Braxton Hicks contractions are typically irregular in nature. Which statement is most accurate?

• A. They are regular and progressively stronger
• B. They indicate immediate labor is underway
• C. They occur only after the water breaks
• D. They are irregular in nature

Answer: (D)

Braxton Hicks contractions are irregular practice contractions that prepare the uterus but do not signal that true labor has started. They tend to come and go without a steady pattern, and they don’t consistently get longer, stronger, or closer together. That’s what makes them distinct from true labor contractions, which become regular, increase in intensity, and are associated with cervical changes. Water breaking is not what defines Braxton Hicks, and labor can begin with contractions before the membranes rupture or with rupture occurring at any point. Because Braxton Hicks are irregular by nature, the statement describing them as irregular is the most accurate.