I'm 35 weeks and still don't really know what contractions feel like or what they're supposed to…

Are you talking about braxton Hicks or labor contractions?

Both @martinajjones

I have preterm contractions, and trust me if you have either you will know it. @daxsmom with braxton Hicks your whole belly (mostly at the top though) will tighten up for 30-45 seconds. It doesn't hurt, but its very uncomfortable. I have bh contractions all day everyday so my stomach has become bruised from it. With actual labor contractions it just feels like God awful period cramps. Once they start you'll know it because it gets hard to breath or focus and its hard to talk during them. After an hour or so of those your lower back starts to ache as well. (my lower back never hurt so I don't think I was far enough into my contractions to feel it) I had to go to the hospital to figure out why I was contracting prematurely and it turns out, I'm just one of those people who contract the whole pregnancy

Ahh, okay i see. I usually get this sharp pulsing pain right between my hip bones in my lower belly and thought that might have been Braxton hicks but i wasn't sure @martinajjones

That sounds like Braxton Hicks. It usually goes away after a few minutes. I had one episode last half an hour but mostly just feels like menstrual@cramps but sharper I'm 36+5 days