I didn't get checked until I was 13 hours into labor and then only because I asked for an update. There's no good reason to start checking weeks before your due date because it doesn't tell them anything in 99% of cases. You can be 2cm dilated for six weeks or you can go from 0-10cm in three hours. They can't tell how close you are just by looking unless you're in full-blown labor.
Same here 36wks unless medically necessary to begin sooner
I'm 36wks today and I go weekly to start getting checked. I wanna say 36wks but every doctor is different