- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Natural Birth
pinksweetpea2
member
This one stumped me a bit...
pinksweetpea2
member
Short story- the OP wants to opt out of all vaginal checks before and during labor, but still want the epidural. What do you all think? Is that possible? Safe even?
https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/60069718.aspx
The OP could be a troll BTW- we have had a few on the board lately, but still thought the topic was interesting.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: This one stumped me a bit...
OMG! She's hilarious! Cannot be for real?
WOW... the one thing that tweaked me was not really brought up was the pap - I was asymptomatic when it was discovered I had precancerous cells, which I promptly had removed. Had I decided I wasn't going to have standard tests because I had no symptoms, there is a good chance I would not be able to have this baby I'm having... URGH!
ETA - Ok, so maybe they did, it just took a long time to get there!
I think it's probably impossible to get an epi without a check, but I'm also amazed at all of the other misinformation in that post (put the OP craziness aside). I am surprised that so many people think you have to have exams in order to deliver safely.
Pretty amazing huh? I can't tell if it is my specific BMB or just BMB in general. Either way, I am grateful to have this board to retreat to for moments of sanity and reason.
I think vaginal exams are probably more necessary with an epi because epidurals can totally change the mother's perceptions of what is going on with her body, whether she needs to push, etc. You may not have the emotional signposts of labor to indicate whether things are progressing at all. And with an epi it's more important to make sure the mother is completely dilated before pushing, so that she doesn't damage her cervix by pushing forcefully when she can't feel anything. And since epis can slow down first stage labor and complicate second stage labor, I think it's more important to know what is going on inside and how things are progressing.
I never had a single vaginal exam during my pregnancy or labor with #2, so I think they can be safely avoided in healthy pregnancies and med-free deliveries.
haha! I know this board isn't very active, but that's why I come over here too! I'm not willing to argue with women about epidurals and interventions because they all think they're so well educated but they haven't actually read anything of their own, just what they've always been told. Drives me crazy, but they wouldn't listen. So I don't bother. I'd rather talk to people already on my side =]
haha! I know this board isn't very active, but that's why I come over here too! I'm not willing to argue with women about epidurals and interventions because they all think they're so well educated but they haven't actually read anything of their own, just what they've always been told. Drives me crazy, but they wouldn't listen. So I don't bother. I'd rather talk to people already on my side =]
But there is a lot of personal growth and empathy that you can gain from talking to people who are not "on your side." At the very least, it challenges you to think about your own conclusions and can strengthen your arguments.
I hope you don't mean that just because someone prefers the more medicalized model of childbirth, that they are not educated.
No no no, if you prefer medical birth, then right on for you.IF you've done your research and have decided that is the best thing for your family. What I don't agree with the women who think medical birth is the only way because thats all theyve ever known and I think that's a large number of women out there.I just wish more women realized they have options and explored those options.
I think having discussions is a great way to build your own side and build your character...but I'm just not interested in having to deal with a discussion on such opposing viewpoints via text not verbal discussion.
ETA: wording
I read that thread and would still like to know if the thing about the blue line on your back is even remotely connected to some real phenomenon? Where did she get that from?
I think what riled people up so much was the OP's attitude that witholding an epi would be punishment for not allowing a vaginal exam and then her further insistence that pap smears are dangerous and unnecessary.
I'm not Iris, but I didn't have a single vaginal exam with my second pregnancy, either. The GBS swab does NOT require an internal -- many doctors just take the opportunity to do one, long as they're down there. My midwife didn't, because she didn't do my GBS swab. I did it myself.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
See #5 here: https://sarahvine.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/how-dilated-am-i-assessing-dilation-without-an-internal-exam/
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
I agree with you Iris, however, in redheads defense our board is- I don't know how to describe it- much more over the top aggressive against people who have a different opinion from the norm. It is actually probably just a few people with a group of followers, but they jump in all the time with snide comments, but nothing else to offer to the discussion, and it is getting old- even for me.
I love a good discussion and don't mind being the odd man out on some of the boards, however it is hard to gain any personal growth or feel any empathy for someone who is calling you a "tool" and "self-righteous" for offering a "ridiculous" alternate perspective. :b
This is my first experience with a BMB and I have to say that I preferred when there were only trimester boards...there were more people with a variety of opinions and, at least when I was pregnant with Lily, there was a solid group of women who were educated about their options on both sides of the fence. Maybe I just lucked out that first time?
Exactly. I did my own GBS swab, which does not require anything internal.
I wasn't trying to flame her. I just like hearing the perspectives on the other boards because I think they are a good reflection of how birth is approached in our mainstream culture. Although yes, it can be very frustrating at times!
And I agree, I liked it better when there were just the trimester boards. But we didn't have the NB board then, so maybe that's why there was more variety of opinion on the main boards. Sorry to hear your BMB is like that.
I agree!
I totally didn't think you were flaming her- silly!
I don't have the time to read past the first page, but am giving the OP the benefit of the doubt. She came on the board with a legitimate question and seemed to have gotten pretty flamed for it. I think that having an epidural without a vaginal exam is practically impossible, but I am hoping that she will be able to have an honest conversation with her care provider about her concerns and possible alternatives. For all we know, she could be a victim of sexual abuse or have other significant personal reasons for wanting to avoid a vaginal exam.
ETA: Reading past the first page and the OP seems to be a kook, however I find what some of the other women are writing to be quite hurtful. If the OP does have serious issues related to being touched down there, and feels adamant about pain relief, then I honestly think she might want to look into having an elective c-section.
SweetPea, I for one, appreciate your contribution to our BMB, if only because I tend to agree with the things you say and I do feel like the odd man out most of the time. However, even on the trimester boards I have been flamed for mentioning that I won't be having any ultrasounds during my pregnancy, suggesting those who do not want to do the GD test look into the modified screening, or other less traditional aspects of my prenatal care...
That whole thread yesterday annoyed me. The OPs tone was really agressive, but everyone jumped on her back and it made the whole situation worse. I guess I just prefer to ignore people like that.
You can't reason with a crazy person.
Me too. It was a nice surprise to know I could do the swab myself.
I didn't have any internals until I was 41 weeks. I wish I hadn't had them then, but I had so many contractions I wanted to know what was up=turned out nothing. LOL!
I delivered with my family doctor and had zero internal exams. I did let her do the GBS swab, but there was no internal. I laboured at home, went to the hospital, and then it was time to get pushing. It was perfect.
I would have probably ended up with an exam at my 41 week appt if I'd gone that long, and by then I would have been curious and worried about induction.
Anyway, I'm not in the mood to read pages of arguments. I just thought I'd throw my experience (with a doctor and in a hospital) out there.
Natural Birth Board FAQs
Cloth Diaper Review Sheet
You are really not missing anything. ;b
I had the same experience, but I think there's a big difference between arriving at the hospital fully dilated and ready to push and arriving at the hospital early on and asking for an epi.
it is an interesting question, i only read the first page of responses though. some of the comments were so ridic that i couldn't finish...lol.
i can't speak about internals and epidurals, since i've never worked OB in a hospital. i know that at home/birth center it is customary to check the woman as part of her initial labor exam, but if a woman didn't want that i was cool with it. the truth is it really doesn't matter what her dilation is, baby will usually come when mom is fully dilated and ready. there are other ways to determine fetal position and stage of labor.
i did a few births where the only time i checked her was when she had the urge to push. once i told her to push when she had the urge and she did and it was painful to her. we decided to wait a little while longer and she did it again and it still hurt. then she consented to an exam and she had a tiny cervical lip. a dose or two of gelsenium later she was pushing without pain.
i plan to have minimal internal exams. we'll see what doc thinks of that...