How did your contractions feel?

I have had a baby boy this month. I woke up in the night with some pain. It felt like very light feelings of pulling over my stomach. I did not have any back pain like I had experienced in my first labour. The pain would come for about 30 to 50 sconds then die down for a few minutes. I didn't think it was labour. Then it began to get a bit stronger. I went to the bathroom and I had a show. Then I went back to bed. Finding that the pain was too strong to sleep I rang my mum at 3.20 in the morning. Next I went downstairs, getting a very strong pain over my stomach. It felt like my body was being split in half. I phoned the hospital and they told me they would send two midwifes around as I had planned a home birth. The pain was getting stronger. Each contraction lasted between 40 and 50 seconds long. It felt very painful a knife cutting me in half. My mum arrived and she began filling up the birthing pool. The midwifes finally arrived about 4.30. I had a series of very very painful contractions that felt like my body was breaking in half. Then the midwifes helped me to sit up. I felt a burning as if it could be my baby's head. Two contractions that were not terribly painful my baby was born at 4.55. Braxton Hicks are light contractions to get ready for birth. The start of labour is hard to recognise. Only when the pain gets really bad I realise I am in labour.

My contractions felt like sharp stabbing pain on my lower back. On the early stages of labour, it was just uncomfortable, but then it could be really painful when the labour gets matures. But it's all worth when you see and hold your baby. Congratulation!

To tell you the truth I don't remember. With my first daughter the nurse was rubbing my big belly and I told her that's not where the pain was. My pain was way down below my belly. She said that's not where the contractions are and I said, well that's where my pain is. Sharp stabbing pains way down low. I remember with my second daughter I had my first contraction after dinner. It felt weird because I didn't remember ever feeling that before. It was just the way it sounds, my belly contracted - became hard (I know it's already hard but harder), and then relaxed a bit. It's really so hard to explain. Then when the labour really started it was back to the pains way down low. I guess I'm just weird. LOL! Good luck with you and your baby! :)

Yes, you will know when it is for real! What you have now is probably just Braxton Hicks, which are practice contractions and can hurt a bit, but nothing like the real thing. My contractions started out as squeezing pains around the middle of my belly, it was a bit like really strong gas pains. Then they moved down lower and got stronger. I also had pain shooting up from my cervix, but I don´t know if that is normal. The amount of pain really depends on the woman. I know women who barely felt a thing until it was time to push, but I really couldn´t even breathe by the end! It really is worth it, though and you will feel such a rush of relief when you are told to start pushing! Then you know that all the pain is nearly over and you are about to meet a brand new little person!

Congrats on your pregnancy. I didnt really get contractions either when i was pregnant. My waters broke first when i was 8 days over due. I had to brought in to hospital and get an injection to start the contractions off. The just feel like twings or slight stabbing pain in the your sides. For a few seconds it feels sore and then it just stops and after a couple of minutes it starts again. When they get closer together they can get a bit painful but you forget about it all after you have the baby. I didnt have an epidural or anything. I had some gas an air about an hour or so before i had my son but thats it. Good luck with your new arrival.

Honestly I didn't even realize I was in labor. I woke up with what I thought was just cramps. I decided to take a shower to try to relax and my cramps starting getting worse. It basically felt like menstral cramps but I could feel my belly tightening when I would get them. This may sound like to much information but it is something that might be helpful. When my contractions got stronger it felt like I had to poo. That's when I knew that I was really in labor. Believe me you will know when it's the real thing. Good luck with your upcoming labor!