What do contractions feel like?

[Mistyautumn]

Sorry, I know this is a really daft question. But I am 37 weeks tomorrow and haven't really experienced any Braxton hicks. I seem to be getting some tightening in my lower abdomen tonight and some back ache and don't quite know what to make of it. Xx

I've had the abdominal tightening for a while and I've been calling it Braxton Hicks (39+3). If that's right though I have no idea how people can think they're in labour!

First time around I questioned every little niggle ... I was also 8 days overdue. But when real contractions came it was obvious for me. It felt like bad period cramps that just kept coming.

They will take your breath away when they get going. If you have to question it, it's not contractions or its mild contractions but they may not lead to anything.

For me it felt like I needed to go to the loo big (sorry for tmi) but everytime I went nothing.. Then all of a sudden my water broke! I still didn't think it was contractions but when I got closer to the pushing contraction it dawned on me that I didn't need to go to the loo big, I was having contractions..

To bad no one tells you that. I spoke with a couple mother friends about it after DS was born and they had the same experience.

For me they felt like period pains that came in waves at regular intervals, gradually getting longer and closer together (and more painful!). You can get period pains without it indicating labour as well, I think the clue is them coming regularly and no exercise or changing of position stopping them.

My contractions from past experience are like constant shooting pains in my lower back, never my stomach or groin, weirdly and only felt when I'm close to pushing. Which is unhelpful as Braxton hicks, to me, feels the same but slightly less intense and accompanied by mild cramping .

YY to needing a poo! Both times I was certain I was about to shit myself, was just their heads pushing down though. They felt like waves of pain for me, I could feel it starting low and reaching a peak, then slowly dying down again