some concerns

bump,this is my first time making it past 31 weeks so i am not much help!!  

I'll reply within your quoted text.  ;-)

Quoting PregoTiff26:

Ok so heres the deal. I am 38 and a half weeks .....And there are some things i just dont get. some things the doctor says...some that i hear on this site...some that friends have said. so i figured i would try posting on here and see if anyone could help out. im sure some people will think im dumb for even asking some of this stuff but i dont care what people think. id rather ask and know than to not know. and i figure since my next dr appt isnt till the 10th...this site is a good place to ask. so heres a list of some of the stuff that confuses me. if u can help please leave a reply! thanks so much! tiffany

PLEASE do not think that your questions are "dumb"!!   We all are wondering most of this stuff, get confused, have concerns....  I think it can be very hard to ask your doctor in the appointment, sometimes.   That is what we are here for!   :-)

 1. my doctor says my cervix is soft and thick....shouldnt it have thinned out some by now? does this mean im gonna go past my due date?

No, you don't need to dilate-efface until you are IN labor.   Many women will prepare early, but many do not, too...

2. my doctor says i am at a negative 3.....i think i know what this means BUT he has also said my baby is in position...and my cervix is VERY low....i know this bc my cervix has started comin out when i poo....bc of a prolapsed uterus....so i would think id be more than a negative 3????   Minus three is "high"  see this diagram below:

3. what does "effacement" mean exactly? i keep hearing people say they are this % or that % effaced

See how the cervix thins out?   That thinning is called "effacement."

4. does walking really help put you in labor? i try to walk some every day, at least taking my dog around the block. and hes a big 80 pound dog who pulls a little!!! lol...but it hurts my lower back so bad i cant stand to walk barely at all

In labor, sure!   No need to hurt yourself now, though!!

5. is there ANYTHING safe to take to help me sleep? i toss and turn for hours most nights now and i just cant sleep!

I will connect you to a link with suggestions:     Insomnia

 looks like the previous poster covered everything quite accurately.

My personal experience has been that I do not really dilate until labor has begun, I also stayed at 50% effaced with my last pregnancy for a month.

I am 50% now with this one, but that really is no indication of impending labor for ME.

I think the best way to tell if labor is on its way soon is contractions. LOL! All that other mumbo jumbo could get you gitty expecting something to happen and there you sit a month later. LOL! Some women just do it gradually and some all at once.

Sorry about your prolapsed uterus, goodness! Is that painful? It sounds horrible.

Good luck to you mama!