how to tell b/hicks and contractions??

[Kirsty77]

Hey girls

I'm nearly 28 weeks and 2 nights ago I woke in the middle of the night with what felt like bad contractions and bad back pain. And tonight it hit again. I was in agony, totally freaked out and had to have a hot bath. Hot bath didn't seem to help at all as they started just after I'd already got out of the bath! They eventually just stopped after 30mins of them getting stronger. Were these braxton hicks??I was under the impression that b/h's were painless. I had them with Gemma but nothing like this. I had to breathe through each contraction. Please tell me they are just b/h's. To be honest I can't remember much of my labour with Gemma as it went for 23 hours and I was pooped as you can imagine(and very out of it)! The contractions were up high working there way down as the pain went through my tummy and through my back. I also took a couple of panadol but that didn't even touch the sides of this pain. They were'nt however so bad that I couldn't talk through them. Does that make sense?? Sorry to babble but Corey and I freaked out a bit as its way to soon to be having pains like this!

ETA-Should add that Bub was very very active during this time thats what leads me to believe that they were b/h's. And also I had bad shivers and shakes when these contractions were happening...hmmm very odd indeed!

[BellyBelly]

Labour Signs - Could I Be In Early Labour?

I put a good description in here.

[Antheia]

BH are not always painless for some. I had pretty bad ones when pregnant with Lily and have had horrid ones since about 20 weeks this time. I've heard they can be worse 2nd time around. I get the back ache to go with it too this time. It's not nice. The only thing i;d be worried about is if they got regular and closer together. Otherwise they are just probably BH. The joys of pregnancy huh?

[cathybutterfly]

For me, I knew the difference, because although I'd had bad pains before, when real contractions hit it was like nothing else before. Plus they came and went regularly, whereas for me BH would just stay.

[sam (already married)]

for me - bh i could walk and talk through them (even though they were painful) and when i walked they eased off, the real thing - no walking/talking and the more i moved the harder and faster they came if that makes sense

[Tobily]

My BH's have been much more full on with this pregnancy - my belly gets achy and I feel it pulling around to my back. They've got more frequent in the last two weeks as well, but I haven't needed to take pain relief though. I remember distinctly the sharp pain of labour contractions so I know that's not what they are but I can understand why it would freak you out if that bad.
Try to take it easy for a few days perhaps you're overdoing it, I know I have been.