October 2015 Moms

Cervical Exam every week now? After 36?

So I just hit 36 weeks and had my Group B strep test and my first cervical exam. The cervical exam was a bit painful even though my doctor has very thin fingers! I expected her to use the speculum but she didn't. Is that normal? Now I am very nervous for next week when my regular female doctor(the only doctor I have ever had my whole life. She delivered me and has been my family doctor ever since) is on holidays and I have an appointment with a male doctor. I hope his fingers aren't too big if we do start getting cervical exams every week now! :P

Re: Cervical Exam every week now? After 36?

  • Don't worry. He's just prepping you to push a baby out! Lol
  • You don't have to have a routine cervical check, just politely decline.
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  • Yeah I'm going to decline any cervical exams except for when in actual labor. I don't see the point.
  • I never had any cervical exams with my first son until my water broke and I was in labor....
  • They don't do cervical exams here until you are in labour either. I really don't see the point of them beforehand, they tell you how dilated you are which actually means nothing at all as you can still go weeks after you are Xcm dilated.
  • My midwife offered, but I declined, and she thought that was wise. They're uncomfortable and could possibly introduce bacteria and not all that helpful particularly when you're not in labor. You can always decline if you are not comfortable with it.
  • My doctor begins them at 36 weeks and every week after as well. They never bothered me though. I actually was at 3 cm at 37 weeks with DD. (She still came on her due date so it didn't make much difference) but I thought it was interesting to find out! As PP's have said, I would just decline if you don't want them done.
  • I had my first one at my 36 wk appt also. I didnt expect it to be that uncomfortable! I about flew back off the exam table
  • I had my first one at my 36 wk appt also. I didnt expect it to be that uncomfortable! I about flew back off the exam table

    Seriously. I had an exam last week and I cried it hurt so badly. And then I cried later because I couldn't handle the thought of having more than one done!
  • Thanks ladies! I hope he just gives the option and doesn't just do it. It is probably immature to be weirded out by it but I have never had a male doctor. I don't think I have ever had any other doctor look at my vag except my family doctor. I'm sure after this labour it will be no problem and I won't care who sees it anymore. Just gotta suck it up I guess!
  • I went to my 37 week appointment and she was going to check I declined and she said that's totally fine she doesn't have to check until I'm over due:)
  • mrsdobbie said:

    Thanks ladies! I hope he just gives the option and doesn't just do it. It is probably immature to be weirded out by it but I have never had a male doctor. I don't think I have ever had any other doctor look at my vag except my family doctor. I'm sure after this labour it will be no problem and I won't care who sees it anymore. Just gotta suck it up I guess!

    Just remember as a patient you always have the right to refuse a procedure.
  • My 36 week one hurt like crazy, but 37 was better. Different doctor perhaps or the fact I was a lot more effaced than before?? They give me the option to decline at my clinic, but I like to know if I've made any progress.

    And I was weirded out at first by having a male obgyn down there, but they've seen it all.
    Me: 28 DH: 29
    TTC since July 2013
    September 2013 period still hasn't started since getting off BC
    October 2013 OBGYN prescribed 4 months of unmonitored Clomid
    3 Months of Clomid, ovulated once
    Opted to not do 4th cycle without proper testing found new OBGYN
    January 2014 new OBGYN diagnosed me with PCOS ordered ultrasound
    January 2014 Ultrasound found possible uterine septum
    February 2014 MRI confirmed uterine septum, referral to RE
    March 2014 RE scheduled septum removal for late June
    Benched due to possible miscarriages if falling pregnant, back on BC
    June 2014 Septum Removal surgery, hysteroscopy/laparascopy
    Laparascopy revealed mild endometriosis
    Benched until September 2014 for recovery and healing
    October 2014 - First letrozole, HCG trigger, TI cycle, 18mm follie
    November 2014 - BFP - loss at 6 weeks
    January 2015 - Green light to try again 18mm follie, letrozole, HCG trigger 
    January 2015 - BFP - two ultrasounds and strong heartbeat found on Doppler!!!


  • My doctor gave me the option at 36 weeks but said she is going to check at 37 weeks no matter what because she's had women who had no clue they were efaced so much and ready for labor until she checked. However I just want to get used to the pain because Ik it's going to happen in the hospital no matter what so preparation is good!:)
  • It's a little painful in the moment, but I really appreciated knowing each week how dilated and effaced I was.  
  • I had the first one at 36 weeks. No pain, but there was bleeding afterwards for a day or two.
  • I was checked and it wasn't painful at all and I had no bleeding. It was just a little uncomfortable.
  • mrsdobbie said:
    Thanks ladies! I hope he just gives the option and doesn't just do it. It is probably immature to be weirded out by it but I have never had a male doctor. I don't think I have ever had any other doctor look at my vag except my family doctor. I'm sure after this labour it will be no problem and I won't care who sees it anymore. Just gotta suck it up I guess!
    There is NO shame in feeling uncomfortable with the situation. I am too. I double check each appointment the day before to make sure it's still with a female doctor. If I go into labor and it's a male on-call doctor... I think that's the last thing I'll care about. But right now when I'm not in excruciating pain and thinking all to clearly... I feel uncomfortable with it. As other people have mentioned the exams can be painful... I can only imagine them much more so if you're not okay with the situation. Follow your gut. You chose the OB, you or your insurance is paying for their services, you have rights and it's not an uncommon request for them to hear. 
  • Jumping in here with a question about the Group B Strep test.  I will be seeing my Dr./midwife group for a regular appointment Thursday then my next appointment will be a 36 week apppointment. with a cervical exam.  I can ask about this but I am curious now....does anybody know if there is a way to do the Group B Step test without a full cervical exam or no?  Is it like getting a pap smear...or do they just swab your vagina area?  I feel stupid that I don't know.
  • @rizzlig the group b strep test is basically just a swab of your outer vagina and outside of rectum, nothing like a pap smear thank god. Literally takes 2 seconds. Try not to stress like I did!!!
  • @EVOXCHIC thanks!  That is very helpful info.
  • My doctor didn't even do a swab of the rectum. She told me "in 30 years I have never had to deliver a baby analy" so she doesn't swab there. Not sure if any other doctors feel the same way as her tho. I was surprised she didn't do it.
  • I just had the same exam and test. It's just a quick swob. I was so worried about getting checked for dilation because everyone told me it's painful. Something funny actually happened though so i was laughing and it didn't bother me at all! So, ask your OB to tell you a joke or make you laugh before he or she sticks their fingers up there and it will be easy peasy! 
  • rizzlig said:

    Jumping in here with a question about the Group B Strep test.  I will be seeing my Dr./midwife group for a regular appointment Thursday then my next appointment will be a 36 week apppointment. with a cervical exam.  I can ask about this but I am curious now....does anybody know if there is a way to do the Group B Step test without a full cervical exam or no?  Is it like getting a pap smear...or do they just swab your vagina area?  I feel stupid that I don't know.


    I did mine without a full cervical exam. It didn't feel intrusive at all. She just swabbed from my rectal area go my vaginal area as fast as maybe 3 or 4 seconds of that.:) don't feel stupid.

  • I declined my cervical check and my ob was totally fine with that. No need for them - dilation is not predictive of labor. Some women like having the info and that's totally fine.
  • My OB does them weekly beginning at 36 weeks. The OB I have now is super gentle so it's not too bad but with my first pregnancy my OB hurt me every time and even made me bleed! I was definitely not expecting it to be so rough as a FTM, now as a STM I braced myself for pain but luckily this OB is much gentlier
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