Question about Braxton Hicks

I know there are a lot of posts about this, but I'm still not sure if I'm having BH or not. I've had them before in my other pregnancies, but not this early. For a BH, does your entire stomach feel hard at this stage? Even if you have a little "fluff" on top?

I noticed something going on this morning as I took clothes out of the dryer, but when I laid down, I didn't feel much. My whole tummy hasn't gotten hard, but sometimes it feels like my uterus is tightening and hard (under the fluff). I mainly have noticed it when I lay down for a nap or to go to bed...and I sort of feel short of breath for a minute too. It's not a lot where I'm really really worried, but I just wish I knew better what was going on.

Sorry if I don't make much sense.

 

I know there are a lot of posts about this, but I'm still not sure if I'm having BH or not. I've had them before in my other pregnancies, but not this early. For a BH, does your entire stomach feel hard at this stage? Even if you have a little "fluff" on top?

I noticed something going on this morning as I took clothes out of the dryer, but when I laid down, I didn't feel much. My whole tummy hasn't gotten hard, but sometimes it feels like my uterus is tightening and hard (under the fluff). I mainly have noticed it when I lay down for a nap or to go to bed...and I sort of feel short of breath for a minute too. It's not a lot where I'm really really worried, but I just wish I knew better what was going on.

Sorry if I don't make much sense.

 

I'm STILL confused about this as well! Luckily, my OB starts NST's very early so i already have them weekly, and it turns out i am having some bh's. I think sometimes i'm having bh's and sometimes its them moving that takes my breath away. if its bh's, i think your whole stomach should harden, and at 14 weeks, i don't think baby movement would leave you breathless.

Have you had any cervical checks yet?

 

Those sound like Braxton Hicks to me!

 

I have them pretty much all day, everyday. At 16 wks I had them at least once an hour. The tightening, shortness of breath, and my heart races, too. I don't think it would be baby movement at just 14 - wks - you can probably barely feel them. I definately know it's not movement now - they're so big, when they're moving I KNOW IT.
I would just be sure to mention it to your Dr. Mine always asks if there's any change, and the answer is usually, no.

 

Sounds like it to me ... then again, I was having some BH without knowing it, I told my doc that at work towards the end of the day I would feel a ton of pressure in my pelvis and my tummy would get these tightening feelings, and he's like, those are contractions! He took me off of work right away. I've learned to tell by feeling my tummy all the time, when it's soft, and when I feel tight, feeling my tummy and feeling how hard it gets. When the top of your tummy is tight and hard, not just the bottom, that's a contraction.

And I like the term "fluff"!!!!!

 

Sounds like it to me too.

My peri said that a contraction is a contraction, whatever you want to call it. Some can change your cervix, and some cannot. There is really no way to tell the difference from your perspective, in terms of how it feels. BUT, they are TOTALLY normal and part of pregnancy.

For me, I started noticing them around 20 weeks. I didn't notice my whole belly going hard necessarily. It just felt like the babies were balling up or stretching inside of me. In retrospect, after learning what a contraction felt like while hooked up to a monitor, I realized they were contractions. For me, it felt like the tightening rolled along my uterus (I can't remember in which direction, but the tightening would start let's say at the bottom of my uterus, and then roll its way up to the top of my uterus).

Like I said, it is totally normal. Just make sure that your doc knows it is happening. My OB did not really believe me when I told her it was happening...I ended up switching to a peri. Also, each doctor has their own baseline number of contractions that they feel is safe. For example, most OBs say anything over 4 in an hour, call. Since I had lots, my peri said anything over 8 in an hour, call.

The best way to curb the contractions, assuming that they are not the real thing, is to stay well-hydrated, keep an empty bladder, and rest often.

 

Wow...I'm so glad I read this post. I guess I've been having BH's every so often. Maybe 3 a day. But I always chalked itup to them moving around. But there's times when my stomach gets hard all over....I just figured they've run out of room. Guess it's something I should pay more attention to!

I do notice that when I lay down it, the hardening subsides.

 

I get them quite a bit, too. I also have shortness of breath and my heart seems to tighten, too. I guess all the blood is going to my uterus where the contraction is. They're not painful, just a little uncomfortable. Definately mention it to your doctor to ease your mind, though.

 

Thanks for your replies. This afternoon I laid down while DD napped and that's when I had the most. I fell asleep, had a "sleepgasm" and then contracted after that for quite a while. I continued to have contractions when I got up and sometimes they were close together (more than 4 in an hour for sure). I drank a bunch of water and called my OB. I actually got to talk to him and he said if there's no pattern, then don't worry. And no bleeding, pain, etc. He said it can be very normal and just to watch for changes.

This just sucks...I mean I can't help but worry when I have them. Since eating supper, I haven't felt anything at all. It's nice to hear that others have them as well. It still just seems so early to me. And my doctor did say, if I get very concerned, I can always go get checked out. But I know with my last pregnancy, when I had contractions like this, it didn't change my cervix.

 

I started having contractions at 17 weeks and this time frame is typical of twin pregnancy. Your shortness of breath may be hormone related. As the placenta produces progesterone it tells the brain to breath faster and hence one feels shortness of breath. My ob explained this to me and it's in pregnancy books. I had a lot of shortness of breath early on. My sob has gotten better as I've gotten further along. You are totally normal but it's good to check things out with your ob.
Melanie ( 21 weeks with b/g)