If your midwife said this...

[akblaze]

So at my first appointment with my midwife she said that she doesn't ever do cervical checks on women through pregnancy & labor because there is "no need to." She also said that she can tell how dilated a woman is by just looking at her hips.
....really?!?! I just can't see this as possible!

I have seen her and another midwife and I can't believe I'm 20 weeks and still don't know which one I want to have as my primary! I like the other one because she understood my prior PTL worries and put me on weekly prog. injections whereas the one I mentioned above is very very very hands off.
Plus, after finding out at 32 weeks that I was 5cm without having anything other than BH type contractions, I WANT to be checked earlier this time!

opinions?
Thanks ladies!

 

[bamm]

I've heard some middies can tell, I think it's just based on the womans reaction - like if she's throwing up, she's usually in transition etc.

I would always pick a mid who chose less intervention. My internal to check dilation when I went into hosp to have my daughter was the single, most painful moment of it all and I will be refusing anyone up there until the kid is exiting! the internal was what held me back from having another child for 3 years after DD!

 

[nolansmom]

No, I would NOT see her again. That's a little to hocus pocus(y) for me but I've not been impressed with midwives here in general so maybe I'm bias.

lol - Here is a link about it.. There are many if you do a google search of alternative ways to determine dilation.

Seems it's legit..

https://birthwithoutfearblog.com/20...f-checking-dilation-the-purple-line-and-more/

 

[akblaze]

I've heard some middies can tell, I think it's just based on the womans reaction - like if she's throwing up, she's usually in transition etc.

I would always pick a mid who chose less intervention. My internal to check dilation when I went into hosp to have my daughter was the single, most painful moment of it all and I will be refusing anyone up there until the kid is exiting! the internal was what held me back from having another child for 3 years after DD!

thanks! I actually didn't find the internals painful at all during labor. I actually wanted to be checked after I went into PTL. This time around I want to start being checked earlier in 3rd tri because of that..

No, I would NOT see her again. That's a little to hocus pocus(y) for me but I've not been impressed with midwives here in general so maybe I'm bias.

lol - Here is a link about it.. There are many if you do a google search of alternative ways to determine dilation.

Seems it's legit..

https://birthwithoutfearblog.com/20...f-checking-dilation-the-purple-line-and-more/

DH was saying the same exact thing! He's not into that kind of hocus pocus(y) stuff (you worded it perfectly!) haha. And I think it's a little TOO hocus pocus(y) for me. She is sooo nice but so is the other midwife! I think the other midwife is a little bit of a better match for me because she seems to be on more my level with things.
I will give your link a read now!! Thank you!

 

[nolansmom]

My recent midwife consultation resulted in her saying "we tell women up front that if you have any intention of pain medication we won't be a match". Was better I knew right away than begging for it during labour and being told no but it raised an eyebrow for me when she said it and that's the point of my story.. If it feels a little off for you then maybe it is esp if you've had prior medical concerns with that very thing.

There were pictures on that link of a purple line and I found that interesting - that it's an indicator of dilation.. Ultimately it's about what you and DH are comfortable with. I discovered that the oh-so-frowned upon medical model of pregnancy might just be a better fit for me (even though I really wanted to feel differently).. I'm gonna research and combine what I learn with what OB offers and make it great..

Good luck ..

 

[JessPape]

If be fine with it. Cervical checks tell nothing, and they actually put you at risks. Now the hip thing I don't know about. But google the purple line on ur butt

 

[Berri]

When I arrived at hospital with DS I was already feeling the urge to push. On the phone they'd been a little skeptical (first pregnancy, no membrane rupture) but when I walked onto the ward the mw ushered me straight into a delivery room. Said she had to a cervical check but asked if she could have a quick look at my back first... I was like WTF but okay She was obviously looking closer to my bum than back but said straight away, "oh yep, you are ready to go". I asked how she could tell from my back and she said there was a dark line. She did the internal anyway (apparently procedure) but sure enough 10cm and ready to push.

