Hi Aprilpinky
BH stands for braxton Hicks contractions. Here's something useful for all mums to be..
1)What are Braxton Hicks contractions?
Sometime toward the middle of your pregnancy (or even earlier), you may notice the muscles of your uterus tightening for anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds. Not all women feel these random, usually painless contractions, which get their quirky name from John Braxton Hicks, an English doctor who first described them in 1872.
2)How can I tell the difference between Braxton Hicks and true labor contractions?
Most women pregnant for the first time will ask their practitioner or friends this question often, and the answer is maddeningly vague: "You'll know real labor when it begins." Truth is, they're right. Labor contractions are noticeably longer as well as more regular, frequent, and painful than Braxton Hicks. Also, labor pains will increase in frequency, duration, and intensity as time goes on, while Braxton Hicks remain unpredictable and nonrhythmic.
3)What if the Braxton Hicks contractions become painful?
As your pregnancy progresses, these contractions may become more intense and even painful at times. When they start to become more intense and frequent, they're referred to as false labor. False labor may feel like the real thing, but the contractions will still be irregular in intensity, frequency, and duration and can taper off and then disappear altogether. In other words, if you ever notice that your contractions are easing up in any way, they're most likely Braxton Hicks.
Doctors and midwives believe that Braxton Hicks contractions are part of prelabor and serve to get the process of effacement and dilation (when the cervix begins to thin out and open up) going in preparation for delivery. (This is called "ripening.") In fact, some healthcare providers recommend you use Braxton Hicks contractions as an opportunity to practice the breathing exercises you'll learn in your childbirth class.
4)How can I minimize them if they're uncomfortable?
Many women notice that the contractions come more frequently when they do even light physical activity, such as lugging groceries from the car. If you feel discomfort, it sometimes helps to lie down, or, conversely, to get up and take a walk, both of which can ease any pain you feel. A warm bath sometimes helps, too. Some healthcare practitioners recommend drinking a couple of glasses of water if the contractions bother you, since they can sometimes be brought on by dehydration. In general, a lack of adequate fluids tends to make your uterus more irritable another of the many reasons to drink plenty of fluids while you're pregnant.
Hope this helps answers some qns...=) Happy weekend!