What Does a Contraction Feel Like

Contraction is a term associated with pregnancy. However, they are also felt by some women due to premenstrual syndrome. Also, women who have pelvic muscular pain while doing certain activities that involve the pelvic muscles, like squatting and sitting may also experience a feeling resembling that of contractions.

Though painful, contractions are an integral part of the entire process of pregnancy and delivery. Contractions during pregnancy are essential for childbirth as a contraction is the body's natural mechanism that causes the upper part of the uterus to tighten and thicken while the cervix softens and the lower portion of the uterus stretches and relaxes. This is exactly what helps the baby in coming into the birth canal for delivery.

Contractions are different for almost every woman and moreover, it is difficult to give a generalized answer to the feeling involved during contraction, because apart from being subjective in nature contractions vary from one pregnancy to the next. What can be explained are the changes you will notice while having a contraction, e.g. the abdomen becomes hard to touch. A contraction causes discomfort like a dull ache in the back and/or the lower abdomen region. It is also accompanied by pressure in the pelvis. Many women describe having a contraction as a pressure in the pelvic area than pain and a feeling like diarrhea cramps, or constipation. Some also feel pain in the waist and thighs.

Contraction TimeTable

This table gives you the categorization of the frequency of contractions you are likely to experience in different stages of labor viz., pre term labor, active labor and the transition labor. Transition labor is the period just before the delivery.

Contraction TimeTable
Pre Term Labor	Active Labor	Transition Labor
Contractions can last for hours or days. Mild to moderate contractions. May occur around every 5-20 minutes, but not closer than approximately three minutes. These contractions can last for 30 seconds to a minute. Pain is manageable.	Though it is not very severe, it can be noticed and differentiated from the pre term labor. Moderate to intense contractions. Talking or walking may get difficult while you have these. Contractions will occur every 2-3 minutes. Contractions can last for a minute or longer. Might go on for about 5-6 hours, but it is variable.	Contractions are intense as the baby signals its arrival. These are strong contractions that usually last about 1-2 minutes, with almost no rest in between. Transition lasts for an hour on average but it may vary.

The term Braxton Hicks contractions was coined from Braxton Hicks, an English obstetrician. Braxton Hicks contractions occur in a sporadic manner and at irregular intervals of time. Now what does this contraction feel like and how are these different from labor contractions? The only difference between a labor contraction and Braxton Hicks contractions is that the latter are painless. It usually starts occurring around the sixth week of pregnancy. The feeling is like the one you have when you suppress your urge of relieving yourself while waiting in line for going to the lavatory. Though uterus muscle contractions can be felt by a woman many do not even realize or notice Braxton Hicks contractions even after they are half way though the pregnancy. Women often mistake this contraction as a sign of labor. Braxton Hicks contractions are harmless and not a cause of worry unless you feel too much of pelvic pressure and the occurrence of pain follows a peculiar pattern and increases with every occurrence, while you are less than 37 weeks pregnant. Only if the contractions are more than four in an hour and as frequent as ranging from a minute to five minutes, it can be a sign of labor.

It is very helpful to keep a tab on the frequency of contractions, to be able to know when you enter the transition labor stage. And that makes it important for you to understand what does a contraction feel like. Since there is no specific answer to when your actual labor pains might begin, it is advisable to note down the contraction pattern. Lastly, I would like to add, making children is a thoroughly amazing experience and the pains are nullified the moment you hold the newborn in your arms.