I'm due my second a week today, with my first I didn't get any pains or aches, my waters broke first and 12 hours later the pains started I already knew that was labour due to waters breaking. I never got any Braxton hicks so I have no idea what they feel like.
Yesterday morning I woke up with what felt like intense period pains at 4 in the morning.
They started again last night but were quite bad, with back ache. I took some paracetamol and went to bed due to being up the night before, again the pains woke me up this morning again at 5, it's like a dull ache now, and the odd shooting pain in my hips and back. My stomach does not go hard when these are happening? Could this still be Braxton hicks? Or is labour close?