Finger checks during labor

babyvelasquez2015 · July 2015

so I came across a very interesting article that I never thought about... The amount of finger exams you are given during labor that are necessary and unnecessary. I had no idea it was painful! But I guess it makes sense when all your muscles are contracting. The article talked about making sure you know what is necessary and your rights to decline an excessive amount. FTM here and never realized this was something to think about. Any experienced mamas have any tips? Like maybe requests For limited written on chart? How did u ask your doctor?

midge519 · July 2015

I never asked to be checked but I never found them to be painful. I had short labors compared to most (7.5 hours and 3.5 hours) and even my longer labor I only remember being checked about four times, when I first got there, when I moved to my actual room from the triage l&d room, when I asked for the epidural, and when I said I had to poop (pushing sensation I later found out lol). With my second at the hospital I was checked when I first arrived and when I told them I had to push.

I'm sure this is different for everyone but I'd recommend to listen to your body. If you feel like something is changing, the sensation is different or something, you may want to be checked.

ChariZae · July 2015

I didn't make any requests regarding it. In my two previous experiences, I was checked when I first was admitted, and maybe once or twice after that. It is painful, but I didn't feel like it was excessive. I don't know for sure, but I think my doctors used the frequency and duration of my contractions to gauge whether or not I needed to be checked again.

I was more bothered by cervix checks leading up to labor. With both pregnancies I was dilated for some weeks before I actually went into labor. It was annoying getting the checks, especially since they didn't translate to baby coming anytime soon.

4littles · July 2015

Being checked hurts,but no part of laboring is easy ; ) honestly when you are in the middle of it you don't think about how many times you are examined. I'm on baby four,my last two were completely natural and I plan on going without medicine this time too. Just trust your nurse in my experience they will only check you when they feel it is necessary. Good luck

babyvelasquez2015 · July 2015

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/pregnancy/internal-examinations-during-pregnancy-and-labour-are-exams-really-necessary/

Here is the article! Found it

hspangler12 · July 2015

Second time mom here, I never found it painful. A bit uncomfortable but not painful. So maybe it varies by the person

Knottie1445378742 · July 2015

I would much rather be checked too much than too little. With #3, the anesthesiologist administered the second epidural (first was put in the wrong place) before anyone checked me again. I was ready to push 10 minutes later and had so many problems from basically being completely numb at that point. Had I known how far I was, I would have just kept going.

swelniak · July 2015

I don't remember it being painful. Maybe a little uncomfortable, but that's it. I think I was checked 3 times my whole labor. Once after the night of cervadil, once a few hours later when they broke my water and when I was a 10. I had my epidural for that last one, so that may have contributed as well. It was their policy not to check too often after your water is broken because it can introduce bacteria.

Kbhunter · July 2015

I found it painful later in pregnancy when the baby is putting a lot of pressure down there. I allowed one internal at 36 weeks (just cuz I was curious) and then refused all others until I was in labor.
You certainly can say you don't want them.
When I got to hospital I was 9cm already so I dont think I had more than a couple at the hospital.

jenn2132 · July 2015

During labor the checks weren't too bad and not too frequent but labor wasn't very long for me. I will say once you start getting pelvic checks at about 36 weeks be prepared for it to possibly hurt and to bleed. Unfortunately the first time I experienced it I was not prepared and my doctor was not gentle. I bled immediately after and was not told this was normal, I had to google it to find out.

knottymomma · July 2015

The only request I had was someone with small hands/fingers do the exam. That was based off one nurse had huge fingers and the other didn't. I knew I was already uncomfortable and just the thought of large hands made me panic. They giggled a bit because apparently it's a common request and I was trying to be as nice as possible to not offend. No need to have the extra pain of too big hands checking you!

RainNFyre · July 2015

Having never had one, but having performed many of them (yeah for med school and residency), I can say that these are really only done to check on the progress of labor or if someone's been having contractions for awhile but doesn't seem to be progressing.

Less than 4cm dilated = passive labor and FTM have some time to wait... often sent home.

Over 4cm dilated = active labor

Once your water breaks, exams are kept to a minimum to prevent infection.

Trust me, no one *wants* to stick their fingers in your vagina unless it's medically indicated. I would suggest that if you go to a teaching hospital to defer students from examining you, since those often need to be repeated by a resident physician.

Krysta6 · July 2015

We talked about this in great length during my birth class (I'm a FTM). They expressed that they do it too much and it can cause people to become discouraged (you are only 5cm etc). So my plan is to only ask for 2 checks. Also if there is a shift change your centimeters dilated could be different as there are using their fingers to measure (different nurses different hands). But this is based off of unmedicated childbirth class so if you have an epidural it may not matter to you how much they put their fingers up there as you are numb.

