What the whaaaa????

JRod13

https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12413972/checking-your-cervix-yourself#latest

This lady is checking her cervix herself.... I'm astounded.

nashamber

Wait....Whaaaat the efff? I just can't.

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JRod13

Yea there's a difference when your TTC and when you're pregnant- you don't do that shit when you're pregnant because of infection....and can you imagine trying to work yourself into a position where you could actually reach your cervix? Good lord.

agsgrrl

Yeah I discovered ladies do that really early in my pregnancy googling something else cervix related. :-/

leoandethansmom

Is she for real? I got an infection because I was in labor for so long and my cervix was dilated 10cm for several hours before DS dropped enough to push. It ended up going untreated and unnoticed for 5 months until I was hospitalized for days until it was cleared up. That is a terrible, terrible idea!!!!!

aeseager

I went with my sister to hypnobirthing classes. The doula teaching the class encouraged the spouse to check the cervix, to help with deciding when to go to the hospital. My sister was not interested in attempting that.

allonsyalonso

I can't wrap my head around the logistics of actually being able to reach my cervix at 38 weeks, not to mention that I was 4cm dilated for about 5 weeks before actually going into labor... so not the best indication.

perfectlove09

aeseager said:

I went with my sister to hypnobirthing classes. The doula teaching the class encouraged the spouse to check the cervix, to help with deciding when to go to the hospital. My sister was not interested in attempting that.

That's weird. In my Bradly class they encouraged us NOT to be checked at all. I declined all internal exams when pg. dialation gives zero indication of when you'll go I to labor.

soulcupcake

It's not really an unusual thing, at least not in most of the pregnancy circles I run in. I checked my cervix during my second and fourth pregnancies, and even sweeped my own membranes before we induced last time. Easy peasy.

soulcupcake

PugLife5869 said:

Yea there's a difference when your TTC and when you're pregnant- you don't do that shit when you're pregnant because of infection....and can you imagine trying to work yourself into a position where you could actually reach your cervix? Good lord.

I agree that she shouldn't be trying to determine how dilated she is but I don't really see the "omg" factor of it. She had a purpose for being down there and sometimes your cervix is low and you can't really help but feel it. Even when pregnant. There is just as much risk of infection when TTC as when pregnant. Both could be dangerous to baby. If your water hasn't broken and you have clean hands then baby isn't that much at risk by accidentally feeling your cervix. I would hope that anyone inserting EPO would have clean hands.

The risk of infection is greatly increased once the membranes have ruptured. That is the real risk, and that is the point when VEs shouldn't be done to avoid pushing bacteria normally in the vagina up near the cervix. When there's no protection, that is the real risk.

I took a lot of vitamin c and ate a good amount of protein (100-130g a day) to strengthen my membranes during my second, third and fourth pregnancies (especially during the last trimester).

More of that can be read here. (it strengthens connective tissues, which is what it is). And here it talks about vitamin c levels being lower in moms who experience pPROM.

Apparently, I had pretty tough membranes, especially with my youngest. His head was completely born and they were still intact. They didn't rupture until his body shot out. If not for the force at which he descended and was born, he could have been born in caul. Prior to the onset of labor I was 6 cm, 80% effaced and my bag was bulging quite a bit. 

I checked my cervix for dilation and effacement at the time I applied EPO or borage oil.

JRod13

Maybe it's not uncommon, still weird as hell. If any of you decide to check your's around 36 weeks (yourself mind you- not a birthing partner) please please let me know how it goes. And don't pull a muscle. 

feeshah

I mean. I guess it's her body and she can poke at all things that are hers. But why???? To check to make sure it didn't run away?
I would leave that up to the OB.

leoandethansmom

@aeonlux GAH! You swept your own membranes? I thought my OB was a torturous devil woman when she did that to me. Mad respect.

Edit cuz sweeped isn't a word. I'm tired.

soulcupcake

@leosmom25

@amw0914

I had a pretty aggressive VE when I was about 36 weeks with my first. I was 3 cm and 80% effaced then. The OB wasn't very gentle, and I think he did more to hopefully make me "ripe" for my induction. I wasn't prepared for it.

When it was done with #2, a midwife did it, and I was 3-4 cm and 70% effaced. It wasn't bad that time, but I knew what to expect. I didn't begin checking my cervix until around 37 weeks (though started EPO vaginally at 36).

With #4, I was about 4 cm when I did the sweep and applied the EPO. The best way I discovered was using the bathtub ledge to prop up a leg, but it still took some effort to reach. A few days later I was 5 cm, and stayed that way until the day we induced a week later. She attempted to do a sweep then, but there was nothing to "sweep." The membranes were already separated from the uterine wall.