You can be sitting around 1-4cm without being in active labour. I have even see ladies wandering around that have being 6-7cm dialted and not in labour (all having had numerous births before) if we did vaginal examinations on everyone most people around the 37plus weeks are already dilated to some degree or have what is described as a "multi os" if you have had a child before.

With your first baby I take it you had a C/S? Do you know how dilated you were before having a C/S before?

By the sounds of things you were having strong braxtin hicks (which are the same as contractions thats what they are) and its all helping to soften the cervix and help it shorten and dilate so the contractions you had yesterday is still helping to get your body ready even if they didn't make you go into full on labour.

It really sucks having the pains which then fizzle out but its very normal in the end stage of pregnancy and many people have false starts. Hopefully they start up again and lead to baby being born as soon as possible.

As for the induction or C/S sounds like your body is doing a great job preparing for the birth anyway. If you have had a C/S in the past they are usually more keen for you to go into labour spontaneously rather then being induced and as for the C/S unless thats what you want there sounds like no reason to go for the C/S at this stage unless thats what you wanted over a vaginal delivery.

Good luck. Hope bub shows and appearance very soon for you