Babies moving vs. Braxton Hicks contractions

So I am just wondering how you tell the difference between the babies moving and Braxton Hicks contractions? My stomach gets very tight sometimes when I am just laying bed. Is this anything to alert the doctor to?

 

I've been having quite a few BH lately and at first it was hard to know the difference, considering this is my first pregnancy. What I have realized is that the BH feels like my whole belly is hugging me, sometimes causes low cramps and backaches, and lasts longer than baby movement. Baby movement can sometimes cause the contraction, but the movement is usually localized rather than in the whole belly. The other way I can tell if it's BH or just a cramp or tickle is I put my hands on my lower belly and it feels really tight from side to side then relaxes when the sensation goes away.

My doctor told me that the contractions are normal and she warned me that with twins I'll probably have a lot of them. She told me to be concerned if they occur on a schedule, like every so minutes apart, and happen more than a few times per hour. She said that if I do get more than just a couple of them here and there, to try urinating then drinking 1-2 glasses of water to see if that helps. She also said to change whatever I was doing when I had the contraction and that should also help.

I hope that helps you, too.

 

The tightening is probably BH. I could definitely tell when the babies were moving.

 

I find that the BH makes it harder to breathe a little than when it is moving. My kids are jerky movers (LOL) so I don't really have a hard time telling the difference. I could see where you would question it though, especially if it is a first pregnancy. It's tough to tell sometimes.

 

To be on the safe side, I would tell doc I thought I was having painless contrax. 4-6 painless contrax in an hour can necessitate PTL treatment if you are dilating any. If it's just the babies moving, it would be ireegular in shape, timing, and parts of your uterus would stay softer. My painless contrax feel like they "build" in tightness and then gradually release. Not all painless contrax are BH, beware!

 

I think it's hard to tell, since often the babies moving actually causes BH. I had them all throughout my pregnancy, and was worried since I had PT labor and hospital BR with DD1, but with the twins it never amounted to anything.

 

It's true that their movement and your movement can trigger BHs. Take a mental note of them when they happen and let your doc know how frequent they are. In the beginning, my belly would tighten in one area only, eventually it became the whole belly. When mine happened more than 6 per hour my OB wanted to know about it.

 

I was having these all the time and more than a few an hour. I was having a hard time telling if it was the babies moving or BH. I would feel hard and lumpy at the same time. I ended up going into the doctors 2 times. Once late at night. They checked me and everything was totally fine. Now I am used to it, it still happens frequently. The doctor said that if there is no cramping or back pain with it, not to worry. So, now I dont. I was sure worried for a while though.

 

Hello:

I am 6 1/2 months pregnant with twins and def. don't think that I know enough about what is BH and what is a contraction to be concerned about... but I would say that if it is making you nervous, just call your doctor. No reason for you to worry when there is someone out there who can give you a real answer. Good luck and feel good