic exam or an ultrasound, March of Dimes notes.

Don’t wait out the hour if your water has broken, you’re bleeding or your baby is moving less than usual. The same goes for regular tightenings before 37 weeks (NHS).

1. Start timing. Note when each contraction starts and how long it lasts. How to time contractions walks you through it, and the contraction chart has a log to print.
2. Empty your bladder and drink a big glass of water. A full bladder and dehydration can both set off Braxton Hicks.
3. Change what you’re doing. If you’ve been on your feet, lie down and rest. If you’ve been sitting for a long time, take a walk.
4. Take a warm bath or shower, or do something else that relaxes you.

After an hour, look at the pattern:

• If the contractions faded, spaced out or stopped, that points to Braxton Hicks. You can rest.
• If they kept coming at regular intervals and got closer together, longer or stronger, labor may be starting. The NHS advises calling your midwife or maternity unit if you’re having regular contractions every 5 minutes or more often. Cleveland Clinic lists strong contractions less than five minutes apart for one hour as a reason to call your provider. Contractions you can’t walk or talk through are on its list too.

Your hospital may give you its own rule, such as the 5-1-1 rule. For the usual timing rules near your due date, see when to go to the hospital.

The free online timer works out the duration and the interval for you. The Contraction Timer app also shows your average over the last hour and alerts you when your pattern reaches your hospital’s rule. How the app calculates shows how it works out the average and the alert.

Before 37 weeks: tightenings that need a call

Braxton Hicks can start months before your due date, so occasional tightenings in the second or third trimester are normal. Regular tightenings before 37 weeks can be a sign of preterm labor, though. The NHS lists these signs of premature labor for anyone less than 37 weeks pregnant:

• regular contractions or tightenings
• period-type pains
• a gush or trickle of fluid from your vagina
• backache that isn’t usual for you

March of Dimes adds:

• pressure in your pelvis or lower belly
• a change in vaginal discharge
• mild belly cramps, with or without diarrhea

It notes that preterm contractions may or may not be painful. If you notice even one of these signs, call your provider or maternity unit right away.