Internal Exams?

holly321

Am I the only one that doesn't hate them?  Don't  get me wrong, it wasn't pleasant.  But I found it interesting how much I was dilated/effaced before hand, and was just plain curious about it.  I know it doesn't mean anything about when labor will start (I was 2 cm, 80% at 35 weeks, was induced at 39, simply because I was so dilated....) 

pitterpatter129

I do not like them (they are SUPER painful at the end) and am going to say "no thanks" this time around.    They tell you no information that has any bearing on when you'll actually go into labor, so I find them invasive and pointless.  I didn't know the first time around I could refuse them.

 

 

Rynleigh

I have no problems with them at all. The reassurance, for me, is a big part of why I go for my prenatal visits... and now that I'm primarily seeing a perinatologist, most of my internals are actually TV ultrasounds to check length and such rather than just the OB's hand. 

JuliaBug

I wrote this in another thread yesterday. I didn't mind them, but I also don't think the information is very valuable. This time around I am going to refuse them until I am in labor because the OB that I went to last time stripped my membranes during an internal exam without my consent (and not stripping my membranes was expressly in my birth plan on file!) 

ckalm5

I don't hate them either. I get excited to find out if I am dilating at all.

KansasFarmMomma

My doctor does one during a regular pregnancy at approximately 37 weeks. I can almost guarantee he won't even bother this time because I have a super high cervix that is almost impossible to reach. Because it's so high, it's also very very painful during the one internal exam(and pap smears). When I was in labor though, it had lowered down so it didn't hurt at all.

mjr12

Not a fan.  I just think they open mothers up to unneeded intervention, and really, they don't tell you anything any way.  I didn't want to be wandering around saying "I'm dilated to 3cm, this baby is going to come any time", and have to wait for another few weeks.  I declined any internals until I was in active labor, and then it was only one time.  I will decline again.

ETA: My MW didn't check me for complete dilation . . . I just got the natural urge and my body started pushing.  

ah625

I don't hate them, I just don't need them as they're pointless unless you're actually in active labor and then it really depends on how long you've been in labor and if you're having/not having complications. My midwife doesn't even do them until active labor and only when you are feeling the need to push (to make sure you're not wanting to push when the cervix isn't ready). So I'll pretty much only have one or two right at the very end of my labor. 

wifeofadam

I hate them.  So much that I didn't have any with my last birth - not even while I was in labor.  My moaning patterns were the cue to start pushing (they got really deep, so my MWs could tell it was time and my body was naturally starting to push on its own).

Dilation and effacement never meant anything to me.  With my first I wasn't dilated at all and went into labor a week later.  With #2 I walked around dilated and effaced pretty far for three weeks and ended up delivering almost a week past my due date.  During labor with the first two I tended to stall at 4cm forever and them move quickly to complete after that.  There is no point in knowing how far along I am and it actually discourages me to know when I am in pain.

I also don't want to increase my risk of infection, so the less hands in my vagina, the better.