BHs vs Real Contractions

[butterfly1001]

Ok ladies.... the only "real" contractions I ever had were pitocin-induced, so I don't count them as real. I've been having painless BHs since at least 20 weeks. Tonight I felt something that I couldn't figure out what it was.... It wasn't quite the hard tightening like I get with BHs.... my back would sort of ache and my lower abdomen would hurt...
Besides just feeling stronger (and if you want to say it, being more painful) than BHs, what's the difference? My pitocin-induced ones were just insane pain all over my midsection. I try to put that out of my mind. I know it's hard to describe how the feel to someone (even BHs are hard to describe) but anything that you could tell me may help...

[Kylahroo]

Everyone's response to pain is so different so it's really difficult to categorize "real" vs. "bh" based on your pain level (or even where the pain is located).

My opinion is: if they prevent you from doing other things, they're real. That is, if you can't sleep and walking/talking while having one is difficult (or impossible), they're more likely "real". Another sign that they're "real" is that they won't go away, no matter what you do. If you change position, walk, take a shower, drive, etc, they'll keep coming!

[Mama Poot]

My BH are a painless, all-over tightening of my uterus. The real contractions are an intense, almost burning sensation in my lower abdomen that radiates down into my upper thighs and sometimes into my back.

[MamaHen2J&J]

Hard to say...

My bh stop me from what I'm doing...

I've had contractions that hurt too... so are those bh's?

From your description I think they sound like real blue contractions...esp. the back pressure...