Contractions or baby movements? 🤷🏽‍♀️

Question

Hard time distinguishing between the two. I was in the hospital for a few days and being hooked up to a monitor I relied on that. Now I’m home and and I’m leaning towards it’s just baby moving around but it is a lot so I’m just guessing.    Contractions don’t feel like what I thought they would - no pain whatsoever just some pressure but if could also be baby’s leg pushing on my tummy. Any ideas?

Answer

Braxton Hicks contractions are definitely just pressure and a tightening of the belly, typically true labor contractions are painful. Movements are more isolated whereas Braxton Hicks are the entire belly tightening but are more the body’s way of practicing for the real deal, they’re normal to have as long as they aren’t regular or painful and subside with rest.

Answer

This probably isn’t helpful at all bc it doesn’t sound like what most people describe/experience: I didn’t notice any Braxton Hicks during my last pregnancy and when I went into labor; I wasn’t sure they were contractions for hours and sent my husband off to work! They weren’t painful per se, but felt a lot like period cramps. Once I was 5 cm dilated, ok they started to become painful. This pregnancy I have noticed what I’m assuming are Braxton Hicks contractions lately, but I only feel the bottom half of my uterus tightening (same thing, I was wondering if it was just baby shifting...but I don’t think so bc it doesn’t feel like when my daughter was shifting last time).

Answer

They say true contractions should stop you in your tracks. Were you having contractions in the hospital? What did those feel like if you were?

Contractions or baby movements? 🤷🏽‍♀️

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