Let's Talk: What do Braxton Hicks feel like?

I never really had period cramping. I mean I had cramps with my period, but it was mostly gas cramps. So I didn’t know what to expect. And I didn’t have Braxton hicks when I was pregnant with Little Man 1 (or at least I didn’t know if I did). This time I have noticed it more and I think it might be because I have a better idea of what I am looking for. Although it took me a while to figure it out this time too. I thought the baby was just moving to a position that was really uncomfortable. But after a while I noticed that I was feeling pressure, and I wasn’t feeling the baby there, and my stomach was really hard. That’s when it clicked, Oh, it’s a contraction. Most of them are painless, just uncomfortable. Some are a little more painful or more intense with some cramping (sharp achy pain, especially lower down around my hips and back). One way I can tell that it is a contraction not just the baby moving is that my whole stomach is hard. If the baby moved it is usually just a small part of my stomach that is hard.

So what does it feel like? It feels like my whole abdomen suddenly tenses up (like I tensed my muscles, but I didn’t do it, it did it on its own) and stays tense for a little bit, then eventually releases. Or it feels like the baby moved and you don’t like where it moved to because it feels like they are trying to push their entire back out through your stomach. Sometimes I barely notice it, but sometimes it is uncomfortable or hurts.

That is how they feel to me. Have you had Braxton Hicks? How do they feel to you? How would you describe them?