Does labour start with painful contractions

[JamesonCask]

Or just niggles that turn painful over time?

I woke up with a pain in my back that was coming and going every 6 minutes. They got stronger and closer together over a few hours.

It varies. Mostly, people say that it is niggles that turn painful over time, but that wasn't the case for me. My labours began when my waters broke, and then the contractions were very painful and quite close together from the start. The first time I was terrified, because everything I had read and heard had said it starts off as mild pain and gets gradually worse over about 24hrs. I had no idea how I would cope if that was the mild pain and it was going to get significantly worse and last for so long. The pain level did get worse, but not hugely worse, and DC1 was born within 6 hours.

Mild period pains here. No pain as such until my waters broke, then it was a whole different ball game!

I was told to have a warm bath if you suspect you're in labour - it will either get rid of the pains or bring them on. I have a lovely photo of my toddler DS in the bath playing boats around my big bump

Thanks everyone. Not sure what pains I have, similar to mild period pains but tend to go away if I move position so I think I'm just uncomfortable!

3am I started getting pains I had never had before but took me an hour to realise they might be contractions. Don't know how to describe them. Never knew when my waters had gone as there as so little of them. Got to the hospital 9cm dilated thinking they still hasn't gone. Baby arrived within an hour of getting to the hospital.