Internal Exam

starswinger · February 2012

I had my first internal exam today (36 weeks) and I actually cried because it hurt so bad! I thought it would be uncomfortable, but was not expecting it to hurt.

Definitely NOT looking forward to the rest of them. EEK.

Anyone else find them unbearable or am I the only one?

RobinIan · February 2012

For me it didn't hurt too much when they performed the internal, but more for the day after. I felt lots of cramping!

futuresebss · February 2012

Yep, hurt like hell. I've got a heating pad on me now. The good news is, my doctor doesn't do anymore unless I ask.

kellymarie68 · February 2012

Yes... I've had a few because of my situation but yesterday I had the first one that actually hurt. Baby's head is incredibly low and positioned in front of my cervix (very awkward, I know) so it did not feel good at all. Sorry you had to go through that!

chrisandchris06 · February 2012

Mine was ROUGH. I won't get another one until I start getting contractions or get to my edd thank Jesus

starswinger · February 2012

kellymarie68:
Yes... I've had a few because of my situation but yesterday I had the first one that actually hurt. Baby's head is incredibly low and positioned in front of my cervix (very awkward, I know) so it did not feel good at all. Sorry you had to go through that!

My LO has dropped so his head is against my cervix. Wonder if that is why it hurts. Sex hurts the same way (poor hubby). I might try to turn down the rest of the internals.

futuresebss · February 2012

kellymarie68:
Yes... I've had a few because of my situation but yesterday I had the first one that actually hurt. Baby's head is incredibly low and positioned in front of my cervix (very awkward, I know) so it did not feel good at all. Sorry you had to go through that!

Same for me!

drewbon13 · February 2012

Yup, mine was painful. I guess I wasn't expecting her to have to shove so far in there. :-/ And of course, my OB started off by saying "This won't hurt but it will be uncomfortable." yeah...it did too hurt. I didn't cry but I'm pretty sure I squeezed DH's hand a little hard. Looks like I get one every week until baby comes out.

jstrat53 · February 2012

drewbon13:
Yup, mine was painful. I guess I wasn't expecting her to have to shove so far in there.

This! Today was my first internal and it was painful. She really shoved her fingers/hand up there! I actually yelled out "ouch". I found out I am not dilated at all, that could have contributed to the pain, who knows!

MrsMincks · February 2012

You're not alone. I almost broke DH's hand squeezing it from the pain. He didn't even wince - he'll be great in the delivery room!

In all seriousness, I'm so sorry it hurt you so much. I am still in a lot of pain from mine earlier. It was seriously like loss-of-virginity pain for me :-/

To be completely honest, though, I'm kind of a weird case. I had my strep test today too and the freaking Q-TIP HURT. I am so scared now...if I was that uncomfortable from a stupid q-tip, how am I going to do the rest of this?? Yikes.

Try a heating pad or a hot towel against your ladybits. It helps!

Baby242012 · February 2012

For me I have had 2 internals that have really hurt...and I teared up afterwards

I have had 2 that were uncomfortable but did not hurt

And, I have had one that I did not even feel.

The only ones that hurt were both from a resident in the hospital...the others were from different OBs and my practice...for me it seems like it all depends on the person doing them!

BOTB2011 · February 2012

The internal exams are definitely uncomfortable but I wouldn't say they're so painful I was in tears. I just tell myself the worst is yet to come, and us the experience to practice focusing/breathing.

starswinger · February 2012

MrsMincks:
You're not alone. I almost broke DH's hand squeezing it from the pain. He didn't even wince - he'll be great in the delivery room!
In all seriousness, I'm so sorry it hurt you so much. I am still in a lot of pain from mine earlier. It was seriously like loss-of-virginity pain for me :-/
To be completely honest, though, I'm kind of a weird case. I had my strep test today too and the freaking Q-TIP HURT. I am so scared now...if I was that uncomfortable from a stupid q-tip, how am I going to do the rest of this?? Yikes.
Try a heating pad or a hot towel against your ladybits. It helps!

I cannot imagine how I will get through labor if a couple fingers hurt that bad. LOL I agree about the loss of virginity pain. As we were leaving the dr. office, DH says to me, "Looks like I'm really not getting any tonight" Poor guy.

starswinger · February 2012

MrsMincks:
You're not alone. I almost broke DH's hand squeezing it from the pain. He didn't even wince - he'll be great in the delivery room!
In all seriousness, I'm so sorry it hurt you so much. I am still in a lot of pain from mine earlier. It was seriously like loss-of-virginity pain for me :-/
To be completely honest, though, I'm kind of a weird case. I had my strep test today too and the freaking Q-TIP HURT. I am so scared now...if I was that uncomfortable from a stupid q-tip, how am I going to do the rest of this?? Yikes.
Try a heating pad or a hot towel against your ladybits. It helps!

