There are different kinds of contractions that happen during a pregnancy and during child birth.
One of them are Braxton Hicks contractions.
They are typically irregular and don't cause as much pain as the usual contractions.
They are so painless that they kick in a whole six weeks before pregnancy and you don't know till you have reached mid pregnancy stage.
Being discreet in nature, some women never ever get to feel them.
This fact doesn't have an immediate on pregnant woman because they are totally painless.
They start getting recognizable in later pregnancy stages.
It is important that one recognize them and make the distinction between them and early preterm labour signs.
Self diagnosis is not suggested.
If the pregnant woman has crossed her 37th week of pregnancy and there are more than four contractions an hour, you must seek medical help.
Within two weeks of your due date, these contractions will be closer together and more painful.
They play a role in the ripening of your cervix as a result of which it slowly becomes soft, thin and dilates a lot more - which is called pre-labor.
One would do well on her part to understand the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and other contractions so that the two can be differentiated from each other.
They are basically rhythmic if you consider the gap between occurrences and can also cause pain bring about a "fake" labour.
The "fake" labour can be recognized by its stagnancy in intensity and length of occurrences.