Contractions-FTM

Okay I feel like this is a stupid question but I’m so clueless.

What do contractions feel like? I know they can be different for every woman and I do not think I’m in labor, I’m just genuinely curious.

I’m 37+2 and I’ve been cramping all day long, and some of them are sharp they stop me in my tracks. They feel like intense period cramps/gas but I have no tightening of my abdomen (which I thought the tightening is what contractions are).

But is cramping also just normal around this time?

So if contractions feel like cramps, I feel like I’m gonna have a tough time figuring out if I’m going into labor in the near future 😅