I'm 38 weeks and 3 days with my second pregnancy and was curious to know what real labor contractions felt like for all you ladies, both first time and second time moms. With my first, I was laying in bed when I felt very dull period like cramps in my lower back that by 8:30am (4 hours later) were even more intense and too painful. I never had any braxton hicks with my first one, and my water never broke, and to this day I don't even remember ever losing my mucus plug. Now, I have braxton hicks all the time with occasional cramps in both my back and abdomen but never consistent.