Braxton-Hicks Contractions: Fine Family Fun

So, if you happened to read my last post, you will know that I'm kind of uncomfortable with my coworkers' genuine enthusiasm and happiness about all things baby-related. Which is why I'm so thrilled that I just arrived to the office to discover that - hooray! - a different coworker brought in her 5-week-old granddaughter for a visit! She is beautiful, and adorable, and drawing such a crowd that I felt confident slipping away and blogging.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, I wanted to mention Braxton-Hicks contractions. It's funny, I obviously like to do tons of research on all things infertility and pregnancy, but I never manage to learn in advance about the complications and symptoms with which I have had the most experience. I'd never heard the phrase "sub-chorionic hemorrhage" before it happened to me, for instance. And when I mentioned on one of my doctor's appointments that my uterus was occasionally tensing up unevenly - as in, one side feels as hard as a rock, the other stays soft, and the whole thing is entirely painless - I was surprised to learn that it was most likely Braxton-Hicks contractions. Wait, what? Don't those happen really close to labor, and people think they're actually labor so they run to the hospital, and then they're embarrassed that it was just a false alarm?

Turns out that Braxton-Hicks contractions can happen as early as the 6th week of pregnancy, although you usually don't notice them at that stage. Thinking back on it, I first noticed that my uterus was occasionally tightening up pretty early in the second trimester, and now that I'm at 23 weeks, I'm feeling them at least once a day. Sometimes it's my whole uterus, sometimes it's just the right or left side (which gives my bump a fun, jaunty, asymmetrical look that's perfect for summer!) and it never lasts more than about a minute. Except, scratch that, there are times that I feel like it's going on and on... and usually a few minutes after that I realize that it wasn't a Braxton-Hicks contraction but gas cramps, or a little of both. According to my doctor, the key thing is that they aren't painful, consistent, or regular. As long as they stay that way, I'm probably okay and it's not an indication for preterm labor. So we're keeping our fingers crossed (as though they weren't before!) and hoping for the best.