Bah it's all just so confusing. I was in early labour for 24 hours, apparentley, and i didn't feel a thing. I was bleeding everywhere so i was terrified but apparentley that was just a show, according to the ob. Actually started getting pains at 10:30pm, I was 3cm dilated. Contactions went from nothing to 3minutes apart within the space of 10 minuted. They checked me again at 11pm and I was 4cm dilated but on my discharge papers it says labour went for 3.5 hours. Ds was born at 3:24am, so they started timing from midnight. I had assumed they timed from 5 or 6 cm because of that (I don't remember anyone saying anything about dilation after the 4cm mark, the whole thing is one painful blur).
So, after all that ramble, it's still very confusing!!