Can someone try and describe the difference between Braxton Hicks and 'real' contractions to me please

[FurryFox]

As a second timer I should probably know but never really had them with DD so not sure.

I am 40+2 and on and off for the past 4 days or so I have been getting period type cramps, lower back ache and tightenings. Usually quite regular, had been about every 15 mins for about 3 hours then stopped. This morning they were about every 10 mins lasting about 40 seconds, reasonably painful but not to the point I was in agony ifswim. I had them for about 2 hours but now they've stopped again

So I'm just wondering if these are braxton hicks or 'real' contractions and maybe I'm in early labour???

You could well be - that is exactly how my DS 2 started off (40+1) . It took all day to get gong properly though. Had period style cramps and backache from early morning off and on - steadily getting worse and more painful til finally couldn't bear the pain any more and went in to hospital at 11pm to be told I was 6cm dilated. Had DS2 at 4.am

GOOD LUCK!!

I had this for about 4 weeks with dd. Even ended up in hospital and was told I was in labour, then 6 hours later - no you're not!

It was very tiring and extremely frustrating.

Be warned though - when labour really kicked in, dd arrived just 45 minutes later.

I had real contractions that I thought were B-H with my second child.

The difference was that I had to stop what I was doing when I had these fake B-Hs, but they were not agonisingly painful.

These started on a Friday afternoon and continued all day. But I kept thinking they were B-H so I went to sleep.

Woke up around 7AM in real pain.

DD2 born at 10.26AM

So maybe this is the start of things for me then. Am just not sure because they keep stopping and startingg. Think I will allow myself to get a tad bit excited, just for the time being anyway Thanks.

I had this for nearly three weeks with my oldest, but was eventually induced as I was exhausted.

With my second child I did not take the contractions seriously when they started as I thougth I had been through it before and I had weeeeks. I knew it was different went they increased in intensity and I could not actually talk. They went from mild every 5 minutes to extreme pain, contractions in sequences of 3 following instantly, 1 minute break and then another 3.... I barely got to hospital in time.

GOOD LUCK!
This is exciting.