dilated/effaced/engaged etc etc etc

[katee82]

So I've heard so much about all these phrases but have yet to have any examinations or anything more than the mw feeling my stomach for babies position.... when do they start talking about this? I don't recall having any internals with dd1 either?????

 

[Mum2princessA]

Probably 37 weeks is the earliest of when they might start

 

[Wiggler]

Internals are more of an American thing, they aren't really done over here. I only know because I have had 2 sweeps now. There isn't much point in knowing how dilated etc you are either, it has no indication of when you will go into labour

 

[baileybubs]

There's a section in the green pregnancy notes where MW may have written "free" or "fixed" or maybe numbers like 1/5 which they have written in mine to indicate what they feel when they feel your stomach to indicate whether they can feel how engaged baby is. They don't actually tell me any of this, I read it in my notes after. But as for being dilated or effaced I agree with PP I think that's more in America when they do an internal as they only start internals in UK around EDD.

 

[Mummy May]

In the UK you won't get any internals until either you get a sweep or you're in labour. xx

 

[Bumpymummy]

Hey girls, I just had an internal and wouldn't want another one EVER.... I started off with contractions this morning at around 4 in the morning and then we decided to go into triage for an assessment at around 6:30..... Once I got there the pains reduced so the senior midwife (shoved her entire hand up my hoohoo) not fun girls.

 

[iprettii]

With my daughter I didn't get checked until my 39th week. This pregnancy I got checked at 37 weeks ONLY because they did the Group B test and since I was already exposed she checked me. My following appointment I wasn't checked.

 

[too_scared]

I was checked at 38+3 only because we were in the town I am going to deliver in and we live over 200 km away. There is no hospital to deliver in any closer so since I was in getting a regular prenatal check up she checked to see if she thought I should stay in town or not. Generally here they only check you if you go in with contractions.

That was Wednesday. I was 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced... I'm still here. Come on baby!

 

[katee82]

Ahh haa, I had a suspicion it was more of an American thing... I guess it would just be frustrating to know things were happening but not really happening if ykwim....

 

[too_scared]

I don't know, I kind of wish I didn't know. Since I do know I want things to happen NOW. If I didn't know I would just be going along how I was before.