Understanding Premature Labor Signs & What to Expect at 36 Weeks

Question
Hi. I am 24 years old and have two children (ages 4 & 5). I am 36 weeks pregnant and have been experiencing a lot of lower pressure. Everytime I feel the baby move (which has slowed down) I get a "twingy" feeling on the cervix. My doctor checked me at 35 weeks and there was no dialation or effacement. I am wondering if this is a sign that labour will be starting soon? Thank you for your time.

Answer
The feelings that you are having are quite common during pregnancy. If this is your third pregnanc, you will soon start to have contractions at the level of your belly button. When they ioccur every 6-8 minutes (from the start of one contraction to the start of the next contraction) and each one lasts (remains hard) for at least 45 seconds, and this continues for a full hour, you whould be checked. If your cervix is opened more than 4cm you will be admitted to the hospital. Until then, be patient and do not worry about any twinges of the cervix.