Stupid question but...

[Twitchett22]

Is it really obvious when you start with contractions, even mild ones? If my bump goes hard i feel like its just baby moving, then i get a bit of pain/stitch but it just feels like my bellys stretching? Just wondered if its easy to distinguish between early labour and normal pains.
Btw im 36 weeks and willing this baby to come a bit early which is why I'm over thinking haha

I found it very obvious, and very different to BH. Think period pains, but really bad. There is something that clicks "I'm in labour". Well, I'm sure everyone is different but that was my experience each time!

Don't worry you'll soon know by whether they start getting stronger and closer.

I had pains like that the last few weeks but i knew I was in labour when I had pains and pressure in my bum

I actually didn't find it completely obvious. I woke at 6am with what I thought was trapped wind. Saw my midwife that morning, didn't even really mention it, went to work...it was only by about 2-3pm that I thought hmmmm this trapped wind isn't easing up and is actually getting worse...she was born 11:51am the following day.

With my first I'd been having mild period type pains most of the day and I'd phoned DH at work to warn him. That evening though I was walking down the stairs and got a massive painful contraction that made me sit down on the stairs where I was, so yes pretty obvious!
With my second it was a much slower build up and I'd been having fairly regular pains with a gradual build up for a couple of hours before I realised it was definitely labour.

That old cliche saying of when you’re in labour you will KNOW about it I had many false starts with both of mine where I thought labour was starting but it wasn’t, when I was actually in labour it was unmistakable.

I was told with mine that if you think you might be in early labour have a bath, if the pain stops then it’s not labour, if it increases then you probably are. With my second I was in a lot of pain, had a bath and next thing I was doubled over in immense pain,/9 I guess it’s true!

Honestly I didn’t know with my first! With my second I remember being in pain and only awhile after realising OH I’m in labour! It REALLY sneaks up on me personally but I think everybody is different

The contractions just started literally out of nowhere! Had been cuddling on sofa with DH and moved to the bed at 1am and as soon as I lay down it's just this pain that wraps around bump and back and I just KNEW. Braxton hicks completely different and no pain for me but every woman different

What you've described sound like braxton hicks (practice contractions). I gave birth to my firstborn 13 weeks ago, and leading up to the birth I got so fed up of people saying "when they're contractions... you'll know!" And "if you have to question whether what you feel is a contraction or not then it isn't one"... but they were so right!!! I think because I'd had a lot of braxton hicks from 22 weeks onwards I knew what they felt like, so as soon as things kicked off for real after induction I knew what I was feeling was different. Hope that helps! :)

It wasn't obvious to me OP, just a case of waiting and as they got more painful/more often then it's obvious!

Hope you're ok OP!

Thanks for all your replies, I'll just wait for the painful ones haha bonus if i dont realise I'm having them at first i suppose coz at least labour might feel quicker that way! Guarantee I'll still be sat saying the same thing when im a week past my due date lol i want her out already!