Braxton Hicks or something else

The other week I was in the shower and my baby kicked me the hardest Iv ever felt I was so caught off guard then I started to get a lot of pressure down there and then I started getting cramps like period cramps that hurt. Then I thought I was going into labor since this is my first and I have no idea what to expect. I was in a lot of pain for an hour or so I’m going to give it a level of 6 just really discomfort and strong period cramps I read to try and go to the bathroom cuz it might be gas so I ended up going and I think it helped and I slept it off. I didn’t think to touch my stomach to see if they were contractions they were a little constant but this hasn’t happened since and that was over a week ago and I’m 26 weeks and 4 days today. How do I know if I’m having Braxton Hicks or if I’m actually going into labor?