braxton hicks contractions.
last revised · reviewed 2026-07-05
Braxton Hicks are irregular 'practice' tightenings of the uterus that can start from mid-pregnancy and become more noticeable in the third trimester. Unlike labour contractions, they are irregular, don't grow longer or stronger, and usually fade with rest, movement, or a change of position.
what it feels like
The bump suddenly goes tight and hard all over — like a balloon being squeezed — for 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, then relaxes. They are usually painless or mildly uncomfortable rather than painful, and arrive at random rather than in a rhythm.
why it happens
The uterus is a muscle, and Braxton Hicks are its rehearsals — irregular tightenings that may help tone the muscle and promote blood flow to the placenta. They often follow activity, a full bladder, dehydration, or sex, and become easier to feel as the uterus grows.
what helps
- Change what you're doing — walk if you've been sitting, rest if you've been active; Braxton Hicks usually fade, labour doesn't
- Drink a large glass of water; dehydration is a classic trigger
- Empty your bladder — a full one irritates the uterus
- A warm bath often settles them
- Practise slow breathing through each tightening — genuinely useful rehearsal for labour
- Rest on your left side for half an hour and count: irregular and fading means practice, not the real thing
when to call your midwife or doctor
- Regular tightenings before 37 weeks — more than 4 in an hour, or coming at steady intervals — call your midwife or maternity unit
- Contractions with pain, bleeding, waters breaking, or ongoing lower-back ache
- Any noticeable reduction in the baby's movements — call your maternity unit straight away, don't wait
- After 37 weeks: contractions that become regular, longer, stronger, and closer together — that is labour; call your maternity unit
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. When in doubt, call — no midwife has ever minded a careful question.
common questions
When do Braxton Hicks start?
The uterus practises from early pregnancy, but most women first feel Braxton Hicks between weeks 20 and 28 — earlier in second and later pregnancies. They typically become more frequent and noticeable through the third trimester.
How do I tell Braxton Hicks from real contractions?
Braxton Hicks are irregular, don't get progressively longer, stronger, or closer together, and usually stop when you change activity, rest, or drink water. Labour contractions settle into a rhythm and build regardless of what you do. When in doubt — especially before 37 weeks — call your midwife or maternity unit.
Are frequent Braxton Hicks a problem?
Frequent but irregular tightenings that respond to rest and hydration are usually just an irritable, well-practised uterus. But more than four tightenings an hour before 37 weeks, or any that become regular or painful, deserve a call to your midwife or maternity unit to rule out preterm labour.
read it in context
Braxton Hicks contractions tends to show up around these weeks of pregnancy:
related symptoms
- Haemorrhoids (piles)
Haemorrhoids — swollen veins around the back passage, also called piles — affect up to 4 in 10 pregnant women, most often in the third trimester.
- Back pain
Lower back pain affects up to two thirds of pregnant women, usually from mid-pregnancy onwards, as the growing bump shifts your centre of gravity and the hormone relaxin loosens supporting ligaments.
- Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds affect around 1 in 5 pregnant women — pregnancy hormones expand the delicate blood vessels lining the nose while your total blood volume rises by half.
know what's normal, week by week
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