Profwife- here to be an outlier for you. I turned down early cervical checks. Had zero interest in people poking around down there, so I didn't get checked until I hit 40wks.
I did not spot, but I was 0cm, 0 effaced, 0 everything. At 41+3 doc said I was between 0-1. Woo hoo.
I was induced with cervical ripening at 41+3 (later that day after my appt as the US showed that water was starting to get low and the hospital was booked up for later in the week), joke was on them, I didn't deliver til 41+5 anyway.
As far as getting things going, I did EVERYTHING. Large quantities of raspberry leaf tea, bounced on an exercise ball for the entire LOTR trilogy plus some, lots of walking (which was interesting in WI in January) and DTD, spicy food and pedicure. I didn't really start those things til week 38. At 41weeks is when I went out with my due date buddy from birthing class who also hadn't gone into labor for Mexican food and pedicures. The poor ladies at the nail salon were a little overwhelmed with our giant swollen feet and we kept asking if they knew acupressure points for labor

Good luck! (This is why I'm not thinking I'll go early this time- earlIER I hope, but not early).
I was 29 when I had my daughter.