Not everyone experiences contractions in the same way.
Some people compare contractions with intense period cramps or the pressure of a bowel movement.
The uncomfortable sensations may also be felt in the groin, thigh, and side pain.
Verywell / Shideh Ghandeharizadeh
True labor contractions start out mild but will get longer, stronger, and closer together as labor progresses.
Practice contractions (Braxton-Hickscontractions) are contractions of false labor.
Braxton-Hicks Contractions
Braxton-Hickscontractions may start as early as your fourth month of pregnancy.
They are your bodys way of preparing for labor.These contractions feel like a tightening sensation in the abdomen.
Unlike labor contractions, these practice contractions do not follow a pattern.
Braxton-Hicks contractions may occur more frequently the closer you are to your due date.
They can be triggered by:
Are Braxton-Hicks Serious?
Braxton-Hicks contractions are not an emergency.
They are present in all pregnancies, although people may experience them differently.
Early Labor Contractions
Early laborcontractions are mild.
They usually come every five to 15 minutes and last 60 to 90 seconds.
These contractions often feel crampy.
you oughta start timing contractions in early labor.
Timing contractions can help you spot a consistent pattern and determine when to contact your healthcare provider or midwife.
Verywell / Shideh Ghandeharizadeh
Sometimes, the only way to tell between practice and actual contractions is time.
At this stage, there is no doubt you are in labor.
Your contractions are more consistent, more painful, and closer together.
Active labor contractions feel like early labor contractions but stronger.
You may feel the sensation in your back as well as your abdomen.
In addition, you may feel cramps in your upper legs.
Transition
Transition is often the most challenging and overwhelming part of labor.
During this period, the contractions may feel like a lot of pressure in your lower back and bottom.
You may begin to feel like you’re gonna wanna push during contractions.
Back Labor
Not everyone experiencesback labor, but it can be very uncomfortable for people who do.
Back labor contractions feel like intense lower back pain.
The pain is resulting from the pressure of the fetuss head against your lower back.
Contractions during the second stage often slow down considerably.
For example, they probably came at the end of first-stage labor every few minutes.
In the second stage, they space out to five minutes apart.
During the first stage of labor, contractions open (dilate) and thin (efface) the cervix.
During the second stage, contractions expel the fetus from the uterus.
This is known as the third stage of labor and usually takes between five and 30 minutes.
Post-birth contractions are usually less intense than the ones you felt during the other stages of labor.
They may feel more like menstrual cramps.
Even after the placenta is delivered, you will still have contractions postpartum.
These contractions help bring youruterusdown to its pre-pregnancy size and help prevent postpartum hemorrhage.
If you breastfeed, you will continue to have contractions.
However, most people do not have discomfort from the contractions after the first few days following childbirth.
Summary
Contractions can feel different throughout pregnancy and labor.
You may feel Braxton Hicks contractions starting in the fourth month of your pregnancy.
These are just practice contractions and can feel like tightening and discomfort.
They will not get worse or follow a pattern.
Early labor contractions can feel crampy and will come every five to 15 minutes.
These contractions will become more consistent, painful, and closer together as you move into active labor.
If you breastfeed, you also may feel some contractions.
You should also go if your water breaks, even if you aren’t having contractions.
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American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Is it normal to feel fake contractions?
Lancaster Health.What are Braxton-Hicks contractions?.
National Institutes of Health.What are the stages of labor?.
Intermountain Healthcare.False vs. true labor: how to tell the difference.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.What is back labor?
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UC San Diego Health.When to go to the hospital for childbirth.
American Pregnancy Association.Prodromal labor.
