Super long contraction? Advice needed. (pretty long)

namies0819

I am 36 weeks and 5 days. I have been having very small contractions off and on for about 2 weeks with some cramping, but they are not at all regular and no other signs of imminent labor. Last night around midnight, I was lying on the couch watching TV and had a very stabbing cramp pain in my lower left abdomen. It was quite severe. If I were not pregnant, my first guess would be a ovarian cyst - that type of pain - it doubled me over and made me very weak and nauseous. The strange part is that my uterus was definitely hard/contracting, but it did not subside or decrease in intensity for about 20 - 25 minutes. I mean absolutely no relief or loosening during that span of time. I called my DR but another DR was on call for him last night. She at first thought it was a ligament and asked if the baby was moving. When I told her the baby was moving before the pain, but that I had been contracting the whole time of the pain, she also thought it might be a contraction and recommended a warm shower and to go to the hospital if the shower did not help. The shower did help, and the baby has since resumed moving and I have not had any more pain. My question is whether or not I should let my DR know about it today during his normal office hours or just wait til my appointment next Tuesday if I have no more pains like that. The only thing that really worries me is the length of time the contraction lasted without any relief.