Braxton Hicks Contractions: Practice vs True Labor

Most pregnant women feel mild contractions before true labor begins, and MedlinePlus says these are called Braxton Hicks contractions ¹. MedlinePlus says these false-labor contractions are not painful ¹. The Office on Women's Health says Braxton Hicks are not in a regular pattern and taper off and go away ². The NHS says true labor contractions tend to become longer, stronger, and more frequent as labor progresses ³.

Key takeaways

• The NHS says Braxton Hicks contractions may feel uncomfortable but are usually painless ³.
• The NHS says Braxton Hicks contractions generally do not last long, do not happen very frequently, and do not build up ³.
• MedlinePlus says true labor contractions come regularly and get closer together, about 5 to 10 minutes apart ¹.
• The Office on Women's Health says a change in activity, such as walking or lying down, can make Braxton Hicks contractions go away, but this won't happen with true labor ².
• MedlinePlus says to contact your provider right away for regular, painful contractions every 5 to 10 minutes for 60 minutes ¹.
• The Office on Women's Health says to call your doctor even if it is weeks before your due date, because you might be going into preterm labor ².

Urgent: when contractions need a call

**MedlinePlus says to contact your provider right away if you have leaking amniotic fluid, decreased fetal movement, any vaginal bleeding other than light spotting, regular painful contractions every 5 to 10 minutes for 60 minutes, or contractions lasting 60 to 90 seconds ¹. The Office on Women's Health says to call your doctor even if it is weeks before your due date, because you might be going into preterm labor, and to call if you are ever unsure whether contractions are true labor ². In the UK, the NHS says to call your midwife or maternity unit urgently if your waters break, you have vaginal bleeding, your baby is moving less than usual, you are less than 37 weeks pregnant and think you might be in labor, any contraction lasts longer than 2 minutes, or you are having 6 or more contractions every 10 minutes ³.**

**A quick, honest note:** we're not medical professionals - everything here was researched by us from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page, and it isn't professional advice. Read our full note ↓

What do Braxton Hicks contractions feel like?

The NHS says Braxton Hicks contractions may feel uncomfortable but are usually painless ³. MedlinePlus also says these false-labor contractions "are not painful" ¹. The NHS says Braxton Hicks contractions generally do not last long, do not happen very frequently, and do not build up ³. MedlinePlus says they do not come at regular intervals ¹. The Office on Women's Health says "Braxton Hicks contractions are not in a regular pattern, and they taper off and go away" ².

How can you tell Braxton Hicks from real labor?

MedlinePlus says true labor contractions "come regularly and get closer together (about 5 to 10 minutes apart)" ¹. The Office on Women's Health says that in labor "you have contractions that become stronger at regular and increasingly shorter intervals" ². The NHS says contractions tend to become longer, stronger, and more frequent as labor progresses ³. MedlinePlus says Braxton Hicks contractions do not come at regular intervals ¹. The Office on Women's Health says a change in activity, such as walking or lying down, can make Braxton Hicks contractions go away, but this won't happen with true labor ².

When do Braxton Hicks start?

MedlinePlus says most pregnant women feel mild contractions before true labor begins, and that these are called Braxton Hicks contractions ¹. The Office on Women's Health says Braxton Hicks contractions are not in a regular pattern, and they taper off and go away ². The NHS says Braxton Hicks contractions generally do not last long, do not happen very frequently, and do not build up ³.

When should you call your provider about contractions?

MedlinePlus says to contact your provider right away if you have leaking amniotic fluid, decreased fetal movement, or any vaginal bleeding other than light spotting ¹. The Office on Women's Health says to call your doctor even if it is weeks before your due date, because you might be going into preterm labor ². The NHS says to call your midwife or maternity unit when you are having regular contractions coming every 5 minutes or more often ³. The NHS says to call your midwife or maternity unit urgently if your waters break, you have vaginal bleeding, your baby is moving less than usual, you are less than 37 weeks pregnant and think you might be in labor, any contraction lasts longer than 2 minutes, or you are having 6 or more contractions every 10 minutes ³.

Frequently asked questions

What do Braxton Hicks contractions feel like?

The NHS says Braxton Hicks contractions may feel uncomfortable but are usually painless ³. MedlinePlus says these false-labor contractions are not painful ¹.

How can you tell Braxton Hicks from real labor?

The Office on Women's Health says a change in activity, such as walking or lying down, can make Braxton Hicks contractions go away, but this won't happen with true labor ². MedlinePlus says true labor contractions come regularly and get closer together, about 5 to 10 minutes apart ¹.

When do Braxton Hicks start?

MedlinePlus says most pregnant women feel mild contractions before true labor begins, and that these are called Braxton Hicks contractions ¹.

When should you call your provider about contractions?

The Office on Women's Health says that if you are ever unsure whether contractions are true labor, you should call your doctor ². MedlinePlus says to contact your provider right away if you have regular, painful contractions every 5 to 10 minutes for 60 minutes, or contractions lasting 60 to 90 seconds ¹.

A note from us

We're the team behind Yael & Michal. We are not doctors, nurses, lactation consultants, or psychologists, and nothing here is professional advice.

Everything above was researched by us from public, reputable sources - we name and link every one of them below - and summarized as carefully as we could, as a free resource for other mothers. We do this because we wished something like it had existed for us.

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Sources

1. MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine). https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000508.htm (retrieved 2026-07-10).
2. Office on Women's Health (womenshealth.gov). https://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-and-beyond/labor-and-birth (retrieved 2026-07-10).
3. NHS (National Health Service, UK). https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/signs-that-labour-has-begun/ (retrieved 2026-07-10).