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Day 218 of 280 · 31 weeks + 1 day

Tightenings

Last reviewed · 2 min read · 4 sources · Plain-text version

Thirty-one weeks and one day. Your bump may tighten for half a minute and let go. Today you time one, so you know what practice feels like.

Size this week
about the size and weight of a coconut
Length this week
around 41.1 cm from head to heel
A woman with a full bump in a loose grey t-shirt lying on her side on a sofa, one hand resting on her belly, glancing up at a wall clock, warm afternoon light.

Thirty-one weeks and one day. If your bump has gone hard for a few seconds and then softened again, you've probably met Braxton Hicks contractions. Today you learn what they feel like on purpose, with a clock.

Your baby

A single brown coconut on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Your baby is around 41.1cm long from head to heel, about the size and weight of a coconut (NHS). The amount of amniotic fluid around them is increasing, because your baby can now pee (NHS).

Your body

The NHS describes Braxton Hicks contractions as the bump tightening for 20 to 30 seconds; they shouldn't hurt, and if they're painful or regular you should call your midwife or doctor (NHS). The OWH adds the most useful test: Braxton Hicks are irregular and tend to fade, often with a change in activity, while true labor does not stop when you change what you're doing (OWH).

MedlinePlus says they can begin after the first trimester and are usually short, not painful, and irregular; they don't cause bleeding, fluid leakage, or less movement from your baby (MedlinePlus). Any of those alongside a tightening is a reason to call.

Try today

  1. The tightening timer

    Time: A few minutes, whenever the next one comes

    1. When your bump tightens, note the time it starts and stops. Is it around 20 to 30 seconds (NHS)?

    2. Notice whether it hurts, or just feels firm.

    3. Change what you're doing: stand up if you were sitting, lie down if you were walking, drink some water.

    4. Note whether another comes, and when. Braxton Hicks tend to fade with a change in activity (OWH).

    Make it work:

    Keep the times in one note on your phone. If you ever need to call, how many came in the last hour and how long each lasted is exactly what the person on the other end will ask.

Watch for

  • Normal

    a few tightenings through the day; NICHD says some uterine contractions are normal.

    Call your provider

    or go to the hospital if you have six or more in one hour, which is not normal (NICHD).

  • Normal

    tightenings that come at random and fade.

    Call your provider

    about contractions that become stronger at regular and increasingly shorter intervals, even if it's weeks before your due date (OWH).

  • Normal

    an odd twinge low in your belly.

    Call your provider

    for cramps like period cramps, or belly cramps with or without diarrhea; NICHD lists these among the signs of preterm labor (NICHD).

For you

Most tightenings at this stage come and go without meaning anything. Your job is just to notice, and to know your numbers. If you're unsure, MedlinePlus says to make contact for any reason you're not sure what to do (MedlinePlus). A call that turns out to be nothing is not wasted.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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