Q&A: How to Tell If It’s Braxton Hicks or Real Labor

Pregnancy Podcast

Vanessa Merten

Newborn, Parent, Homebirth, Vbac, Kids & Family, Doula, Firsttimemom, Midwife, Pregnancy, Doctor, Parenting, Pregnant, Vanessamerten, Physician, Csection, Prenatalcare, Breastfeeding, Naturalbirth, Nursing, Birthcenter, Family, Baby, Hospitalbirth, Health, Obgyn, Research, Trimester, Expecting, Labor, Mom, Diet, Dad, Birth

4.5 • 948 Ratings

🗓️ 2 April 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If you are pregnant with your first baby, there are a lot of unknowns about what labor feels like. Many expecting moms will experience Braxton Hicks contractions. These can not only be uncomfortable, but they may trick you into thinking you are going into labor. Learn what Braxton Hicks contractions are and why they happen. Find out the key differences to tell Braxton Hicks apart from true labor. Get tips on how to manage and alleviate Braxton Hicks. We also cover when to call your doctor or midwife and warning signs of preterm labor to watch for.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Merton.
0:10.4	Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast. In today's episode, we're talking about
0:17.9	Braxton Hicks contractions. If you're pregnant with your first baby, there are so
0:22.9	many unknowns about what labor will actually feel like. Many expecting moms will experience
0:29.3	Braxton Hicks contractions. Not only can these be uncomfortable, but they can trick you into thinking
0:35.9	that you're going into labor.
0:43.3	In this episode, learn what Braxton Hicks contractions are and why they happen.
0:50.1	Find out the key differences so that you can tell Braxton Hicks apart from true labor contractions,
0:57.4	get tips on how to manage and alleviate Braxton Hicks, also find out when you need to call your doctor or midwife and warning signs of preterm labor to watch for. You can find the complete
1:04.6	article and all of the resources for this episode at Pregnancypodcast.com slash contractions.
1:13.4	You are currently listening to the public feed of the podcast, which gives you access to
1:19.1	ad-supported content in the last year of episodes. Join Pregnancy Podcast Premium to get
1:26.2	every episode ad-free, plus get access to hundreds of episodes
1:31.0	exclusively available to premium members. And when you sign up, you get a free copy of the Your
1:37.7	Birth Plan book. That walks you step by step through creating your birth plan with sample plans
1:43.8	for everything from a home birth to a
1:46.2	plan cesarian and everything in between. Plus, there is a template that you can download and
1:52.2	customize to fit your preferences. Check out Pregnancy Podcast Premium at Pregnancypodcast.com
2:00.6	slash premium.
2:02.9	Spring is the perfect time to clean and declutter your home.
2:07.1	It's also a great time to refresh your nutrition and daily habits.
2:11.8	Filling refreshed and ready starts in your gut.
	...

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