Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Braxton Hicks who??!


Finally that weird tightening of my belly has a name and reason... I was begining to get worried because I notice that this 'tightening' is becoming more noticeable and frequent. Just last night itself, it happened more than a dozen times over a period of 3 hours, though the duration of each 'tightening' lasted less than a minute. There's no pain involved, just a strange feeling that your belly has turned into stone.

I verified with the doctor this morning and was advised that this is the famed Braxton Hicks contractions (also known as 'practice contractions) that I have read about. Braxton Hicks are:
  • Irregular in intensity
  • Infrequent
  • Unpredictable
  • Non-rhythmic
  • More uncomfortable than painful
  • They do not increase in intensity, or frequency
  • They taper off and then disappear altogether

I think I can put a 'check' in all the above points, so it puts me at ease that what I have experienced is normal. So far, I only experienced it a handful of times today.

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