Was that twinge a real contraction or a pesky Braxton Hicks? Those final few days of pregnancy are spent nervously waiting for any little sign of labour – hoping for the real deal, but fending off false alarms.
It can be tricky to know the difference between contractions if it’s your first bub, but this clever demo (which you can try at home) explains it perfectly. All you need is a balloon and a ping pong ball – it’s so easy, but so incredibly handy to know.
Midwife Liz Chalmers has made a video outlining how contractions work, and how the cervix thins and dilates. She’s the owner of a birth centre in the US, and has a niece training to be a midwife – so she made the video to show her how contractions, Braxton Hicks and the business end of labour work.
Yep, you’re watching a balloon give birth to a ping pong ball. If only it was that easy!
