Was I in labor or not?

Okay, so I am pregnant with my second baby. When I went into labor with my first, I didn’t feel pain, just pressure. It was just the Braxton hicks tightening pressure. I could tell it was stronger, but didn’t hurt at all so I didn’t believe I was in labor. After about two hours my L&D nurse sister convinced me to just time them. So I did. They were every four minutes lasting for a minute. We waited an hour and they were every three minutes lasting for two minutes. I still wasn’t in any pain so I didn’t believe it, but my sis convinced me to go to the hospital (much to my husband’s relief haha). We get to the hospital and I’m still not convinced. I feel perfectly fine, breathing normally, talking normally. I truly have to focus to notice the contractions. Nurse checks, I’m at 4cm, having contractions every three minutes as we saw. She monitored me for awhile asking if I felt that contraction or that one….nope. Nothing. Doc admits me and I’m still convinced I’m not in labor. We are at the hospital for about five hours and my water breaks. Nurse comes in to help and I say “wow! I guess I am in labor.” To which she laughs and says “well yeah! You’ve been having constant contractions since you got here.” Once my water broke I really started to feel things and everything went great.

This time I ask my doc if that will happen again. I tell him the story and he tells me I wasn’t in active labor which is why I didn’t feel any pain. Yet that is why I was admitted. I’m so confused. I followed the 411 rule and everything yet he says I wasn’t. I’m worried I’m going to go into labor with my little buddy and not know and I work about 45 minutes away from the hospital and my family. I don’t want to realize I’m in active labor and then have to drive myself for 45 minutes! What do y’all think, what would you advise?? TIA!