[gugububs]

Where they painless, just felt like a braxton hicks but regular ? How long until they started getting painful?

TIA

[Bluenomi]

Mine felt like period cramps for about 30 seconds or so about 15 mins apart. Within a few hours they were 5 mins apart and much stronger!

I never had braxton hicks so can't compare it to those

[Blairizz]

Mine were nothing like BH - for me BH are uncomfortable in that they kind of take your breath away a bit, but they don't hurt. Real labour contractions IME had a build up, and at their peak were a very sharp pain in my pelvic area (similar to but a lot stronger than the pains you might get if you have a bad case of diarrhoea).

[mel43]

Yes, for me they were just like braxton hicks/tightenings.
With DD1 they got painful when they did the ARM, at around 8cm.
With DD2 I didn't know I was in proper labour until I got to the hospital (passed a big clot at 32wks) and apparently I was 10cm dilated.

I don't think I'm normal though

[Chief Pancake Ma...]

Really bad lower back pain.

[Blairizz]

Yes, for me they were just like braxton hicks/tightenings.
With DD1 they got painful when they did the ARM, at around 8cm.
With DD2 I didn't know I was in proper labour until I got to the hospital (passed a big clot at 32wks) and apparently I was 10cm dilated.

I don't think I'm normal though

Umm, I'll take a labour like that this time please

[strawberrypie7]

Really bad lower back pain.

exactly this for me- horrific back pain, nothing like what I was expecting!

[tres-chic]

Mine felt like a ruthlessly efficient internal vice...I didn't have any sharp pains but very intense, dull pain if that makes sense.

But I was induced and had a lot of bad luck with the birth, happy ending though.

[Juju38]

I had loads and loads of BH for weeks leading up to labour. Labour contractions for me felt NOTHING like BH.

My contractions started at 1.5 mins apart and were excruciating from the get go (baby born 2.5 hours later). What shocked me was the contraction pain was all across the pelvic floor area. I always imagined they would be right across the bump and up high too. My labour was precipitous, so not really the normal contraction pain you get in the early stages where they go from mild to strong over time.

I had no back pain. Sounds like each person's experience is different.

[michellew68]

For me it was like a normal period pain only a million times worse. Starting up high and radiating down my thighs. Full blown labour I felt I would die because I couldnt stand it.