Hard belly

I think at 36 weeks it can be quite normal, if it comes and goes could be braxton hicks x

Yes, this is completely normal, hun. It could be Braxton Hick’s as someone has said (not sure why your midwife said this isn’t common in first pregnancies, it is).

It could also be that you have strong ab muscles and your abdominal wall is holding your bump up tighter, which makes it feel firmer. This was the case for me, my bump was hard and tight in my third trimester and sitting high.

My Consultant and midwives would tell me I have a strong core and that I was lucky ‘cause I’d “snap back” quickly, which I didn’t care about at the time, I just wanted a safe delivery. Lo and behold, after having my baby, my stomach was flat after 3 days, so they knew what they were talking about. Maybe you have strong core muscles, too x