I’m sure that over a decade later, you won’t read this. But in case you do, did you ever find out what was happening for you? I have had 2 babies. i had Braxton hicks with my first pregnancy but had no idea they were contractions until months after i gave birth—since they weren’t painful! So I hear you that you didn’t know they were contractions. Tonight, for the first time ever, since i had my babies, I just had about 30 mins of Braxton hicks contractions. They were regular, every few mins. They weren’t painful, but my entire abdomen was contracting, especially low down in my pelvis, and my belly was hard. But I am not currently pregnant. I swear I had a panic attack, thinking I am unknowingly pregnant and about to miscarry a baby. But now they are gone… but they felt EXACTLY like contractions. They even moved my belly like a contraction. But not painful!! if you ever learned about what was happening for you… please let me know. Because this sounds exactly like why I experienced (without it being in my neck—but my contractions have never been in my neck and yours have).