38 weeks. Confused about contractions

Andrea
I'm 38 weeks today. I don't know if I'm experiencing contractions. I can't tell when the tightening of my stomach starts and ends. I notice more tightening when I'm standing up, but almost never when I'm laying or sitting. The only indicator I get is a sudden difficulty with breathing. Like my chest gets heavy and I lose my breath. Does anyone else ever experience this ?