I cannot imagine how I will get through labor if a couple fingers hurt that bad. LOL I agree about the loss of virginity pain. As we were leaving the dr. office, DH says to me, "Looks like I'm really not getting any tonight" Poor guy.

MrsMincks · February 2012

starswinger:
MrsMincks:
You're not alone. I almost broke DH's hand squeezing it from the pain. He didn't even wince - he'll be great in the delivery room!
In all seriousness, I'm so sorry it hurt you so much. I am still in a lot of pain from mine earlier. It was seriously like loss-of-virginity pain for me :-/
To be completely honest, though, I'm kind of a weird case. I had my strep test today too and the freaking Q-TIP HURT. I am so scared now...if I was that uncomfortable from a stupid q-tip, how am I going to do the rest of this?? Yikes.
Try a heating pad or a hot towel against your ladybits. It helps!

I cannot imagine how I will get through labor if a couple fingers hurt that bad. LOL I agree about the loss of virginity pain. As we were leaving the dr. office, DH says to me, "Looks like I'm really not getting any tonight" Poor guy.

Haha. Aww. DH has been so patient with me this whole pregnancy. I swear the man is living like a monk lately. I told him I'd make it worth the wait as soon after the birth as I can!

Wipz · February 2012

Are you guys seeing Dr's or a vet? Wink

I've had an internal every week for the last 3 weeks and they werent even uncomfortable let alone painfull.... I know this might seem like a wierd question but are you guys all seeing female Dr's ?? .,.. because I have found in the past that female Dr's doing Pap smears are way rougher than any male Dr I have ever had.

....except for the one country Dr who really wasn't comfortable doing a smear and I swear only thing he ever shoved his hand up was a birthing cow lol. It wasn't painfull just awkward.. poor guy was a young Dr too and looked so uncomfortable I kinda felt bad for him haha

Maybe it's a tension thing, if you are uncomfortable with the thought of that kind of interaction in the first place ..I've always been very relaxed about my body so Paps etc don't worry me and I am usually joking around while it's being done..so very relaxed.

futuresebss · February 2012

Wipz:
Are you guys seeing Dr's or a vet?

I've had an internal every week for the last 3 weeks and they werent even uncomfortable let alone painfull.... I know this might seem like a wierd question but are you guys all seeing female Dr's ?? .,.. because I have found in the past that female Dr's doing Pap smears are way rougher than any male Dr I have ever had.

....except for the one country Dr who really wasn't comfortable doing a smear and I swear only thing he ever shoved his hand up was a birthing cow lol. It wasn't painfull just awkward.. poor guy was a young Dr too and looked so uncomfortable I kinda felt bad for him haha

Maybe it's a tension thing, if you are uncomfortable with the thought of that kind of interaction in the first place ..I've always been very relaxed about my body so Paps etc don't worry me and I am usually joking around while it's being done..so very relaxed.

Ha ha, I have a male OB. I've been examined by him before and not had pain. I think it's baby's position and my cervix's position that did not help the situation.

books4brooke · February 2012

Today's internal was the first that didn't make me want to cry, and that's because my cervix is finally positioned in front of the baby's head. If your lo is really low, they have to get behind the head, and that's what makes it really unbearable, or at least that's what my m/w says. Just know they aren't all that bad.

KatieD212 · February 2012

I remember them being really uncomfortable with DS, but I had my first internal last week and it was fine, I mean a little bit uncomfortable, but it wasn't bad at all.

MrsMincks · February 2012

futuresebss:
Wipz:
Are you guys seeing Dr's or a vet?

I've had an internal every week for the last 3 weeks and they werent even uncomfortable let alone painfull.... I know this might seem like a wierd question but are you guys all seeing female Dr's ?? .,.. because I have found in the past that female Dr's doing Pap smears are way rougher than any male Dr I have ever had.

....except for the one country Dr who really wasn't comfortable doing a smear and I swear only thing he ever shoved his hand up was a birthing cow lol. It wasn't painfull just awkward.. poor guy was a young Dr too and looked so uncomfortable I kinda felt bad for him haha

Maybe it's a tension thing, if you are uncomfortable with the thought of that kind of interaction in the first place ..I've always been very relaxed about my body so Paps etc don't worry me and I am usually joking around while it's being done..so very relaxed.

Ha ha, I have a male OB. I've been examined by him before and not had pain. I think it's baby's position and my cervix's position that did not help the situation.

Mine's female. She did everything very quickly, but I'm just (TMI warning) ridiculously tight down there :-/ Great news for DH, terrible news for me when it comes to sexytimes. It's just one of those things I have to live with!

