I really don't think anyone can tell you how your contractions will feel , but everything the girls have mentioned is true. With me, I labour in my back, I have Posterior babies (their back on mine) I do get the tightening across my belly, but honestly can't say that I feel pain from that but the pain across my lower back and upper pelvis is excrustiating(sp??). The pains can start off like period pains, mine starts with mild back pain and they build up and up until your in full on labour. At the end mine just plain run into each other with no real break in between. It is the most intense pain that only us lucky women get to feel, (Damn Eve and that snake, lol) I love to push, for me the pain goes with each push. OMG why am I doing this again!!!! Lol. Oh that's right because as soon as it's over you start to forget how Blo ody painful it all was. It funny though it kinda starts to come back to you at this stage, lol, way too late to change your mind. Have I scared you enough, lol. This is only my experience, I know two women who say that it really wasn't painful at all so you see, You have to remember that pain is subjective and relative to oneself.