is preterm contractions the same thing as preterm labor?

There is a difference. There are Braxton Hicks contractions, which are not real labor, but they also should not hurt, they should be slightly uncomfortable at their worse.

True pre-term contractions would equal preterm labor, yes. But to be able to know if you are in preterm labor you need to be seen. I did at 33 1/2 weeks, it felt like pre-menstrual cramps, but they kept getting worse.

if you are having them to where they hurt then you need to go to the dr asap cause if it is preterm they can stop it before it pregresses

well im 35 weeks and three days and i just got back from the doctors and they are very painful and very uncomfortable.

well you may wanna call your dr right now and se what they say you may have to go to the ER

Call your doctor back. You need to see if the contractions are "productive." that is are you dilating. If you are not, it is likely that they will put you on light duty and have you ride it out- happened with my first two.
Also, get out to the kitchen and drink as much water as you can. Dehydration can intensify cramps and cause all kinds of rotten pregnancy issues. You may find that you are just having Braxton Hicks, and that they are intensified by being dehydrated.
Good luck!

Braxton-Hicks ARE painful for some women, that's why so many people go to the hospital for false labor!

Pre-term contractions can LEAD to pre-term labor...but don't always. I had them at five months and eventually had to go on medication to keep them from coming.

Sort of. But just to clear something up- just because contractions may FEEL like braxton hicks doesn't necessarily mean they are. 'Real' labor contractions don't always start hurting right away, so don't go by the pain. Go by regularity and increasing frequency. The big difference between b.h. and real is whether they're doing something to your cervix, which only your doc can tell you. For instance I thought I was just having a ton of b.h.'s this week, but on Saturday we discovered that my cervix had softened and by Thursday when I went in again it had almost completely effaced, fortunately still no dilation though. But although I've had a lot of contractions, which some have been very strong, none have been painful. Good thing to go off of- contractions that come regularly and 10 or more per hour= go in to be checked, especially even if you can't make them stop by position change.