For one thing, they hurt. BH never hurt, for me, just felt like a tightening of the stomach. And contractions come at a regular intervals. When labor started I had no problem distinguising it from BH contractions.
It's one of those things that once it happens...you'll know. It's hard to describe or explain until you experience it...but you will definitely know the difference.
At first mine felt like a combination if period cramps down low and needing to poo. It was the middle of the night, but I got up and went to the bathroom and when I wiped there was spotting and mucus discharge, which is how I realized it might be labor. This happened periodically throughout the night.
The next morning, the period cramps would start in front but then wrap around to my back. At this point they were regularly spaced out. Baby was sunny side up, and eventually the contractions moved to being all back labor. It was horrible and there was no mistaking it being labor.
Probably the big difference with BH is that eventually true labor contractions get regular and increase in intensity pretty quickly.
Re: New mom.. How do contraction feel?
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
The next morning, the period cramps would start in front but then wrap around to my back. At this point they were regularly spaced out. Baby was sunny side up, and eventually the contractions moved to being all back labor. It was horrible and there was no mistaking it being labor.
Probably the big difference with BH is that eventually true labor contractions get regular and increase in intensity pretty quickly.