Braxton Hicks contractions feel like a tightening or hardening across your belly, often described as mild, irregular, and uncomfortable but typically not painful. They can feel similar to mild menstrual cramps or a squeezing sensation in the front of your abdomen, but they do not usually affect your back or lower uterus. These contractions usually last about 30 seconds and come and go irregularly without a consistent pattern. They often ease with changes in position, rest, or relaxation techniques such as a warm bath
. Unlike true labor contractions, Braxton Hicks contractions are not rhythmic or progressively more intense. They do not cause significant pain, do not increase in frequency or duration, and do not lead to cervical dilation. They are sometimes called "practice contractions" as they help prepare the uterus for labor but do not indicate that labor has started
. In summary, Braxton Hicks contractions feel like occasional, brief tightening or squeezing sensations in the abdomen that are uncomfortable but not painful, irregular in timing, and relieved by rest or movement
