Exact Answer: Up to 2 minutes
The Braxton Hicks may happen during the time of pregnancy. When a women get Braxton Hicks, then the woman would feel tightening of abdomen muscles. Some women would experience pain or cramp in the abdomen muscles. The Braxton Hicks come to prepare the cervix for delivery by shaping or toning the muscles of your uterus.
There is no such huge similarity between Braxton Hicks and labor pain. Many women get confused between Braxton hicks and labor pain. The women should talk to an expert or professional to identify the pain happening to them during pregnancy. The labor pain comes when the cervix of the woman starts to show changes.
Braxton Hicks would do no changes to the cervix of the pregnant women. The Braxton Hicks would not last for more than 2 minutes. Some women may experience it for around 60 to 90 seconds.
How Long Do Braxton Hicks Last?
| Braxton Hicks | Time |
| Minimum time | 60 seconds |
| Maximum time | 2 minutes |
People may experience the pain suddenly without any early symptoms. Most of the time, Braxton Hicks are not extremely painful but would cause discomfort. If someone feels the uterus is becoming tight and the contraction is quite painful for a few seconds, then it would be Braxton Hicks.
Braxton Hicks can happen when the pregnant woman enters the second trimester. Most of the women would start experiencing Braxton Hicks when they complete their 15 weeks of pregnancy. It’s not mandatory that all the women during their pregnancy would feel Braxton Hicks.
Some women would feel the Braxton Hicks very while others would not feel at all. Some women would feel the symptoms of Braxton Hicks for around 10 to 15 minutes during the late stage of pregnancy. If the Braxton Hicks happen for a very long time, then it may be a sign of prelabour for the pregnant woman.
The Braxton Hicks are not very painful but would be disturbing and discomforting. The labor pain would be extremely painful, and this makes them different from Braxton Hicks. The Braxton Hicks would not stay for a long time, and will not come in fixed time.
The symptoms of Braxton Hicks would mostly stop when the woman goes for a walk or do any physical activity. Changing the posture would also help in reducing the discomfort of Braxton Hicks.
Why Do Braxton Hicks Last This Long?
The lasting period of Braxton Hicks is very less, as the tightened muscles would get relaxed on their own. The pregnant woman can take a shower with warm water as it would help in relaxing the Braxton Hicks. The Braxton Hicks can be a sign of premature delivery when the person experiences it for a long time before entering the 37 weeks of pregnancy.
For clarity, the woman can ask the doctor to do a vaginal check-up or examination. If the Braxton Hicks come regularly and stay for more than 2 to 3 minutes, then informing the doctor is pivotal. A woman feels the symptoms of Braxton hicks along with the fluid discharge, then it may call for some emergency.
Any woman experiencing the symptoms of Braxton Hicks along with the water break symptoms, then it is time for the delivery. A gentle massage is always beneficial for helping the symptoms of Braxton Hicks.
If any woman sees vaginal bleeding with the symptoms of Braxton Hicks, then there may be some issues. The woman should never skip informing of any changes or unexpected things happening during the pregnancy time. If the baby’s movement has been slowed down, then the woman needs to go for an instant check-up.
Conclusion
The symptoms of pregnancy would not be the same for all women. The timing when the symptoms would appear would vary depending on the type of pregnancy. Braxton Hicks are quite common to feel, but not for all women. Some women may see Braxton Hicks once in hours, while some may not see it once in their whole pregnancy.
Many women get confused between labor pain and Braxton Hicks. Therefore, it’s always better to check with the doctor for not getting any repercussions during their pregnancy stage.
References
