How to Differentiate Contractions and Braxton Hicks

Braxton Hicks can feel like tightening across the front of the abdomen. They may be uncomfortable, but their timing often varies: one tightening may be followed by another after a different interval, and the sensations may settle when you sit down, drink water, empty your bladder, or change position. They do not necessarily mean that labour has started.

Labour contractions commonly build a repeatable rhythm. Each tightening may last longer or feel more intense, the gaps may shorten, and discomfort can spread through the lower abdomen, pelvis, or back. A contraction pattern alone cannot confirm what the cervix is doing, so an examination may be needed when the distinction is unclear.

Note when each tightening starts, how long it lasts, and the interval from one start to the next. Use the same method for several contractions so that a developing pattern is easier to recognise. Rest in a comfortable position, drink fluids if you have not been drinking normally, and notice whether the sensations change.

Keep your maternity unit or clinician's contact details available. If you have been given a personal plan for timing contractions, follow that plan, particularly if you have had a previous early birth, a pregnancy complication, or instructions to call sooner.

Contact your maternity team promptly if contractions become regular and stronger, if they do not ease with rest or fluids, or if you are unsure whether labour has begun. Seek urgent advice for vaginal bleeding, leaking fluid, severe or persistent abdominal pain, reduced fetal movement, fever, or feeling unwell.

Before 37 weeks of pregnancy, repeated tightenings, pelvic pressure, new lower backache, or a change in vaginal discharge can need prompt assessment because they may occur with preterm labour. Do not wait for the pattern to become severe if your clinician has told you to call earlier.

Ask which contraction pattern should prompt a call for your pregnancy, how to record timings, and where to go if you have bleeding or leaking fluid. You can also ask how your care team assesses cervical change and what to do if contractions stop and then return.