#10: Who is Braxton Hicks anyway?

John Braxton Hicks
(23 February 1823 – 28 August 1897)
was a 19th century English doctor who
specialised in obstetrics.

Last night at about 11:00pm I got a contraction, I didn't think much of it because I get these 'false contractions' quite a bit and they don't really mean much. After about 20 minutes, I got another but I thought it was just a coincidence, maybe my body was tired from the day, I had been outside in 98 degree weather all day but once I got another one 20 miuntes later, it got my attention. Since I was up watching a show I liked I thought I would casually watch the clock and time them until the show ended. I did continue to get a few more at about 15-20 minute intervals then they stopped!..WHAT..what happened? well turns out, the only explanation for this comes from this sly man below..Braxton Hicks!

Braxton P. Hartnabrig

In honor of my current state, I decided to find out more about the quaint fellow who coined the term "Braxton Hicks" contractions. It no surprise that his name is John "Braxton Hicks" but funny because the only other Braxton I know is from the Jamie Fox show.."break yourself fool"..! I digress. Anyway, apparently this guy Hicks was the first physician to describe the bipolar and other methods of the versions of a fetus. In 1872, he described the uterine contractions not resulting in childbirth now known as Braxton Hicks contractions. 

Why would he name this after himself? They are basically the most frustrating things ever, they can feel like real contraction but they do nothing except get a woman's hopes up and then fade. Some suggest that they actual prepare your body for whats to come but I don't think so. luckily, I am not one of those women who is on the edge of the cliff (at least not yet)..ready to end this process. I still feel relatively good, I feel like I look horrible but thats another topic. My doctors also do not seem to subscribe to style of obstetrics which encourage constantly checking a woman to see her "progress" weeks before her due date, so I haven't been checked at all, that combined with my knowledge of my previous experience (she was an entire week late) I'm pretty sure I'm in for a long ride.