Contractions anyone???

So am due is 8 days and soooo very excited! i am just wondering is it possible to have contractions and not really feel them? By not feeling them i mean not very painful. I feel my stomach tighten up like every ten minutes or so but they are not painful. They are more unconfortable becuase of the tighening. Also I am felling tons of pressure as if i have to use the bathroom but when i try... NOTHING. I went to the dr friday and i have changed from 1cm to 1.5 cm dialated and i have gone from a firm cervix to a thin one in the matter of a week. Is this slow?