Contractions?

marinewife42

Ive always heard that braxton hicks were like mild contractions that were mainly just uncomfortable and made your stomach feel hard, and I've had a lot of them since around 26 weeks. But for the past couple days I've had contractions that are super painful and hurt really low, in my back and hips and all the way down to my legs and last night they were so bad I couldn't move or talk through them, so I'm thinking they are probably real contractions. But I was just wondering, since they started a few hours after sex and I have had BH after quite a bit if it could just be more of them just more painful? Or could it be labor starting already?