contractions

[samroberts2]

im 39 weeks pregnant ftm. this is a silly question but how will i know when im having contractions?

Oh you will know!
With my first I got induced and stayed in the hospital until he was born.
But with my second I went natural, I also thought "how will I know." I had Braxton hicks for about 6 weeks before she was born. So I was even more scare as the Braxton hicks where really intense. But on morning I woke up with contractions that felt way different then Braxton hicks then I knew. My daughter was born 3 hours later

Congrats on your pregnancy and all the best

Because they really bloody hurt . They will get steadily more and more painful and closer together, there's no mistaking them!

Hmm, I have to say I didn't recognise them with my first - I spent about 6 hours on the loo just feeling I really really needed to go - and the feeling got sharper here and there. Eventually went into hosp after DH spoke to labour ward - turns out the increased feeling of needing to go was a contraction but nothing happened round my tummy, no visible tightening and all the feeling was increased pressure on my back passage. And I was 7cm dilated when I arrived. With DC2 & 3, I had classic pains around the bump which were much easier to recognise. Although labour for DC2 kicked off with mild achiness and I had very slight contractions which were regular but not v painful - called midwife due to distance apart tho still not terribly painful and DD was born 3 hours later. DC3 was the only one with contractions start to finish - waiting to see what DC4 decides to do!

Any doubts just call the labour ward - they've seen everything before!