Understanding Early Labor: Contraction Patterns & What to Expect

Question
I am 30, this is my second child and I'm due 10/3.  For about two weeks now, I've been having contractions every night.  Last night, they were intense and coming every 6-7 minutes for over an hour. They were lasting about a minute or a little longer. Then, they gradually went to 10-12 minutes and finally I just went to sleep.  I was woken up by a few of them through the night.  This morning, a contraction here and there. It seems to happen almost every night.  What is this, and how long can I expect this to happen?  My midwife partially stripped my membranes on Friday and said I was 50% effaced and a stretchy 1 cm. dilated.  I'm getting to the point where I feel like refusing to time them because they always stop and I'm worried that I'm going to end up giving birth to this child in my kitchen because of it.  Also, my husband has a two hour commute from work so I'm not sure when to call him and tell him to get home if this happens again.  Please provide any guidance you can.  

Answer
Eventually you will start having contractions that come every 6 minutes and do not  stop. You have to continue to time your contractions. When you have contractions at the level of your belly button that come every 6 minutes (from the start of one contraction to the start of the next contraction) and each contraction remains hard for a full minute, and this continues for at least two hours, I would call your doctor and come in to be checked. Usually, after you have prolonged conractions  as I described, your cervix should be dilated. Once your cervix dilates to greater than 4 cm, you will be admitted to the hospital. Don't give up hope.