I know a Braxton hicks contraction when I feel one since I've had them for 19 weeks now. These are NOT BH's, they feel like period cramps and are consistently 6-7 minutes apart with every 3rd-4th cramp being 10 minutes apart or so. I'm a FTM so I'm not sure what real contractions feel like. I've read that they feel like period cramps but that they also give you back pain. I'm not having back pain but I do feel soreness in my thighs. I'm 38+6 today so I know labor is right around the corner...I'm just not sure if this is it. In your experience, once contractions start coming like these, do they sometimes stop...or will they continue progressing?