Why? Because it's already feeling like a long night.

We've had pain in the ribs, pain whenever the baby shifts or moves. My DH has already commented how it looks as if baby has shifted even further downward. I've been having contractions - whether Braxton Hicks or regular, I'm not sure but I'm leaning toward the later.

It feels like it's suddenly become a little harder to breathe, then the tightening starts in my lower abdomen and moves its way up to my ribcage and then back down again. Then it eases up and I can breathe. But there's always this tingling, like 'Here it comes again' that lets me know what's about to happen. Moving around hasn't eased it or helped it, I haven't started timing them yet but they are slowly increasing in intensity and they've been going on for over an hour now.

I've also been feeling more... gaseous. Throughout this pregnancy, I've had little to no heartburn at all, no morning sickness, nothing. Tonight, though, nothing is sitting well no matter what I eat or drink and it seems like all the shifting of the baby is working all the extra air out of the other end as well. Completely involuntary, a little embarrassing, but true.

So am I wrong in thinking that this could be the early stages of labor? Or am I just compiling symptoms and wishing it were labor?

ETA: How do you even -time- a contraction, anyways?