Checking for dilation of cervix painful!?

baileeann409 · April 2022

So last night my mid wife had my husband and I go to labor and delivery for non invasive stress test on baby. I'm a first time mom and he'd gone from having a crazy moment like practicing karate once a day with other moment throughout the day to very in comparison weak small movements the last day or two. They monitor me and he was doing fine but think he wasn't moving because I was having contractions. So they had me change positions and drink more water. My nurse after a few hours wanted to see if I was dilated and feel my cervix. There was zero warning that it could be painful. It's was so painful that I cried and when the nurse left I cried more to my husband. Now I'm terrified for labor because Im terrifiedofhavingmy cervixchecked. The nurse was nice and felt really bad that it was so painful for me, but a warning would have been nice. They ended up ordering a vaginal ultrasound to measure my cervix and it was fine. I was just really taken off guard because I've never had an issue like that during a pap or anything. Part of me feels like I'm just a giant wimp, but maybe it's because I was completely unprepared for that level of pain? Is that normal now I'm afraid I have pelvic floor issues or something, but was too upset to ask last night because I was trying not to cry and make the nurse feel bad.

meggyme · April 2022

Your cervix may be sensitive. And you can absolutely refuse cervical exams and dilation checks if you want. Unless you are going into very preterm labor there’s no benefit as you can go from 0 to 10cm in a matter of hours or walk around at 4cm for weeks.

swizzlemalarkey · April 2022

It was extremely painful for me too. And I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t think it’s as common for it to be that painful. But I’m pretty sure I had mild vaginismus. I had heard cervical checks can be uncomfortable but I wasn’t expecting to be writhing in pain and squeezing the life out of my husbands hand. They couldn’t even get a foley bulb in when I was being induced. However, I wasn’t necessarily surprised because I couldn’t have sex that wasn’t painful while pregnant and I’ve always had issues with speculums. As PP said, you can refuse exams. I will say if you get an epidural the exams won’t hurt which was nice when I was being checked for full dilation. And since having my son I can tolerate exams now no problem. You’re not a wimp it’s just how things are sometimes.

harpseal135 · April 2022

Sorry you had that much pain. I never experienced pain for a check. I suffer from severe pelvic floor issues pre and post pregnancy. They have never warned a dilation check would hurt.

I typically agree w/ @meggyme, but not with declining cervical checks.
I went in for an appt. On a Friday. Dilated at 4. Sunday I was having contractions through the day. Next morning. They were running 4 min apart for 1 min each. It lasted an hour and called my office.

They told me to go in. I did. Theykept track of the contraction and saw I was in active labor. They wanted a cervical check - still a 4. 7 hours later,still a 4. I went for an epidural as I couldn't take it any more. After the epidural from 4 - 10 in almost 90 min. My body was not relaxing between contractions. So baby wasn't moving.

So just a reason why I feel they are important, so they can track how labor progresses.

wishiwaspreggo · April 2022

Cervix checks hurt for me, too $:\$ I think they are important though. When I went to L&D with my twins and they almost sent me home because I wasn't "expressing enough pain" to truly be in labor (um, I'm supposed to swallow my agony when I have sudden menstrual cramps in social settings so I've gotten remarkably good at suppressing my pain response over the past 20 years thank you very much, ugh). Anyway, doctor came in and checked me and I was 6 cm dilated, 98% effaced so I needed a c-section right away. At least now you know to brace yourself if they have to do it. It'll be over soon!!

sanpav · April 2022

I'm in my third trimester, they have not done a cervical check yet on me, however, I had one done every week pre pregnancy and at the beginning of my pregnancy, since mine was started by IVF. It is very painful, but I have gotten used to it very fast, since I have been waiting to get pregnant for many years, at this point I'd take on any pain. At least for me it helps to keep in mind why I'm doing all this and what the payoff is. Maybe that can help you too! :) I wish you good luck for your future visits.

baileeann409 · April 2022

I think looking back and after talking to ladies in my life that have had kids there was a lot that added to the discomfort that I didn't know wasn't normal at the time. For example, she had me keep my shoes and leggings on. She just had me pull them down so I wasn't really able to spread my legs the way I would for any other vaginal exam. Keeping my leggings and shoes on made me feel super uncomfortable, but I didn't say anything because I've never had one before and thought it must be normal. She also sat in my bed with me instead of rolling up a stool to sit on. While I'm sure they are painful. I was in a position where I think it added a lot to the discomfort and wasn't really warned about it. Then afterwards I felt like she gas lighted me because she acted like no one had ever thought it was painful before. She made me feel like i made her uncomfortable. So while it was physically painful there was a lot in the situation that added to the discomfort. If I go into labor and she is working I will request a different nurse because of this experience.

knottief1fd6d1dca9b3e91 · April 2022

Cervix checks hurt for me with my first baby, and I refused a few of them but they started to stop hurting as labor progressed and I become more dilated. I knew baby was about to come when they did their last cervix check and it wasn't uncomfortable anymore.

Checking for dilation of cervix painful!?

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