Spotting after sex or bloody show? Help ☹️

This morning around 2:50 am I went to the bathroom to go pee. When I wiped, I noticed some discharge/mucus-like mixed with some blood. The color wasn't bright red but instead red or light pink. I look in the toilet and there were droplets of blood along with a little clot about the size of my fingernail. I did start to have very mild cramping similar to menstrual cramps below my abdomen and on my lower back. I call up an advice nurse, tell her all the details and she instructs me to head to L&D; for it sounds like I'm in early labor. (Sidenote: At 35+3 days, my doctor did a cervix check and I was 3 cm dilated) I'm now 37+2.

I arrive at L&D; and basically tell the nurse everything, blah blah blah... she hooks me up to the monitor to check baby's heart rate and to see if I'm having contractions. Baby is healthy and moving away and within the 20 minutes I was there I've had 2 big contractions - which I didn't feel! I tell the nurse "I hope this is it!" And she assures me that this is no way labor and of course I get bummed out. I told her that I did have intercourse hours before I noticed the spotting and she said that it must have just been caused by irritation of my cervix.

I was kind of upset that there wasn't a cervix check while I was at the hospital because what if I'm more than 3 cm dilated now? Aren't they supposed to admit me if so? At this point I still feel mild cramping and I'm still spotting. Not sure when this "spotting after sex" is supposed to stop, unless it is in fact bloody show.