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== Braxton Hicks contractions ==

'''Braxton Hicks contractions''' (/ˈbrækstən ˈhɪks/), also known as '''practice contractions''', are sporadic uterine contractions that sometimes start around six weeks into a pregnancy, although they are not usually felt until the second trimester or third trimester of pregnancy.

=== Etymology ===

The term "Braxton Hicks" was named after the English doctor [[John Braxton Hicks]] who first described them in 1872. 

=== Definition ===

Braxton Hicks contractions are often infrequent, unpredictable, non-rhythmic, and more uncomfortable than painful. Unlike [[labor contractions]], they do not increase in intensity or frequency over time and are not associated with any changes in the cervix.

=== Related Terms ===

* [[Pregnancy]]: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body.
* [[Uterus]]: The organ in the lower body of a woman where offspring are conceived and in which they gestate before birth.
* [[Cervix]]: The lower, narrow end of the uterus at the top of the vagina.
* [[Labor contractions]]: A forceful and painful contraction of the uterus, signaling the start of childbirth.

=== See Also ===

* [[Childbirth]]
* [[Prenatal development]]
* [[Obstetrics]]

[[Category:Medical terminology]]
[[Category:Obstetrics]]
[[Category:Pregnancy]]

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