No one warned me about the cervical check! Ouch!!!

deanna1313

Didn't see that one coming. The dr pushed so far up and hard that my body was sliding up the table while I was in pain! Holy crap. She said I am a fingertip dilated, but very high still. Not looking forward to that again. Did it feel horrible to anyone else?

blessednewmom1

Yes, I find them painful as well. I have been checked so many times (due to preterm contrqctions) that I have told my doc that they really hurt and to go slow!! The past two checks have hurt less since I expressed my discomfort to him.

ho11yday

And that is why, among several other reasons, some women (myself included) will decline them.

Likewise one of the reason that I dread labor. I remember yelling at the nurse in labor and delivery to stay the hell away from my cervix.

bumpuser9353653

I think it depends on the doctor and personal pain tolerance. The practice I go to has 4 doctors, and the last three appointments I've had a cervix check, each from a different doctor. 2 of the 3 were not painful at all: just felt like a finger up my parts. The last one, though, was a bit uncomfortable. Never had any bleeding from one though.

TaylorHam86

Not related, but @ho11yday, I love the kitties in your siggy.  :x

ho11yday

@TaylorHam86‌ me too. I giggle every time I see them.

ns1

I'm clearly in the minority but wanted to say they've never hurt for me just in case anyone who hasn't had one yet is looking for some hope. Not that they were pleasant. ..just not painful.

deanna1313

@RugbyMamma‌ I'm normally pretty good with pain or so I thought. I looked at her gloved hand after and she literally put her whole had up there halfway through her palm.

jfletcher3113

Yikes, that doesn't sound fun!

Mine actually don't hurt. I mean they are by no means pleasant and I definitely feel pressure, for sure. (Especially one time where she tapped the baby's head and said, "There's the head!" She was WAY up in there! Haha)

My advice is try to relax as much as possible and maybe that will help. I make sure to relax my knees out to the side and exhale as the doctor is pushing in. Not sure if that's why mine don't hurt but it's worth a try!

Edited because today I can't spell or adhere to basic grammar rules.

spacepotatoes

kitchencolors said:

ho11yday said:

And that is why, among several other reasons, some women (myself included) will decline them.

This.

Yeppers. But I'm sorry yours sucked!

cbrust

I had my first one earlier this week at 36wks. It was unpleasant but not excruciating, just lots of pressure. I was 'closed and hard.' I will probably decline the next 2-3 and wait til my 40wk apt for the next one if I don't go into labor before then. I just don't see the point in them before because it doesn't really mean much.

deanna1313

I'll try to remember these tips. Thanks. I was so relaxed until that pain started. I will have to try to stay calm next time since I will definitely be nervous after this experience.

bridetobe9132013

I have had a few and today hurt worse than before.

Kinipela7

I had one yesterday and wasn't expecting it to be painful but I thought it was pretty painful!  And then I told myself, if I think THAT hurts, how will I be able to tolerate labor?  Fun times! 

ETA:  I am still spotting brown from it

Bootsie327

Yeah they pretty much stick their whole arm up there. When they checked me on Tuesday, I was partially effaced so I guess my cervix was sensitive and I spotted a little later that day. It def sucks more than I was expecting!

sheriot

Depends on who is handling it at my practice (pun intended...I'm punchy today). I much prefer the woman OB to my male OB... It's not pleasant, but it definitely helps if you can try not to tense up. And decline if you prefer! I'll probably have one next time just out of curiosity but it's definitely not necessary. 

kramja01

I asked the doctor if he was going to do a cervical check at my appointment today (because at my last appointment the doctor said I would have one) and he said he would suggest I decline today's check because I was not having any contractions and "they tend to be a bit painful." At least he was honest. I declined.

fyafighterwife86

ns1 said:

I'm clearly in the minority but wanted to say they've never hurt for me just in case anyone who hasn't had one yet is looking for some hope. Not that they were pleasant. ..just not painful.

This.

Katemr1146

fyafighterwife86 said:

ns1 said:

I'm clearly in the minority but wanted to say they've never hurt for me just in case anyone who hasn't had one yet is looking for some hope. Not that they were pleasant. ..just not painful.

This.

Me too. I didn't feel a thing actually. Maybe I have a short vagina, but she definitely didn't stick more than a finger up there, and it was over I a split second. No pressure, no pain, nothing. Maybe it depends on how much experience your checker has.

chillypenguin

Mine hurt really bad, but I guess my cervix is really high. I was always too curious to decline them, even though I know it doesn't necessarily mean anything.

Mwyld

I've been checked twice and neither time was painful nor did I bleed after... Which from what you all experienced I'm glad to be in the minority on this one!

yvanehtnioj

I'm supposed to have my first one tomorrow and I am basically shaking in my boots. I am going to decline.

