I'm due 17th jan with first baby. Monday morning I started getting really bad pains, turned out it was contractions, were happening every 4/5 minutes and lasted around a minute long. This happened for a few hours, then by 10am they were hardly happening, maybe 3 contractions every hour. For the past 3 evenings now they've picked up each time, maybe every 8 minutes, lasting around a minute and I'm still getting them throughout the day, not as often but still getting them. But they really pick up in the evenings. Does anybody know what's happening?! I'm getting inpatient thinking it's happening and then nothing does!! 
Thankyou X