checking dilation?

[BanditaMamacita]

I hadn't planned on doing any internal exams for my UC, but rather just let things happen and follow my instincts. But I read a couple stories on here recently about an early urge to push, which made me a bit nervous that I won't know if it's really time or not. Any advice/info on that would be great. What are your plans for checking dilation? and if some of you do plan on checking, any info/resources for how to check just in case would be great. Thanks!

[KristaDJ]

You might find this comforting
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/RuleOf10.asp

[Mrs.Floyd]

Originally Posted by KristaDJ

You might find this comforting
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/RuleOf10.asp

THANK YOU so much for that article! That was truly fascinating and such great new information for me!

[BanditaMamacita]

I agree, i loved the article It reminded me what the whole point of UC is, at least for me... Trusting my body to guide me and to do what it was made to do. Trusting my body's wisdom over man's. It also reminded me of my previous labor experience, where it seemed at some points like bearing down (tho perhaps not pushing exactly) was almost involuntary. I feel much more relaxed now, thank you

[1babysmom]

I don't rely on dilation to gauge my labor, but I do LOVE checking and just knowing (prior to the birth...I just don't care to go through with checking DURING the birth, but I've also never felt the need, either). I'm just fascinated with everything pregnancy and birth and I like being able to see (or in this case, feel) what my body is doing in preparation.

[rlmueller]

Be informed

I am proponent of UC, however, I think it is of immense importance to understand all risks/abnormals vs. normals and educate self to all the girly parts. I don't think checking is that important at all, but know what it feels like, where it is--all that good stuff; as well as being able to palpate baby and listen to its chest, check color in fingernails, etc.

Point--just learn all that you can--don't stop.

[cottonwood]

The urge to bearing down as feels good is your body cuing you to help it in some way. It may be to help position the baby or dilate the cervix. I had these bearing down urges even before labor began, and they felt so good to satisfy.

It's very different than the "throwing down" expulsion of the body trying to move the baby through the birth canal, which is what most people think of when they think of pushing.

[Serenyd]

Originally Posted by fourlittlebirds

The urge to bearing down as feels good is your body cuing you to help it in some way. It may be to help position the baby or dilate the cervix. I had these bearing down urges even before labor began, and they felt so good to satisfy.

It's very different than the "throwing down" expulsion of the body trying to move the baby through the birth canal, which is what most people think of when they think of pushing.

Yes, I can relate to that. Although, I never had the "urge to push" during the pushing stage, I did feel like bearing down during contractions towards the end of my labor and it really helped move my baby down the birth canal and helped ease the pain to a degree. The only time I ever "checked myself" during labor was after my water broke while I was sitting on the toilet, I wanted to be sure the cord didn't prolapse, but all I felt was the soft wrinkly skin of my baby's scalp, fully engaged. Whew! I don't plan on doing cervical checks this time either. I tried to check my cervix when I was pregnant and couldn't reach it. Everyone's body/speed of progress is so different, I wouldn't think that doing cervical checks would tell me a whole lot, and might increase the risk of infection.

[zoebird]

i didn't check. it was great. personally, i'm all for just letting it happen.

[KristaDJ]

Originally Posted by fourlittlebirds

The urge to bearing down as feels good is your body cuing you to help it in some way. It may be to help position the baby or dilate the cervix. I had these bearing down urges even before labor began, and they felt so good to satisfy.

It's very different than the "throwing down" expulsion of the body trying to move the baby through the birth canal, which is what most people think of when they think of pushing.

Yes! My UC baby was posterior and I had small pushing urges for a long while before the real uncontrollable pushing happened. My body just gave little pushes at the end of contractions then suddenly I got on my hands and knees and my water popped. She was born in three involuntary pushes about five minutes later
Just don't take the "urge" as your cue to get the baby out, do what you feel and no more.

[Astraia]

Originally Posted by KristaDJ

Yes! My UC baby was posterior and I had small pushing urges for a long while before the real uncontrollable pushing happened. My body just gave little pushes at the end of contractions then suddenly I got on my hands and knees and my water popped. She was born in three involuntary pushes about five minutes later
Just don't take the "urge" as your cue to get the baby out, do what you feel and no more.

I can definitely vouch for that!

DD was born with a HB MW. At one point in the labour I would start to bear down slightly at the peak of a contraction- not pushing, just bearing down a bit. It felt better to do it then to not do it.

MW noticed and asked, "do you need to push?" and I said i didn't know - which was true, it wasn't PUSHING but it wasn't not pushing either.

So we entered the pushing stage - nearly 2 hrs of directed pushing, most of which hurt like the dickens and I had absolutely no need or desire to do.

After reading the article linked above, I definitely had an "ah-ha" moment, and definitely know to follow my body's cues for this little guy!

[onyxravnos]

i'm not sure what my plan is... beacuse of issues with my ds i never even had any contractions with him.... so i'm unclear what im going to do.... at this point i think i'm going to try and distract myself for a while and then go into the MW office 'just to check things out real quick' have them check and then go home and mostly just trust.. i might try checking once or twice but i'm not really sure i'll have any idea of really what i'm at. :

[Sarah Faith]

I recently read an article on the same website as the above article.

It talks about how FTM's may have "pushing" urges before they are fully dilated and as long as they aren't coached to push at this time and only do what the body tells them it is fine. It really resonated with me because I started feeling pushy urges before I was 10cm (I think, my midwife-birth center- just told me after I hit 8.5 cm I could push whenever I got the urge, and didn't check me after that) and I would feel the need to do it every 3rd pressure wave or so. Technically this "phase" lasted almost 2 hours but DS's head came out super molded and I had no perineal tearing (some minor labial tearing that had a couple of stitches)

ETA: Sorry, I don't know if you are a FTM-just thought of this article in reference to pushing.
EATA: It specifically references larger babies here, my DS was 9lbs 1 oz