Braxton Hicks Contractions

What Braxton Hicks Contractions Are

Braxton Hicks contractions are described in the medical literature as sporadic contraction and relaxation of the uterine muscle fibers. They're irregular in duration and intensity, occur infrequently, and are unpredictable and non-rhythmic, which sets them apart from the coordinated pattern of labor contractions.^[1] They may be uncomfortable, but they're generally described as not painful, and they don't cause the cervix to dilate.^[1] The exact mechanism behind them isn't fully established, though they're understood as normal, sporadic activity of the uterine smooth muscle rather than the sustained, coordinated contractions of labor.^[1]

The name comes from John Braxton Hicks, an English physician who, in an 1872 paper, first described uterine contractions occurring throughout pregnancy rather than only at the onset of labor.^[2] That observation is the reason these contractions carry his name in modern obstetric terminology, more than 150 years later.^[1]

Braxton Hicks contractions are described as present, in some form, throughout the whole of pregnancy, with the literature putting their onset as early as six weeks of gestation.^[1] They aren't usually felt that early, though. Most people first become aware of them in the third trimester, and some notice them as early as the second.^[1]

Why the Term Exists

Before Braxton Hicks's 1872 description, uterine contractions were generally understood only as part of labor itself.^[2] His observation that the uterus contracts sporadically throughout pregnancy, not only when labor begins, gave obstetrics a name for a phenomenon that had previously gone undescribed in the medical literature. That naming is what separates this specific pattern, sporadic, non-dilating uterine activity present across pregnancy, from the broader and much later concept of labor contractions themselves.^[1]

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Go Go Gaia's pregnancy mode logs symptoms like Braxton Hicks contractions with a 1-click entry, timestamped against your week of pregnancy and everything else you're tracking, so your full pregnancy picture builds itself as you go.

What the Research Shows

The historical record credits John Braxton Hicks's 1872 paper as the first clear description of painless uterine contractions occurring throughout pregnancy, a description that predates modern obstetric understanding of uterine physiology by well over a century.^[2]

Current obstetric references describe these contractions as present across all pregnancies in some form, with epidemiological descriptions putting onset around six weeks of gestation and typical first awareness in the second or third trimester.^[1] Beyond that timing and definitional picture, the literature doesn't offer much further on Braxton Hicks contractions specifically, which is consistent with how minor and expected a feature of pregnancy they're considered to be.

Related Terms

Frequently Asked Questions

Educational information based on published sources. Not medical advice. For personal concerns, please consult your doctor.

What are Braxton Hicks contractions?

They're sporadic tightening and relaxing of the uterine muscle that occurs throughout pregnancy. They're irregular in timing and intensity, usually described as uncomfortable rather than painful, and don't cause the cervix to dilate.^[1]

Where does the name Braxton Hicks come from?

They're named after John Braxton Hicks, an English physician who described contractions occurring throughout pregnancy, not just at the onset of labor, in a paper published in 1872.^[2]

When during pregnancy do Braxton Hicks contractions happen?

They're present in some form throughout pregnancy, believed to begin around six weeks of gestation, though they're usually not felt until later. Most people first notice them in the third trimester, and some notice them as early as the second.^[1]