Braxton Hicks contractions: practice tightenings and how to tell them from labour
In this article
Braxton Hicks contractions are tightenings of your womb that come and go before labour, often called practice contractions. The NHS says they may feel uncomfortable but are usually painless, and they do not last long, come often or build up. They do not mean labour has started. Real contractions get longer, stronger and closer together.
| Also called | Practice contractions, false labour pains |
|---|---|
| Feels like | Tightness across your bump, or mild period-like cramps |
| When | Can start in the second trimester; most common after 36 weeks |
| Pattern | Irregular, and they do not build up |
| Eases with | Walking, resting, a drink of water, emptying your bladder |
What Braxton Hicks feel like
Cleveland Clinic describes them as mild menstrual cramps or a random tightness in your abdomen, usually felt at the front of your belly. They can be uncomfortable, but you can still walk and talk through one.
KKH's obstetrics team calls them rehearsal contractions. They feel real, but they are irregular and they do not open your cervix, which is the change that marks true labour (see dilation).
When they start and what sets them off
KKH says most women notice them late in pregnancy, typically after 36 weeks. Cleveland Clinic says they can begin as early as the second trimester, and that some women never get them.
Cleveland Clinic lists a few common triggers: being dehydrated, being very active, a full bladder, sex and lifting something heavy. Notice whether yours tend to follow any of these.
Braxton Hicks vs real contractions
The pattern tells you more than the pain. KKH says real labour contractions are regular and become more intense and more frequent. They often start more than 30 minutes apart, then come closer and last longer, with each one lasting about a minute. Once they are about 5 minutes apart and have kept going for more than 2 hours, KKH says it is time to get ready to go in.
Movement is the other clue. Cleveland Clinic says Braxton Hicks ease when you walk or change position, while labour contractions carry on or get worse. It suggests timing them for about an hour, from the start of one to the start of the next. Our free contraction timer does the counting for you.
What helps when they come
Cleveland Clinic's suggestions are simple. Get up and walk if you have been sitting for a while, or lie down if you have been on your feet. Drink some water, eat a snack, go to the toilet, and do something that relaxes you, such as a bath or a book. ACOG puts it plainly: if rest and water make the contractions go away, they are not true labour.
When to call the hospital
The NHS says to call your maternity unit urgently if your waters break, you have vaginal bleeding, your baby is moving less than usual, any contraction lasts longer than 2 minutes, or you have 6 or more in 10 minutes. It also says to call if you are less than 37 weeks pregnant and think you might be in labour, because that could be premature labour.
At KKH, go to the Delivery Suite on Level 2 of the Women's Tower if you are 22 weeks or more. If you are not sure what you are feeling, Cleveland Clinic's advice is to call anyway.
Frequently asked questions
What are Braxton Hicks contractions?
Irregular tightenings of your womb before labour. They are your body practising, and KKH's obstetrics team notes they do not open the cervix.
Do Braxton Hicks mean labour is near?
No. Cleveland Clinic says you can have them weeks or months before real labour begins.
Do Braxton Hicks hurt?
Usually not much. The NHS says they are usually painless, though they can be uncomfortable. ACOG notes they can be very painful for some women, so judge by the pattern: contractions that keep getting stronger and closer are more likely to be labour.
Can I get Braxton Hicks before 36 weeks?
Yes, from the second trimester for some women. But if you are under 37 weeks and the tightenings are regular or getting stronger, call the hospital rather than wait.
Related terms
- Contractions: The tightening and relaxing of your womb that opens the cervix and pushes your baby down in labour.
- Dilation: How far your cervix has opened in labour, measured in centimetres from closed to 10cm.
- Rupture of Membranes (Water Breaking): When the bag of fluid around your baby breaks and leaks out through the vagina, as a gush or a trickle.
- Preterm (Premature) Birth: A baby born alive before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. In Singapore, about 8.5% of babies arrive this early.
- Trimester: One of the three stages of pregnancy, each about three months long.
- NHS - Signs that labour has begun (read 9 November 2026)
- HealthXchange (KKH Obstetrics and Gynaecology) - Braxton Hicks vs real contractions: how to tell the difference (read 9 November 2026)
- Cleveland Clinic - Braxton Hicks contractions (read 9 November 2026)
- KKH - About your pregnancy (read 9 November 2026)
- ACOG - How to tell when labor begins (read 9 November 2026)
