some doctors don't even check for dilation till 37 weeks which is when you are full term. I suggest u be patient u still have more than a month to go. Baby probably just started to drop if not already. All pregnancies are different. Plus even if you are dilated doesn't mean much u could be dilated 1 cm for an entire month .. just saying
You're not supposed to check yourself. It introduces bacteria into the vaginal area that can lead to infection.
I'd wanna know the answer to those also