“Fake” contractions
Dec 31st, 2008 by Bethany
There’s something annoying about “fake” contractions. Sometimes called Braxton-Hicks or “false labor,” fake contractions aren’t fake at all. They can actually be somewhat productive, though typically less intense than the active labor sort.
This pregnancy I’ve been having fake contractions since week 24, I think. The belly tightens up, I feel some pressure, and then it subsides. Sometimes they come hours apart, sometimes just a few minutes apart. Sometimes they hurt a little bit (usually when they coincide with a baby kick or spin), but usually they’re just distracting. They slow down or go away if I take a bath or shower or lie down for a while.
The distraction is the annoying part. The timing and intensity of fake contractions is totally unpredictable, so it’s pretty interesting to be walking to the kitchen table with a full glass of milk or driving down our winding, hilly street when one hits. They’re rarely immobilizing, just surprising, and really tough to ignore.
In fact, I kind of assume it’s best not to ignore them entirely when I can. I try to use them to practice my relaxation techniques, to remind my body that contractions aren’t something to stress out about and to train myself to un-tense my shoulders and face instead of freak out. I, like my mother, like to think that if I work with my pre-labor contractions I’ll get some of the work done in advance so that the active labor will be shorter and less painful. But even if they are productive, I still think they’re annoying. So there.