This is going to sound weird and I know it but please hear me out. I have four boys I had them all naturally within hours of heading to the hospital. I am now 21 weeks pregnant with boy number five and I don't know what contractions are! I have had full blown-I'm-in-labor contractions but nothing before that. What do Braxton hicks contractions feel like? I have never had period cramps so explaining it like that doesn't help. I'm dead serious will someone please try to explain it.

My oldest son I was induced when I had him. I was in what they call labor for 36 hours but the whole process was 58 hours. When I finally had contractions there were three and my son was born. With my second son I was cleaning my house, went to pee, and felt him crowning. I never had contractions. With my third son I was throwing up. I thought I had food poisoning. I went to the hospital to find out I was dilated to ten and 100% effaced. He was born two hours after the vomiting started but 18 minutes after I went to the hospital. Maybe the vomiting was any contractions - I don't know. My last son I started bleeding pretty heavily. I went to the hospital and they said my water broke. I didn't think it had but they are the experts. I laid in bed for 11 hours before my OB came to check on me. When he checked me he broke my water, I had five contractions and ta-da my baby was here. I know the eight contractions I had were contractions. My whole body got tight. I instantly went into sit up mode.

With this baby I have an IUD in place so the risk of preterm labor is super high. I'm supposed to monitor contractions so I can get checked anytime I have four in an hour. It's hard to monitor something I don't quite understand.