[header] How to identify braxton hicks contractions [title] Locate the pain. [step] Does your contraction tighten in a band across your abdomen? If so, it's probably a braxton hicks contraction. True labor pain usually starts in the lower back and moves forward to the abdomen, or from the abdomen to the lower back. 
[substeps] True labor pains are often described as resembling menstrual cramps. Pain in the lower back that comes and goes, and pressure in the pelvis, are often signs that your contractions are real.