34 weeks pregnant with cramping and rectal pain?

I am 34 weeks as of today and this is my first baby, so I don't really know what I should or shouldn't be feeling. I haven't felt any pain what-so-ever until today. It feels like a little pressure down on my pelvic area, and I also feel some cramps. They aren't horrible, but it's as if I am on my period. Also, I feel pain in my rectal area and feels like I have major gas. Also, while I am on the subject, I know that discharge is normal in a pregnancy, but for 3 days straight, everytime I went to the bathroom, there was big globs of discharge. It was clear, but just more than normal, and for the past 2 days, I haven't seen anymore dischrage. So I was wondering if that was my mucus plug. I heard it could come out as almost a solid or snot-like over a few days. So what was that?