38 wk Midwife Appt

I was dreading seeing the midwife today as, let's face it the normal one I see is as much use as a chocolate teapot so imagine my surprise and delight/relief when the nice midwife came through the door and called me.

BP: 120/70 - Dystolic has gone down.. no need for concern
Urine: Clear and ok
FH: 38 - This is due to Yokie dropping dramatically... see below
HB: Good and strong (they never tell me a figure)

So after a quick feel of my ever bulging belly, nice midwife announced Yokie is 2/5 engaged. Good news in mine and Husbands' book if I'm honest. She was quick to ask if we're ready.

1. Do we have our bags packed? - Yes, those and the car seat are in the car ready.
2. Have we decided on pain relief? - Yes. G&A then epidural if I request. I've said no to Pethidine given its effects on the baby (sluggish, slow to BF) and a big no no to Diamorphine. I have a hate/hate relationshi with Morhine.. as in it hates me! I am always sick as a dog, cannot move for the sickness and I'd like to be able to be lucid enough to experience labour!
3. Do we feel ready? - Is there a right answer to this question? practically speaking yes we are ready.. emtionally? Who knows til it happens.

So overall, a good appt today. She has booked my 40 weeks appt but has stated she doesn't expect to see me. She feels it'll happen soon. I should of introduced the wager I have with a few of my family who say I'll go early. My dear brother already owes me £5 as he said I wouldn't go beyond 38 dead (yesterday).

Physically I am really starting to struggle. Yesterday Husband and I went for a mooch in the car. We ended up at an Air base, one I've never been to and we spent an hour or so watching jets, enjoying the countryside and generally chilling in the sunshine.
I started to feel rather uncomfortable around 2pm and by 4pm on our way home I was thinking of making a call to the midwife. I was feeling what felt like very very stong contractions every 6-7 minutes. At one point Husband was ready to divert to the hospital but I told him to just hit the floor and I'd call when I got home. When we arrived I couldn't get out of the car for the pain and just lifting my leg to enter the front door was agony.
I managed to get upstairs where I thought I have a wee (something else that comes every 6-7 minutes) but instead I did the other and felt somewhat a little better afterwards.
After a cold drink and a bounce on the ball I felt ok and the BH calmed down a lot.
The midwife confirmed today that if the bowels are full, then this puts a lot of pressure on everything else given the lack of space and can cause contractions... You'd of thought it'd make perfect sense to think this at the time I was on agony but alas, in the car/paying for petrol I didn't feel like I needed to go.

I mentioned to the midwife that with this being my first pregnancy to go beyond 12 weeks then I'm really unsure as to what to expect from early labour given so many peoples' accounts differ. Her reply? "If you are the slightest unsure, call us". This response I liked as when I mentioned something similar to wicked Midwife last week, I was met with a "oh trust me you'll know". What sort of answer is that for a first timer?