DGandDG · February 2012

My OB mentioned that my cervix was still posterior, so that's why she had to do so much "shoving". I looked this up when I got home and found the information below regarding internal exams. I didn't find the exam to be overly painful but I hope for everyone else's sake that the exams get more comfortable as time passes!

Position of the cervix: The cervix will move from being more posterior to anterior. Many women can tell when the cervix begins to move around because when a vaginal exam is performed it no longer feels like the cervix is located near her tonsils.

https://pregnancy.about.com/cs/interventions/a/vaginalexam.htm

starswinger · February 2012

MrsMincks:
futuresebss:
Wipz:
Are you guys seeing Dr's or a vet?

I've had an internal every week for the last 3 weeks and they werent even uncomfortable let alone painfull.... I know this might seem like a wierd question but are you guys all seeing female Dr's ?? .,.. because I have found in the past that female Dr's doing Pap smears are way rougher than any male Dr I have ever had.

....except for the one country Dr who really wasn't comfortable doing a smear and I swear only thing he ever shoved his hand up was a birthing cow lol. It wasn't painfull just awkward.. poor guy was a young Dr too and looked so uncomfortable I kinda felt bad for him haha

Maybe it's a tension thing, if you are uncomfortable with the thought of that kind of interaction in the first place ..I've always been very relaxed about my body so Paps etc don't worry me and I am usually joking around while it's being done..so very relaxed.

Ha ha, I have a male OB. I've been examined by him before and not had pain. I think it's baby's position and my cervix's position that did not help the situation.
Mine's female. She did everything very quickly, but I'm just (TMI warning) ridiculously tight down there :-/ Great news for DH, terrible news for me when it comes to sexytimes. It's just one of those things I have to live with!

My dr is female. I was relaxed initially because I figured it would feel like a pap, which I never had an issue with. Baby's head did drop and dr could feel him.

lulling · February 2012

This may be TMI but it depended on the doctor. I had a doctor with long slim fingers. That was fine. Another doctor had short stumpy fingers. Not good.

Wipz · February 2012

lulling:
This may be TMI but it depended on the doctor. I had a doctor with long slim fingers. That was fine. Another doctor had short stumpy fingers. Not good.

Note to self... check Oby's hands and report back next Monday

My cervix has always pointed the wrong way, up not down.. which my Dr assured me would flip if I ever got pregnant... apparently that is the case. LO is and has been head down for months and as low as he can get without dropping out or making me look like a penguin with baby on my feet lol... my Oby said he could feel the head on Monday.. so I guess it's got to be a combination of things that make some people hurt more than others.

MrsMincks:
Mine's female. She did everything very quickly, but I'm just (TMI warning) ridiculously tight down there :-/ Great news for DH, terrible news for me when it comes to sexytimes. It's just one of those things I have to live with!

That would explain the smile on your hubby's face in your signature pic Stick out tongue

You two are so cute, I love that picture Yes

mommyagogo · February 2012

I had my first today, and the nurse in the room immediately looks at me and says "Ok, deep breaths, deep, calm breaths... Breathe" and I am thinking, "why?" She sounded like a nurse in the delivery room would, then the OB shoved his hand up there and I thought to myself......"Ooohh... THAT'S why!" lol.. Not to the point that I would tear up, but definitely more than uncomfortable.

526SadieSadie · February 2012

Ok, you're all freaking me out...now I don't want to go back to the doctor at all...

msteph82 · February 2012

I took some Tylenol BEFORE my appt and that helped. It was uncomfortable for all of 5 seconds and then I was fine.

Sorry yours have sucked! No fun!

LillyGrrl · February 2012

According to my Ob I am still high, firm, closed up tight like a pickle jar (oh yea!) and mine barely registered on my "hurt-o-meter" but then I have a very high pain tolerance because I live with chronic pain so something like isn't even anything to me. Maybe it was uncomfortable but that was about it.

cdbayes · February 2012

Ok I go for my first internal on Monday and not looking forward to this at all now!!!

Useonfire · February 2012

LillyGrrl:
According to my Ob I am still high, firm, closed up tight like a pickle jar (oh yea!) and mine barely registered on my "hurt-o-meter" but then I have a very high pain tolerance because I live with chronic pain so something like isn't even anything to me. Maybe it was uncomfortable but that was about it.

While I'm 50% effaced, I'm 0cm dilated. I didn't find my very first internal ever even remotely uncomfortable yesterday. I have a high pain tolerance as well, and can't tell if it's because of that or because it genuinely didn't hurt. My regular OB is a tiny lady though with about 40 years experience so maybe that's why?

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