Cervical checks- painful?

bjohn2 · February 2013

Hi girls,

My question is are the cervix checks supposed to be really painful? i know pain is relative for each person, but i have a pretty high pain tolerance. and i know its supposed to be uncomfortable like a pap smear. but the first time i had it done last month at 33 wks by the doctor is was pretty painful- felt she was really going in far. or is that normal? and then last week at 37wks the nurse practitioner checked me and it was so painful i ended up grabbing her arm in pain. i had an intense shooting pain on my left pelvic side, not to mention the area she was checking. when i talk to my friends they say its supposed to be uncomfortable but not that painful. i'm sort of petite- does that affect it any? how about your experiences?

Trish&Pete07 · February 2013

Mine were NEVER that painful and I wouldn't say i have a high tolerance for pain. Uncomfortable, definetly, painful no. I have a very high cervix so my OB couldn't even check me until I was way into labour cause she couldn't get up high enough. She actually called in a male Dr when I was induced to place the cervadil cause his fingers were longer and she wanted to check me before placing the cervadil.

Charlotte02 · February 2013

Mine are really painful but I have problems with sex to everything else. I have a spot that is like a raw exposed nerve. So I don't really have any advice but everyone is different.

yecal262 · February 2013

Mine were painful. I think everyone is different though. Sorry your one of the unlucky ones like me.

doremi29 · February 2013

Uncomfortable but not painful. DS was always low when they checked though, so maybe that made a difference? I was never dilated until I went into labor.

Ceefome · February 2013

It also depends on who is doing them. I've never had a painful one, but I have had some that were uncomfortable.

shibby00 · February 2013

The only time it was painful for me was in triage with DD the nurse had major sausage fingers. That hurt. Otherwise no, they have never been painful. Uncomfortable yes, but not actually painful.

ShawMich · February 2013

It depends on who checks you and the size of their fingers. There is one midwife and one doctor that always hurt...but the others never do.

bumpuser5078523 · February 2013

You can become more sensitive down there during pregnancy, also. Is sex more painful too?

mommajewels87 · February 2013

It definitely varies by person, but for me cervical checks are painful... and it hasn't gotten any better despite many pregnancies. Some are worse than others, but I have tried to crawl up the wall to get away from my midwife or the nurse doing it. My midwife keeps her nails short and is pretty gentle, so hers are more bearable. When I see a nurse that has long nails come at me to check my cervix, I want to kick her in the face before she even inserts her hand.

PrimRoseMama · February 2013

It was painful for me, but I was in active labor. During pregnancy my cervix is sensitive anyway. Sex is painful so internals are very painful for me.

bjohn2 · February 2013

Thanks everyone for all your posts! I've been carrying the baby pretty low so maybe that has something to do with it as someone mentioned. But I'm definitely going to ask my doctor at my next appnt on Monday.

BabyMayinMarch · February 2013

I find them painful too. My cervix is slightly angled, so they have to do a bit of searching to find it.

KYmama9286 · February 2013

Mine are definitely pretty uncomfortable and I would say painful depending on who does the check (some of the midwives seem to be a little more gentle). I think it just depends on each person's specific anatomy- my cervix is at a weird angle and is kind of tilted which is why they think its more uncomfortable for me. I just want to encourage you though that the pain of a cervical check isn't an indicator of how you will handle labor. I had 2 unmedicated labors and handle contractions like a champ but I am a total baby when they have to check me- which is why I purposely ask to not be checked unless I specifically request it (which I only ask to be checked upon arrival at the hospital and when I think I am ready to push).

tokenhoser · February 2013

I never had any.

You don't have do them if you don't want to. If they hurt, opt out.

kal42672 · February 2013

Yes this!! You can opt out if you don't want to be checked. My doc isn't going to check me until a week before my due date. He told me that the cervical checks don't tell them much anyways.

kal42672 · February 2013

Opps! I meant to quote the post above mine.

lauralovesbob · February 2013

Glad some others posted this, but just wanted to chime in that they aren't necessary to have done.

I thought this was a good article:

https://thestir.cafemom.com/pregnancy/111442/Hey_Doc_Keep_Your_Fingers

allclad13 · February 2013

Not a fun experience but I've had about 4 already and none have been painful.

Mama-Bear · February 2013

The most painful my checks have ever been was by one of the other docs in the practice that I've nicknamed "Dr. ShortFingers" (never to him). It was my first check ever with DS1, his fingers weren't long enough to reach my cervix I guess, he kept cramming his knuckles into my pelvic bone.

With my twins I had checks every 1-2 weeks starting at 28w and they were never painful.

paperthisclip13 · February 2013

Might be the position of your cervix? Im not sure cause im also FTM but early in my pregnancy when I had a pap smear it really hurt and the nurse said it was because the way my cervix was positioned...which i think was to the left pointing down? Lol can't remember but something like that...an last Thursday i got checked for the first time at 36 1/2 weeks and it was uncomfortable and painful... i remember thinking "omg if that hurt and it was only fingers i cant imagine my baby coming out" lol.

Tennis Chick · February 2013

Mine were horribly painful. LO's head was very far down in my pelvis and my certix was posterior. When I was in the hospital, they had to try to 'lift' LO's head to get their fingers around it **Cringe**

SandiaPinaMama · February 2013

Mine were painful with DS. My MW thought I might have had a mild yeast infection, but decided that the day we induced due to scary high bp. When she followed up, it was all clear, and no longer painful.

eco+ri · February 2013

Mine weren't painful, and you can decline them, they don't have to check you if you don't want.

I will be declining all internals till 39 weeks.

bumpuser5125333 · February 2013

Mine were super painful last time and even worse this time. I had to have one early on because of contractions and I almost kicked my Dr. I'm going to decline any future checks unless truly necessary.

SevenThree2004 · February 2013

I never had pain or discomfort but have heard of those who have had this exact issue. You might be a little anxious and tense making it a lot harder to be examined. So, I agree, unless you are having preterm labor or leakage of fluid the practioner/OB doesn't have to examine you internally.

bjohn2 · February 2013

Thanks for all the feedback girls! I didn't even know that you can refuse them. So I talked to my doctor at this Monday's appnt and told her how painful it was last week with the NP and she said she go two other complaints about her. So I'm glad it wasn't just me- it had to do with her. Then the doctor checked me and it was uncomfortable and a little painful but sooooooo not as bad as last week.

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