Your opinion, should I get checked?

[saffrongirl]

I have another midwife appointment tonight. I'm 39+1. Got checked last monday and I was 3.5-4cm and 75% effaced. I've had pretty consistent BH for the last few weeks, starting in the afternoon and usually going all night every 10 minutes or so.

When I found out I was 3.5-4cm, I was excited but it didn't really "set me up," meaning I didn't feel like it should happen right away, just that I was really glad that it felt like the BH had done something in the meantime. So now I'm wondering if I should request a check this week too. Part of me feels like it would be nice to know if things are continuing to progress, but another part of me worries I'll be at 2cm or something. And obviously I don't want to go digging around in there and introducing bacteria or whatever if I don't really need to...

What is your opinion? What are you doing? My midwife will do what I want but she doesn't usually do internal exams unless you ask.

[Youngfrankenstein]

What do you feel the benefits would be? I just see it as another way to add more bacteria up there.

[Cavy]

Well, if it were me, I absolutely would not check. The waiting can drive you crazy at this point and by checking I would be pandering to the anxiety of waiting. Much better strategy for me personally is to stick head in sand and pretend like I KNOW for a cast iron fact that nothing is going to happen for the next 3 weeks.

No idea what YOU should do, but it would drive me personally quite nuts to... micro-manage the waiting period.

[2boyzmama]

Well, of course it's up to you. I prefer not to let my provider check because I could go from 0 to baby in a day, or walk around at 3cm for weeks. Plus, there's the risk of germs of course, it's uncomfortable, and I've heard the ocassional horror story of water being broken or membranes being swept without consent.

BUT, if you're really wondering...check yourself! At least then it's your own fingers up there, your own germs, you know how gentle to be, etc.

It might be difficult to check yourself, depending on the position of your cervix, the length of your fingers, and how you're able to contort yourself If you don't know how to do it, post again and we'll share, or just google it, there are lots of webpages out there that tell you how (even one page that was posted a while ago here in this DDC that had actual pictures of a cervix).

[saffrongirl]

Sigh. You are all right. It really won't tell me anything definitive and will probably just drive me crazy. I guess at this stage, with all the waiting, it sort of feels like something to do. Which is a ridiculous reason to do it probably. So I'll hang in there unless my midwife has some substantial reason to do otherwise (which I doubt since she's very laid-back and usually leans against internals anyway).

Originally Posted by 2boyzmama

BUT, if you're really wondering...check yourself! At least then it's your own fingers up there, your own germs, you know how gentle to be, etc.

It might be difficult to check yourself, depending on the position of your cervix, the length of your fingers, and how you're able to contort yourself If you don't know how to do it, post again and we'll share, or just google it, there are lots of webpages out there that tell you how (even one page that was posted a while ago here in this DDC that had actual pictures of a cervix).

Yeah, I've tried to check but I feel like it's "no man's land" in there. Normal landmarks are all confusing and I don't know what I'm feeling. Baby is at +1 so I can feel her head and even when the midwife checked me last week, she had to literally lift the head with her palm to reach the cervix that was tucked behind. I guess I don't know what it "should" feel like now. Also, I've tried to do a tampon with tea tree oil on it for possible yeast issues but it almost feels like there's nowhere to put the tampon - within a half hour or so my body pushes it out. I don't get it...How do you find the cervix?

[Youngfrankenstein]

Originally Posted by saffrongirl

Sigh. You are all right. It really won't tell me anything definitive and will probably just drive me crazy. I guess at this stage, with all the waiting, it sort of feels like something to do. Which is a ridiculous reason to do it probably. So I'll hang in there unless my midwife has some substantial reason to do otherwise (which I doubt since she's very laid-back and usually leans against internals anyway).

As Tom Petty says "Waiting is the hardest part!"