irregular contractions

so ive been having irregular contractions that hurt for the last week and it is killing me. saw the doc last tuesday for my week 37 appointment and she said i was 1.5 cm, and she thought hed come during week 38. i hope shes right because the pain and pressure and up and down of thinking he might be coming for the last week has been so stressful. generally they are about 20 minutes apart, but sometimes as close as 5 for a few contractions in a row. anyone else experiencing this?