Hi there friends my name is Alice Turner and I am a doula a childbirth educator and I am here
to spin the big wheel of birth and find out what topic we are going to talk about today let's do it
Today we're talking about Braxton Hicks great follow up we have a video I will put a link
here about that contractions so I did mention Braxton Hicks in that video so check that out
after this one Braxton Hicks R is the name of the contractions that many people feel leading up to
real labor and sometimes people call them false labor ch what's true labor what's false labor
Braxton Hicks contractions they feel different than real true contractions so first of all they
feel differently that Braxton Hicks usually feels like your entire belly entire uterus is
tightening up and sometimes you can feel it start sometimes you can feel it release sometimes people
experience painful Braxton Hicks contraction where they're uncomfortable or they stop if
they're walking sometimes they don't even realize they're having Braxton Hicks until you feel your
uterus and you feel like oh my gosh it's really hard I know that I have heard people say that
explain the Braxton Hicks like maybe it feels like the baby is falling up inside or the baby's doing
a big turn in their different ways to explain it but one common way is if you say if I would
ask someone having a contraction where do you feel your contraction and it's like all over
is the answer that is likely a Braxton Hicks attraction if you say Oh under my belly button
low like menstrual cramps or maybe in my back and in the front - that's more likely and real labor
contraction so braxton-hicks people experience them at different points in their pregnancy they
tend to appear in that third trimester though sometimes some people do notice them earlier as
a doula in childbirth educator I always recommend if you're having a lot or they feel concerning
definitely talk to your care provider about them give them a heads-up on how many you're having
also sometimes if you're dehydrated you can have an increase in uterine activity so increase in
those Braxton Hicks or real contractions so if you feel like you're having them on a regular
basis please make sure that you're staying hydrated and I'll put a link below to our
video about hydration as well so Braxton Hicks they feel differently they are also different in
that true contractions are making a change the service by their contracting their thinning it
facing dilating open so those true contractions are making changes to to your cervix but Braxton
Hicks contractions are not making change to your cervix so it's they're almost like practicing
it's almost like your uterus is getting ready for the big day tightening releasing tightening
releasing I do not be concerned if you don't feel frightened it makes contractions sometimes I've
talked to pregnant people that say I don't think I've had one at all and that's okay it's not a
necessity of something to go through before labor starts it's not like first you got to have your
Braxton Hicks contractions check then you have to have your make this blood no it's different
for everyone so if you might experience it you might not you might have some you might have a
little but they are different in that way that you make them way that they feel you will know
that they're real contractions if you're feeling them lower if they have a definite start peak and
int if you're not feeling the start the peak and the end they are likely not true contractions or
if they are true contractions they're so early in labor that they're not even worth bothering
worrying about right now or thinking about our you know coping through so Braxton Hicks
contractions are different they are very normal and yet they're not people don't experience them
that same amount or the same way every time so if you would love to see more about the
different topics on the big wheel of birth I will put a link below in the description
of the video with a free course so what we've done with these all the past videos is organize
them into a free course and so it makes it easier they also we've also written out all
the bullet points for each of the video so you can give see the key takeaways and have some dad
and partner tips too so it's free check it out in the bottom also if you find a video helpful
give us a like and a subscribe and I will talk to you guys later thanks for joining me today bye