What do contractions feel like?

Question

They always say you'll know them when they happen, but I've always been one to ignore or muddle through pain. I keep joking that I'm going to have a bathtub baby because I'll be too stubborn to go to the hospital, thinking it's a false alarm. I have 0 insurance so I can't afford a pointless ER trip. I've had the calmest pregnancy, not even sure what a Braxton Hicks feels like. So can anyone try their best to explain, through metaphor preferably, what an actual "It's GO time!" contraction feels like? People around me keep trying but nothing really makes sense to me...
FTM
36 and 5 days
Due Friday the 13th 🎃
And please no more "you'll know them when you feel them" talk. I get it. It's painful, blah blah blah. Just trying to imagine the feeling 🤷🏾‍♀️

Answer

Braxton hicks feel like your stomach is tightening up in just the front of your stomach and they go away if you drink water or lay on your left side. They feel as if  you get a tightening " pain"below the belly button and it continues to  come up to the top. It's not a horrible pain (can be) more of an irritating  feeling. Do not last long and they go away. 
Active contractions (start of labor)
They start in your back and wrap around to the front of your bump. They continue to get stronger and closer to together. They do not go away when you lay on your side or drink water/shower etc . Your back may continue to feel in pain the whole time it's happening your bump may get the tightness to show a contraction. 
When to go I was told when they are 3-5 minutes apart, last a minute, and last for an hour repeatedly.  
Or even call the labor and delivery unit at the hospital you're going to give birth at for advice. ✨✨
I hope this helps, tried to explain it how it was explained to me. And I've experienced both. Currently in the middle of experiencing active.

Answer

Haha I def remember acting like this with my first baby, "I'm sooo tired of people telling me I'll know when it's real". But guess what? That's the easiest way to describe it. There was NO denying or "hmm I may be having a contraction". It was the worst pain I've ever had, made me double over and couldn't talk or breathe. It was like waves of agony. I labored hard and fast with my first, all natural birth. 
Girl I know how irritating it is to hear, but when your in active labor you don't question it at all and everyone has different contraction pain.

Answer

My active labor was a combination of BH contractions and cramps that felt like period cramps.... (level: death cramps bad) I was in tears each time a real labor contraction hit, oh and they'll get closer and closer together and nothing you do will relieve them

Answer

I had some the other night. Felt like someone was tightening one of those ratcheting tie down straps across my belly until it wouldn't tighten any more. Then held like that for a minute or so before letting up.
But the reason people say you'll know when you feel them, is because the way we perceive pain is completely individual.
For example, my little one was breech until just a week and a half ago, and every time she would kick my cervix I could've sworn that she was scratching it. 
I know she wasn't because that's impossible....but that's just the way the nerve endings there made sense of things in my brain.
I'm sure many other women would say that having your cervix kicked feels like any other kick.

Answer

Stabbing pain in the whole top and front of your belly mixed with stabbing crotch lightning. It will buckle you over. Knock the wind out of you kind of pain. And then boom your fine when it’s over until the next one comes. When I went into real labor there way no denying or questioning it. I was like oh shit this is no joke 😂

Answer

The most extreme indigestion (gas like pains) you've ever felt in your life that's so intense it stops you in your tracks and keeps happening every 3-5 minutes. And you never get use to it.

Answer

Have the same due date and exactly the same as you.... I am not feeling anything so someone please fill us in with real info!! 😊

Answer

With a real active labor contraction, you will not be able to talk during it. It will stop you in your tracks.

Answer

Period cramps on crack accompanied by lower back pain (it wraps around to the front) and rock hard stomach. Allll painful

Answer

Period cramps on steroids

What do contractions feel like?

Let’s Glow

Glow is here for you on your path to pregnancy

25+ million

4.8 stars

20+

Getting Pregnant

Pregnancy

1st Year (Baby & You)

Baby Products