Mr. Braxton Coming to Visit?

As a new mom, and this being my first pregnancy to last this long, I am still always questioning... Is this that? What if that or this happens? Should it be like this? etc... Throughout my entire pregnancy I have felt pretty good, minus the morning sickness and being extremely tired in the first trimester, and it showing up again now in the third trimester... However, I still do question... 

The new question is, is Mr. Braxton Hicks here for a visit? I don't know what a contraction should feel like, or even look like, as they say sometimes if you watch your stomich you can see it... I have done quite a bit of research this last week to get an answer, and I have gotten many answers, just none that make complete sense... 

I am not sure if I am having them or not, but there are been some discomfort, slight pressure, but it only lasts 3-5 seconds... and sometimes it happens 4-8 times a day? Does this ring a bell at all? Or is my body just weird? 

Either way, I have our 31 week appointment tomorrow, so I guess we will find out what is going on.... 

But,  ALREADY-MOMS, what did it feel like for you when you had these practice contractions (if you had them)? 

Mr. Braxton is that you? 

Braxton Hicks contractions are sporadic uterine contractions that start about 6 weeks into your pregnancy, although you won't be able to feel them that early. You probably won't start to notice them until sometime after mid-pregnancy, if you notice them at all. (Some women don't.) They get their name from John Braxton Hicks, an English doctor who first described them in 1872.

As your pregnancy progresses, Braxton Hicks contractions tend to come somewhat more often, but until you get to your last few weeks, they'll probably remain infrequent, irregular, and essentially painless. Sometimes, though, Braxton Hicks contractions are hard to distinguish from early signs of preterm labor.

Play it safe and don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. If you haven't hit 37 weeks yet and you're having more than four contractions in an hour — or you have any other signs of preterm labor (see below) — call your caregiver immediately.

By the time you're within a couple of weeks of your due date, your contractions may get more intense and more frequent, and they may cause some discomfort. Unlike the earlier painless and sporadic Braxton Hicks contractions, which caused no obvious cervical changes, these contractions may help your cervix "ripen" — gradually soften and thin out (efface) and maybe even dilate a bit. This period is sometimes referred to as pre-labor.