Braxton Hicks Contractions & Fetal Movement: What You Need to Know

Question
I am 23 and i am 38 weeks pregnant with my first child. Throughout the day my entire stomach has been rock hard. I am not experiencing any bleeding, so I am assuming these are braxton hicks contractions. But my question is this: Do Braxton HIcks contractions affect fetal movement?  

Answer
You should continue to have fetal movement whether you are starting to have Braxton-Hicks contractions or not. The baby has sleep/wake cycles so you may not feel constant movement. However, you should feel around 10 movements within 10 hours. Braxton Hicks contractions usually are not regular and do not last very long. They usually disappear when you walk around. When you go into real labor, you will have contractions at the level of your belly button that come every 3 minutes (from the start of one contraction to the start of the next contraction) and each contraction remains hard for at least 45 seconds. When this has continued for a full hour, you should be checked. If your cervix has dilated to at least 3-4 cm, you will be admitted to teh hospital, in labor. Good luck.