Who has this experience? 38 weeks, it feels like she's pulling on her…

Who has this experience? 38 weeks, it feels like she's pulling on her belly as if during menstruation, but the stomach doesn't go away. It tightens up, then releases about a minute later. It feels like a call to the toilet in the back, not as pain, but more like a feeling of needing to go to the bathroom. Is this what they call training contractions?