Nukke · July 2015

I only had checks during labour itself--three in total. I had one when my midwife first arrived, one right before I left for the hospital, and one to make sure it was OK to start pushing. I don't remember them being painful. The only painful part was having to lie on my side or my back to have them done (I was happiest and most comfortable to labour standing up)

OliveOyl2014 · July 2015

There is an alternative method that my midwife suggested called the purple line. I can't seem to link the article but if you google the purple line for dilation it has lots of info.

amberrmariee20 · July 2015

I didn't find they hurt when they checked me, maybe a little weird feeling, but no pain !!

ChristyD6 · July 2015

I was checked several times during active labor and I actually requested it out of curiosity with my first. This time I won't.

I had a nurse check me and tell me I was 8cm and then a little while later tell me I was 10cm and it was go time! I was shocked bc (med free) labor hadn't been that bad and I didn't feel an urge to push at all but I let her change the bed for pushing and I got ready to deliver. The doc came in and checked and said I was maybe 7.5cm and definitely not ready. That made more sense bc I didn't feel ready but it really took the wind out of my sails and almost derailed my med-free birth plan bc I felt exhausted and defeated. I would like to avoid that this time and listen to my body more!

perrysaurus · July 2015

The midwives in our home birth practice avoid checks, unless they fear no progress, or its outright requested. My thoughts are if you find out where you are your mind can get stuck on how much further you have to go. I will ask to be checked before I push (if I can remember to) just to confirm I'm ready to. Though I will be in the hands of professionals so we will see how it goes.

casserole27 · July 2015

I had some stuff going on in early pregnancy that they thought might be premature labor so I got checked at 18 weeks, it was highly unpleasant. Like, really painful but probably mostly because of when it was done. I am sure once I am actually in labor I am not going to mind anywhere near as much. Definately going to keep some of these suggestions in mind for the future.

sweet+cheeks · July 2015

I don't see the issue. Labor is painful. I found the information useful to gauge how everything was progressing. If you think someone sticking their fingers in your vagina during labor is too painful I have some bad news for you...

babyvelasquez2015 · July 2015

@sweet+cheeks it's not the pain that is the concern. If you read the article attached it talks about pros and cons.

amberrmariee20 · July 2015

babyvelasquez2015 said:
@sweet+cheeks it's not the pain that is the concern. If you read the article attached it talks about pros and cons.

That article is bogus. Your in labor, wouldn't you want to know how many cms ? I wouldn't decline someone checking me, I want to know my progress.

vamomtobe · July 2015

Wow, the article actually suggests pretending to be Muslim to avoid exams under the "White Lies" subheading. If I'm getting any sort of exam during labor, I assume that the incredibly busy nurses and doctors have a good reason to do so and aren't just looking up there for funsies. I didn't see any actual "cons" listed in the article, as in harm to mother or baby.

komorebi · July 2015

I had two with my first and they were awful.

One with my second also very painful.

With the third it went too fast and I'm glad we didn't do it.

If you are gbs positive or have ruptured membranes each check ups your risk for infection.

komorebi · July 2015

Most of you seem to think that knowing your dilation has any relation to when you will deliver and it doesn't. We all dilate at different rates and so many factors play into it, were you induced, baby's position, epidural, position you are laboring in, etc. The length of a typical labour in a hospital setting is still being based off of a thing called Friedman's curve from research done in 1955 so if you see not progressing according to that outdated method you might end up with pitocin or a section for ftp, and they only know how you are progressing by checking your cervix.
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/friedmans-curve-and-failure-to-progress-a-leading-cause-of-unplanned-c-sections/

jenspeake · July 2015

I don't need one more thing to be concerned about! I'll take a finger going up than a baby going down!

on_the_move · July 2015

I never found checks to be painful and if anything I felt like I didn't have enough. With DD I asked for the epidural, but the anesthesiologist was in surgery so I had to wait a bit. When he finally came in he had a really hard time putting in the epidural. Right after they finished and left the room I started to transition and was almost ready to push. I really wish I had asked to be checked before he came in because I might have been able to go without the meds if I had known I was close.

mandy903 · July 2015

I wouldn't call them painful. I would say uncomfortable. I was probably checked 3 or 4 times during my labors and I didn't mind. One check the nurse felt digits and had to rush the Dr in to make sure it wasn't feet unless I needed a cesarean. Luckily it was his fingers. He had pushed his hand into the birth canal so she had to manually push his hand back inside me. It happened twice during labor. And without an epidural it was excruciating. I saw if you ate thinking you don't want to be checked more than X amount during labor for any reason talk to your ob about it beforehand.

babyvelasquez2015 · July 2015

I appreciate all the ladies who had positive feedback! Thanks for commenting. It was helpful to hear the stories of the ones who wish they would've been checked properly before epidural, considering how far along they already were. And great info about knowing how dilated you are not giving you any time frame of delivery. All bodies are different and I now realize relying on checks can be discouraging If you don't feel you've progressed much. Mind over matter! If there are any ladies in here who are sexual abuse or rape victims, I apologize if anyone was inconsiderate to that. For sure you have a different case on your hands! Good luck, ladies!

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