During pregnancy, many expectant parents experience new bodily sensations. Contractions and gas pains can feel remarkably similar, leading to confusion. Understanding their distinct characteristics helps determine if a sensation is normal digestion or a sign of labor.
What Contractions Feel Like
Contractions involve the tightening and relaxing of the uterine muscles. Braxton Hicks contractions, also known as “practice contractions” or “false labor,” can begin in the second or third trimester. They feel like a mild tightening or hardening in the abdomen, similar to mild menstrual cramps. They are irregular, unpredictable, and ease or stop with a change in activity or position.
Labor contractions, in contrast, signal the body’s preparation for birth. These sensations are felt as cramping, pressure, or a tightening that can start in the lower back and spread to the abdomen. Their intensity increases over time, becoming more frequent and consistent, lasting 30 to 70 seconds each. Unlike Braxton Hicks, true labor contractions do not subside with changes in position or activity; instead, they intensify.
What Gas and Digestive Discomfort Feel Like During Pregnancy
Pregnancy brings increased gas and digestive upset due to hormonal changes and the growing uterus. Elevated progesterone levels relax smooth muscles throughout the body, including those in the digestive tract. This relaxation slows digestion, allowing more gas to build up.
As the uterus expands, it also places pressure on the abdominal cavity, further contributing to slowed digestion and increased gas. These discomforts can manifest as bloating, fullness, sharp or dull cramping, belching, or flatulence. Gas pain can be localized, around the belly button or lower right side of the abdomen.
Key Differences: Contractions Versus Gas
Distinguishing between contractions and gas pains comes down to key factors. Contractions follow a pattern, becoming more regular, stronger, and closer together over time, similar to waves building in intensity. Gas pains, however, are more random and irregular, lacking a consistent rhythm.
The location of the discomfort also offers clues. Contractions may begin in the lower back and wrap around to the front of the abdomen, affecting the entire uterus. Gas pains, by contrast, are localized to a specific area within the abdomen or may shift around, and they do not involve the tightening of the entire uterus. While gas can cause a bloated or full feeling, it does not result in the rhythmic hardening and softening of the abdomen seen with contractions.
Another key difference is how the pain responds to changes. Gas pains can be relieved by changing positions, walking, passing gas, or having a bowel movement. True contractions, however, persist and intensify regardless of movement or position. Contractions may also be accompanied by other signs of labor, such as a “bloody show” (a discharge of mucus tinged with blood) or the breaking of waters, which are not associated with gas.
When to Seek Medical Advice
Knowing when to contact a healthcare provider is important for pregnant individuals experiencing these sensations. If contractions become regular, strong, and consistently closer together, such as every 5 minutes lasting for about a minute for at least an hour, it is advisable to call your doctor or midwife. These patterns often indicate active labor.
Immediate medical attention is warranted if there are signs of labor before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Other concerning symptoms that require prompt contact with a healthcare provider include any vaginal bleeding or fluid leakage, a sudden gush or trickle of fluid from the vagina that may indicate the breaking of waters, or a significant decrease in fetal movement. Severe or persistent pain that is not relieved by rest or position changes also warrants medical evaluation.