Contractions

[DeadDoorpost]

I'm 37 weeks tomorrow and I know that statistically I'll be overdue as this is my first but I've been having BH for a few days now (finally) and I'm now starting to wonder how everyone else's 'proper' contractions started. I've got a lot of similar stories from family members but my mum is no good asking as she had very short labours and wasn't really aware of them due to other complications and tbh I don't really believe half the stuff she comes out with anyway (warped version of things and a history of lying etc) and step mum had 3 CS so again not much help there.
I also know from another family friend that it's possible to not feel them as she had no pains at all so I'm very confused as to the range of pain and frequency.

So could I ask for your stories? I don't want to be left thinking 'what if' when the time comes and would much rather know the possible ways of experiencing them etc if that makes sense?

Mine started like period pains.

I had bad braxton hicks for about 5 days in a row for several hours and then one day they just didnt stop. I had an odd pain in my legs rather than bump . There's no denying contractions. I'm afraid if you're not sure if they're contractions, then they're not.

Yes, like period pains gradually getting more frequent and more painful.

I had braxton hicks from 24 weeks, they got more frequent towards the end. I got so annoyed and fed up with people just saying to me "trust me, when they start you'll know"... but annoyingly they were right! 🙈 Trust me, when you start having proper contractions they don't feel like braxton hicks. I wouldn't even say period pains on my part, just felt like a completely unique feeling that was definitely my innards squeezing together that came in waves. Hope that helps!

Real truly labour progressing contractions are impossible to miss but be warned - i had stop/start contractions that were painful (but not excrutiating) for 2 days so on the third day when they started again id convinced myself it was false labour again and nearly had a home birth!

And I'd second what someone said above (annoyingly!) that if you feel something and you question if it's a contraction, it's not. (I had two or three evenings of false starts in thinking I might be in labour, definitely wasn't!)

Thanks ladies, yeah I know if I'm not sure if they are or not then I'm not going to be worried. The only concern I have is that I'll take after my mum and have a fast Labour (longest she had was me which was 7 hours from first contraction to birth, shortest 2.5 hours) and she almost had a home birth too. Obviously I can't go by what she had as everyone's different but knowing that it can be very varied I'm more likely to (hopefully) be more aware of when it is and isn't time.

I had regular contractions for 12 hrs one day uncomfortable but not increasing in strength. Two days later started again however this time they were getting stronger and I knew it was the real thing:

My contractions never felt like period pains though it was all in my back.