She was a great mw (but I didn't have a choice) at the end of the day you have to go with someone that puts you at ease

 

[sojourn]

I don't think it's that weird.
My OB said the same thing. He said that his office and staff don't do constant checks. They check for dilation other ways and generally do one, if they feel to need to, when you go into the hospital.

However, if you don't feel comfortable with that, then you should go with the other one. Do the research and decide what's best. I think if I were in your position, I would be interested in being more closely monitored.

 

[lulasmummy]

During my last labour I started off with a horrible midwife, she examined me when I was contracting every two mins and told me I was 1cm didn't let me have any pain relief. She swapped with another midwife who was amazing (I can't stress this enough!) she looked at me, put her apron on and told me I was a lot further than that, before examining me. I was nearly fully dilated. Xx

 

[fashionqueen]

You don't need checks in pregnancy but if you want them in labour then that's really up to you.

 

[AC1987]

They don't do them in pregnancy were I go to as far as I know, which I'm quite fine it, as I find them more painful then labour itself!! But in order to be admitted they have to know how many centimeters you are at so they do them then, and continue to do them throughout labour

 

[CT125]

they don't do them here in the UK during pregnancy, or at least not where I go. It was one of the things I was dreading when I was expecting my first so I asked about it pretty early on and they said unless there was a real need to for some kind of problem, they wouldn't do them at all until labour

 

[JessPape]

Having said that, avoiding them is nice, not getting them is nice. But if your worried about PTL again and would feel comfortable asking for one, than ask. But remember you could be 1-4 cm and even 5 cm for WEEKS and it may mean Absolute nothing, or it could mean you are in labor and may have a baby.

Cervical checks are evil....

 

[princessvix]

Sounds really random, I would go with the one that checks... Why wouldn't you want to be checked? I'd want to know how far along I was etc....

Go with your gut feeling, the one that understands you more! xx

 

[patch2006uk]

The problem with checking dilation is that it doesn't tell you anything useful. You can take days to get to 6 cm and then get to 10 in the next contraction. All it tells is what's happening right now, however it's often used as a way of measuring how 'effective' labour is, and can trigger interventions (synto, waters being broken, etc) if the cervix is not perceived to be dilating fast enough.

Cervical checks before labour are a waste of time and can introduce infection. Sweeps are arguably the exception, but even then they aren't very effective at starting labour, and can still introduce infection and even break your waters.

 

[sparklycat]

I will be refusing all internals before and during labour x

 

[Pearls18]

In the UK we don't have internals during pregnancy unless there is a specific need, I see no reason for it?? We do during labour though, but it's up to us to decide, I would like to know how far along I am and I don't remember it hurting, but they can be very uncomfortable and disheartening if you're told you're "only" so far along.

 

[JessPape]

Sounds really random, I would go with the one that checks... Why wouldn't you want to be checked? I'd want to know how far along I was etc....

Go with your gut feeling, the one that understands you more! xx

Cervical checks tell you nothing, you could be dilated for weeks before going in to labor.

Cervical checks also put you at risks for AROM (Article rupture of membranes) which may or may not help in your labor. depending on babies position this could also be an immediate csection needed. It could also happen when your body is not ready to go in labor. Thrus putting you on a clock and a risk for infection. Higher risk for a csection.

After your water break, it also puts you at a higher risk of infection while having cervical checks done.

All this also goes for sweeps, which I why I don't believe sweeps should be done until 40 weeks or later.

 

[mummy2o]

I am the rare breed who had a cervical check in pregnancy, but there was a need. I was spotting so they wanted to find the cause. Since she poked me I bleed like a little period for that day and no spotting or anything since.

In DS labour the checked my cervix as I was drugged to my eyeballs and couldn't of told them anyway. Said in my notes I don't handle pain well >.<

 

[mo0nangel]

Honestly first thing I said to my midwife is no vaginal exams until I'm actually in active labor and only if I ask for it. Because 1. They're not necessary before then, 2. Increases the risk of vaginal infections, and if you're in labor it increases the risk of breaking your waters and increase the risk of infection.