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The real contractions feel like your uterus if filling up lile a balloon andthen pushing down from the top. Unless your cramps are at regylar Iintervals I don't think you need to count. But it could start any time!

I waited till they got so intense I couldn't talk through them. Some people won't necessarily experience that though.

I would say either start counting them when they become intense enough that you can't talk and walk easily through them OR when they have been steadily increasing for over an hour.

I had been having contractions for weeks and weeks...though everyone told me they weren't contractions. I was induced and when the Pitocin kicked in, lo and behold, my contractions felt the same way they'd been feeling for weeks. I was able to talk quite easily through my contractions until my water was broken at 6 cm. Those could very well be real contractions you're having. Good luck!!

My first contractions were like period cramps and as soon as I noticed a pattern I started timing them. They were only slightly more painful once I got to 5-1-1 and went to L&D (I was 4 cm when I arrived). I got an epidural at 6 cm, and even then they weren't bad. I would close my eyes and concentrate on breathing, but I was never crying or screaming or even making any sounds. I think if there's a noticeable pattern you should start timing them!

I started timing when I noticed a pattern. Mine started out like period cramps and got more intense the further along in labor I got. However, mine were never regular; I could have several contractions 2 minutes apart and then have one 14 minutes apart.

I started timing when I noticed a pattern. They were about 10 minutes apart. Excited for you!

I have always had timeable contractions (5-10 minutes apart) for 20+ hours before active labor. They were different than cramps, but with my first labor I'm not sure I caught into the difference until a couple of hours of them happening regularly. Sooooooo, your cramps COULD be a promising sign of something happening in the near future! Or they could simply be a promising sign that your body is getting ready to do something within the next few weeks. But they ARE a promising sign!

When I was no longer comfortable talking through them.

My midwife recommended not timing them until you couldn't ignore them anymore. I thought this was good advice because otherwise your early labour just draaaaags.

How are you this morning?! Once there's a pattern I started counting.

I started counting when I couldn't do anything other than pace back and forth. They never got super close together so going by 5-1-1 wasn't really helpful.