Braxton Hicks contractions are termed "practice contractions" and occur throughout pregnancy. When the woman's body is getting ready to go into labor, it begins to show anticipatory signs of impending labor. Among these signs are Braxton Hicks contractions that are more frequent and stronger in intensity. What differentiates Braxton Hicks contractions from true labor?

Real labour leads to birth while Braxton Hicks contraction most times don't lead to birth of the baby and is also called False labor. Real labor is characterized by pain in the abdomen and back and the pattern is more consistent while in Braxton Hicks contraction there is usually no pain but there is a high level of discomfort. Braxton Hicks occurs mostly during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and is caused by dehydration and stress.