contractions....real thing or BH?

okai ladies...here's the deal

lately ive been getting these intense pains in my lower back. they are not consistant, but they do NOT get better when i move around...almost feels like it gets worse. the pain starts in my lower back and then kind of radiates to the lower sides of my abdomen. it doesnt last very long, but it is PAINFUL.

i had quite a few last night. the first one woke up me at about 4 am, after it was over i went into the bathroom, cause sometimes it feels like i might have to *use* the bathroom(KWIM?)but nothing happened and i went back to bed...well once i got back in bed i had a couple more but were much less intense than the first one...i was eventually able to go back to sleep only to be awakened again at 7 by another really bad one. i dont really know how long they last, but last night and this morning it seemed like i had 2 or 3 right on top of each other

ive looked in my books and online and they break down BH vs REAL contractions, but i seem to have some of each (ie them not getting better when i change positions, them starting in my back = real; but then they are not consistant and the intensity isnt the same all the time = BH)

so would you say these are real contractions or braxton hicks?

im going to be on base later today and was wondering if i should pop into L&D to see whats going on? i cant call my OB cause the only number i have is to the babyhotline(which is closed on weekends, go figure) and for the front desk(which is ALSO closed on weekends)

so what do you think? real or false? and does it warrent a visit to L&D?

IVE NEVER HAD A BABY BUT I KNOW THAT MY COWORKER DESCRIBED CONTRACTIONS EXACTLY LIKE THAT..BACK PAIN, AB PAIN AND HAVING TO "GO TO THE BATHROOM" SO MAYBE.. I KNOW I WAS NO HELP BUT U SAID EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAID SO WHAT ARE THE ODDS!! GOOD LUCK

the dr told me mine where braxton hicks and they are very painful. some days i get them alot others not at all. she told me when they start to drink lots of fluids and lay down for awhile, it usually make thems stop. she said that if they get ten minutes apart for two hours or more i need to call because i could be going into labor.

sounds odd but i am worried that i am not going to know when i go into labour anyone feeling this or just me, i know it sounds mad and everyone i have talked to about who has children has said to me turst me you'll know, but how my family i have a record of fast labours my mum is 55 minutes with me and my aunite was 10 minutes with one of hers. i really dont want to be sat there thinking is labour or just bh  .

well i wound up going into Labor and delivery and they hooked me up to the mo nitors...everything at that time was fine...but the doctor said based on what i described it sounds like i was having contractions. she checked my cervix - no change, which is good
and she did a UA....she said i have a UTI and gave me meds for that....its possible the UTI is what caused the contractions last night/this morning and all last week...hopefully once the antibiotics kick in, i wont be getting any more contractions for a few more weeks!