What do Braxton Hicks contractions feel like?

Braxton Hicks are practice contractions: your bump suddenly tightens and hardens for 30 to 60 seconds, then releases. Most women describe them as uncomfortable tightness rather than pain, and the belly feels oddly rigid to the touch during one. They can start in the second trimester but become noticeable in the third, and they have a signature - irregular, they do not build in strength, and they stop when you change position, walk, drink water, or empty your bladder. Dehydration, a full bladder, sex, and an active day are the usual triggers. The labor test, per NHS guidance: real labor contractions come regularly, get longer, stronger, and closer together over time, keep going whatever you do, and often wrap from back to front with real pain. Braxton Hicks stay irregular, stay mild, and fade with rest and hydration. Timing them for an hour usually settles the question. When to call the maternity unit: contractions that become regular before 37 weeks - five minutes apart or closer - any vaginal bleeding, your waters breaking, a gush or trickle of fluid, constant severe pain rather than tightening that releases, or a noticeable drop in your baby's movements. Those are not Braxton Hicks questions, and maternity units answer them around the clock - never wait out reduced movements. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text. Describe what you are feeling, and it can help you tell practice from the real thing.