I had 5 days of pains/contractions in the lead up to my birth....never really closer than 10 minutes apart....right up until a few hours before having DD. I found panadol, a heat pack and hot showers a real help. And I rested as much as I possibly could to conserve energy for when things started to heat up. Whatever is happening, your body is doing a fantastic job of preparing itself to birth your little one, so try not to get too frustrated (I did so I know it's easier said than done) at all the warm up Good luck!