Braxton Hicks are a sort of contraction, but they don’t signify the beginning of labour Essentially, the muscles of your womb contract – sometimes for between 30 to 60 seconds at a time, but often for up to two minutes, causing a squeezing feeling across your belly. Sometimes your bump has a humorous, ‘inflexible’ look to it as this occurs. They often subside inside 20 minutes to an hour.

Labour contractions feel completely different for each individual in pregnancy. Typically chances are you’ll feel uncomfortable around your bump and your back in addition to experiencing a sense of fullness in your pelvis. If you’re wondering ‘how long do contractions final?’, typically they happen for 10 to 40 seconds and begin every 20 to 30 minutes. As your labour gets going, your contractions will often get stronger, longer and closer collectively. This is a typical pattern however some women start their …