Mine weren't so bad. I didn't really feel anything until I hit 7cm but then they felt like period cramps. Had my epidural at 8cm and made it to 9 1/2 before I had to have an emergency C-section due to the cord being wrapped around her next. But she was born 3 days before her due date on Valentines day at 5:39pm.
for me as a FTM mine started as a back ache the would not go away. as it is went into night time it turned into period like cramping and tighting in the front and like a knife twisting in my back (I had back labor) started every 8 to 10 minutes then progessed to 6 to 8 minutes by morning. by the time I went to the hospital I was having them every 5 minutes. had baby 4 days later at 35 weeks.