EmilyGolden1

Something like this...

whitehousem

My first one this time hurt, but the second one was not bad. I haven't bled after them during this pregnancy but did each time with DD and I don't remember them hurting much with her.

lauralou3x3

My first one is Monday and I'm not looking forward to it!

Sdufort1216

my dr said my first cervical check is in 2 weeks (38 weeks) ... what is the point of this anyway does it matter to know if your dilated yet? I just don't see the purpose and can it hurt the baby?

flockofmoosen3

My cervical check last week was done with a doctor I'd never met before (male) and it was very uncomfortable and kind of painful for me. Way worse than I thought it would be. I wish my regular doctor had done it because I think she's gentler.

I did not spot afterwards. The doctor didn't even mention the possibility until I asked, which kind of annoyed me. If he didn't tell me and I didn't know to ask, and I spotted, I would have freaked out.

Anyway, I will decline further checks until I go into labor.

Mimaloo

Mine didn't hurt at all and I had no bleeding or spotting afterwards. I saw a few other PPs who said theirs didn't hurt either so it's different for anyone. For those of you who haven't had one yet, just go in relaxed. 

Sdufort1216

jennish11 said:

Sdufort1216 said:

my dr said my first cervical check is in 2 weeks (38 weeks) ... what is the point of this anyway does it matter to know if your dilated yet? I just don't see the purpose and can it hurt the baby?

My midwife told me that it's mainly for curiosity to see if you are progressing.

However, most of the time it doesn't tell you much about when baby will come.  You can be 0cm dilated and have the baby tomorrow... or you can be 5cm dilated and have the baby in a week or two.

That's why I'm opting out until I go into labor.


ya that's what I've heard that you can be dilated and not have baby for a few weeks so I might opt out too ... I'm not curious either he'll come out when he wants too

delatl

I didn't find it too painful. I've had two done so far. It's very uncomfortable and it's definitely important to stay relaxed. I felt pressure, kind of like cramps.

danagmauro

Um ya yesterday he not until felt my cervix and baby's head but was also measuring the size of my pelvis!!!!! That's how far up... Ya I was whimpering most of the time. (((( spotting today and sore but I hope he got some stuff loosening up

hbird0723

This is what I said the first time I has one. No one warned me! I guess I just didn't think about what that involved. I just had my second one and it wasn't bad but my first one I was like you and this one I am dialated so maybe that made a difference. That and my regular OB did this one. My OB did a pap for me a year ago and it was my first with her since we moved and I remember saying that wasn't as bad as they usually are so maybe it's just her.

cnbean

I had quite a few with DS1 and I don't remember them hurting. Not that they are great fun, but not painful either. I would imagine that if your cervix is hard and high then that would make it a little more painful because they have to dig around a bit more. 

deanna1313

@EmilyGolden1‌ yup! That's pretty much what I looked like along with some weird sounds and laughter. For some reason I laugh when I get uncomfortable. Probably doesn't help the situation, but I can't help it.

lavendergiraffes

I just had one today too and it was not what I expected. Maybe she has short fingers or something but she was really pushing to get up there! I wasn't going to get them but I've been cramping a bit and had diarrhea so I got one today - mostly cause I was curious. Now I'm cramping more and spotting. Awesome. And now I know that I'm 1 cm and soft which means absolutely nothing in the scheme if things so I guess I'm done getting them until I'm in labor. Pooh!

Helmink0804

Had my second one today and they hurt like a bitch. I was gripping the side of the table I was laying on my knuckles turned white. Not very pleasant at all! My hubby felt bad and took me out to breakfast.

raebee18

My midwives only routinely do them at 40 weeks unless you ask. I haven't asked yet because for my mom cervical dilation was the last indicator you could trust. She had very fast labors 4 kids <12 hours total. FX that I got this gene. With my sister (her 4th) she went in cause she was having what she knew to be her labor signs and they checked her and she was only 1 cm dilated so they wanted to send her home. She convinced them to call her Dr. cause he'd delivered her other three kids. My sister was delivered at 2:20 pm. The Dr basically showed up put on a lab coat and caught the baby.

sws684

Minority here! I didn't feel a thing!

Jdub489

I had my first on Monday and it wasn't bad at all. In fact, I remember thinking that pap smears are usually worse than this. Judging from PPs, it seems to be different for everyone. I wasn't going to opt out though, out of curiosity. But also because even if 1cm doesn't mean anything about when labor happens, to me it is 1 cm down only 9 to go and I feel some sort of sense of accomplishment. Ftr, I have not made any progression whatsoever and was completely disappointed.

deanna1313

@Jdub489‌ I'll take a Pap smear any day. I can't feel them at all. I'm not looking forward to my next one, but I will do it anyway.

haylo33

I had one at 28 weeks when I was contracting. It felt like a normal vaginal exam like at my annual appointments. Maybe they get worse near the end?