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Sounds like early labour but this could mean it goes on for days! I had what you're describing for about 12 hours before the 'tightening' started ramping up and becoming more intense. I didn't feel anything in my back, was all lower down & period crampy like. Maybe call your hospital and let them know? And use a contraction timer too so you notice when they start getting closer together. Good luck!

I get the poking out, tightening feeling a lot since the second trimester. The back thing sounds la bit like back labor but when something is really happening it will probably hurt a lot. I don't even really remember contractions in the front, but I remember back labor pains. I actually had very intense back labor every 2-4 mins contractions and still went home from the hospital for another 24 hours and came back with still irregular contractions but in so much pain and my tolerance was exhausted and it turned out I had made a lot of progress and was 8cm. I thought it was really confusing. But I can definitely say if you're still just "uncomfortable" they could be contractions but for now I wouldn't quite count on active labor anytime soon. Hope you get the birth you want, good luck!

I had the same tightening/rock hard feeling after about 38 weeks and as I neared her arrival (41 weeks exactly), I had it more frequently, even waking from it in the middle of the night. My midwife described the tightening as practice/early labor. As my due date came and went, I was very disappointed needless to say. The day before she was born, it became more like a rhythmic cramp that I could time (it stayed at about 10 minutes apart and after several hours, 5 minutes apart- go time!). If its remaining close together, call your provider/on call doctor if you want some guidance- my guess is it's not true labor just yet but all I have is my experience to go off of hang in there!

@PrincessBaby: that's just how mine started too! Waves of period cramps very mild but timetable and not too painful. They fizzled out after a few hours around noon but I sensed labor was imminent. We went about our day and came home late at 11pm. Had sex and within the hour I was in labor. Started as an awful back pain and then started coming in waves and I realized they were contractions. I had back labor but she came out anterior anyway!

I've had the same type of crampy Braxton Hicks contractions for the last two weeks. I'm 39 weeks 4 days right now and when I went into the midwife for a cervical check last Friday, the crampy BHs had progressed me to 4cm. The contractions got down to 5 minutes apart on Saturday so I went to the hospital just in case, even though I wasn't in much pain. I had progressed to a 5cm but after a couple of hours, nothing so I elected to go home. Still waiting now! I'm able to sleep for the most part - they wake me up every couple of hours but then I can go back to sleep. Was told by midwife and nurse last week that labor was imminent but they were wrong Baby is posterior so it's likely just prodromal labor and may still be a few days. Trying to be patient! But like everyone says, the real contraction will be really painful so you'll know what to look for - right now, if they won't let me sleep at all, then I know they are the real deal.