Braxton Hicks vs Real Labour: How to Tell the Difference

Braxton Hicks contractions — sometimes called "practice contractions" — are the uterus tightening and releasing, and they can start as early as the second trimester, becoming more noticeable in the third. They can feel surprisingly convincing, which is exactly why so many people end up questioning whether it's the real thing.

What Braxton Hicks typically feel like

A tightening across the bump, sometimes uncomfortable but generally not described as painful, that comes and goes irregularly. Duration and intensity don't build a consistent pattern, and they often ease off if you change position, have a bath, or simply rest — which is one of the clearest practical differences from real labour.

What real labour contractions typically feel like

• Regular and increasingly frequent — getting closer together over time, rather than random and scattered.
• Increasingly intense — each one tends to feel stronger than the last, rather than staying roughly the same.
• Don't ease off with rest or position change — unlike Braxton Hicks, changing position or resting doesn't make them stop.
• Often accompanied by other signs — a "show" (mucus plug), your waters breaking, or lower back pain that comes in waves alongside the tightening.

A simple way to track it

If you're unsure, timing helps more than trying to judge intensity alone. Note when each contraction starts and how long until the next one starts. If they're becoming more frequent and more intense over an hour or two, rather than staying random, that's a meaningful signal to call your maternity unit and describe what you're experiencing — they will talk you through it and tell you whether to come in.

When to call, regardless of whether you’re sure

Call your maternity unit straight away, rather than waiting to be sure, if you experience: contractions that are regular and increasingly close together, your waters breaking (a gush or trickle of fluid), any vaginal bleeding, reduced movement from your baby, or you simply feel something isn't right. Maternity units are set up to field exactly these calls at any hour, and being wrong about the timing costs nothing — a delayed call for a genuine labour is the outcome worth avoiding.

The reassuring part

Getting it wrong and going in for what turns out to be Braxton Hicks isn't a failure or a wasted trip — maternity units expect this regularly, and it's far better to check than to second-guess yourself at home when labour has genuinely started.