How Close Are Braxton Hick's Contractions?

Braxton hicks contraction refers to sporadic painless contractions. It is named after a British gynaecologist John Braxton Hicks who was the first person to describe these contractions. They are also known as the Hicks sign and pre labour contractions. It is false contractions that occur before real labour. These contractions help women to prepare for the real thing and breathing exercises can be practiced to assist the real labour.

It is the tightening of the uterus for around 30 to 60 seconds and lasts for as long as 2 minutes. They start occurring after the first trimester itself though not many notice it as they are painless. They are highly irregular, non-rhythmic, unpredictable and more uncomfortable than painful. At times it causes dehydration. It may occur every 10 to 20 minutes after the first trimester or much later in some women, some may not have it at all.