What does a CONTRACTION feel like??

[jessyboy007]

Ive read some of ur post, ive hear that its the upper abdomen and other time, a back pain, or a feeling of indegestion,,,im confused..how do i know if its a contraction or not?

thank you

[Tummymummy]

My experience is that its really uncomfortable until its real and then it HURTS! I got tightening in my abdomen, my whole belly gets as hard as a rock, my "down there" area feels like its going to fall out and for those few moments i feel like i cant breathe (even though i can). But i do know that when i was in real labor it started this way and then   it got worse and worse, the "not breathing" feeling got longer and i felt like i was constipated as all get out...so in short they suck but trust me you will know what is indigestion and which ones are contractions..and when in doubt take some mylanta or something and if it hasnt worked in like 30 mins its probably not indigestion...

[jessyboy007]

wow!!! thats scary that i might think that its just a back pain or stomach indegestion ,. when in reality , its a contraction.
i have good tolerance for pain, i have really bad menstrual cramps before this pregnancy,,,,so a little stomach tightning or lower back,knowing me, i would just think are regular symptoms!
thank you ladies for making me more aware of what can be

thank again all of you!!

[energy_train]

Yup, I agree with pmperez.  Your stomach gets really hard and you almost feel short of breath.  This is my 3rd baby and contractions were very different with my first two. With my daughter they hurt like HECK and with my son, I was aware I was having them because I could feel tightening but not painful. I got to the hospital and they were a minute a part and they chewed my butt for not coming in sooner but I wasn't feeling them.  I was getting them about 5-6 min. apart.  On the monitor, they were strong too and they couldn't believe I wasn't feeling them.  I felt EVERY ONE with my daughter.  It's amazing how different labor can be with each pregnancy.  I didn't have any back labor with either one of mine, just the tightening in the stomach. If you are standing up, sometimes they will double you over and sometimes you just have to stop and breathe very deep.  Back pain is a very common symptom in pregnancy, especially towards the end so it's hard to discriminate normal back pain from labor.

[pmperez]

my first sign is it feels like my air is being squeezed out of my lungs and then my belly gets as hard as a rock and then I feel like Im going to pee myself, and my back hurts a little and here lately with all that I feel alot of pressure in my bottom

[FEOT]

I think i agree with feather2e...the top of your belly just gets super tight and you feel lots of pressure going down (well at least that's how i feel), I cant walk i have to stay still and breath it out. Some people can walk it out and some people apparently cant even talk through a contraction, so far im able to talk through the ones ive been having. I guess its different for everyone.

[feather2e]

I think people feel contractions differently and some dont even know they are having contractions.For me  it starts at the top of your abdomen and it gets all tense like squeezing  and is like a rolling wave going down the sides to the bottom and in your back.I am sorry it is not a good explanation but that is how I feel them. I am also very small and all belly so that might be why I feel them that way.

[durhamjk1]

I don't know either!  This would be good info to know! I have had pain in my vaginal area every once in a while and was wondering what that was...