| when I reached 35 weeks pregnant I had my first experience with Braxton Hicks! This is a condition that not many people know much about, but it is basically like a mini contraction! Imagine my panic, excitement and fear when the first one of these hit me! I was in the supermarket at the time, and suddenly I felt this pain, not dissimilar to period pain, shoot through my abdomen. It felt like a crunching feeling, and there and then, I was convinced I was going into labour!
Having now had my child I can honestly say that my Braxton Hicks was absolutely nothing compared to real contractions – they don’t even come close! Doctors are not sure what they are, but a lot of people think that it is the bodies way of preparing us for the real thing, and that makes a lot of sense to me. They are not too painful, but the type of feeling is certainly an indication of what is to come. The other reason that this theory makes sense is that because with some women, me included, the Braxton Hicks just keep coming. I had Baxton Hicks for a good few weeks before birth, and from two weeks before birth, I had them several times every day! It was a nightmare, because I was constantly thinking to myself, was that Braxton Hicks, or is this the real thing?!
I think it is a great natural indicator that things are moving on nicely, and looking back, I am glad that I had some sort of warning of what was to come!