by Melissa Willets posted in Pregnancy

At 36 weeks pregnant, I feel like my midsection is under assault.
If my baby?s not kicking with a strength David Beckham would envy, I have indigestion. And/or my pelvis feels like it's on fire as it expands in preparation for birth. And/or my lower back is knotted to the point I can barely stand up. On top of all of this discomfort, I am experiencing both Braxton Hicks contractions, and regular ones. Ah, the joys of being pregnant!
Before I?d ever felt contractions of any kind, I wondered what they were like. So I?m here to share how each type of contraction feels, and how they are different. Of course, not everyone has the same sensations. But here is how the different contractions feel for me.
Braxton Hicks contractions
Usually after I?ve done something strenuous, like walk, because even an activity you do all the time becomes exhausting when you?re carting a 6-pound person around in your tummy, I?ll feel my stomach tighten up. It?ll become rock hard, like a granite counter top. After five pregnancies, this still amazes me. I?ll often ask my husband to poke my belly so he can see how impenetrable it is. Um, too bad my tummy isn?t even close to that firm when I?m not pregnant! Ha!
Braxton Hicks contractions don?t really hurt, but they can produce some discomfort. It?s mostly just a weird sensation, almost like you're flexing a muscle involuntarily. I consider these types of contractions to be more evidence that your body ceases to ...