Anyone else with NO cervical checks until 40 wks?

[janerose]

Now that I'm starting to read about people who are X % effaced and or dilated I'm wondering if anyone else's provider doesn't do cervical checks until the very end?

I asked about this at my 34 wk appt and was told that they don't do them until 40 wks because they are actually a pretty unreliable indicator of when a woman will actually deliver. What you end up with instead is a woman who either feels very frustrated because she's not "progressing" or very frustrated because she IS "progressing" but still not in labor.

I totally agree with this, btw! Last pregnancy I was the mama who wasn't progressing. I was literally in tears at my 41 wk appointment because I was exactly the same amount effaced & dilated as I'd been the past 3 weeks. SOOOO discouraging. They even started talking about induction the next week! Know what though? My exam was at 12 on Wednesday. By 4pm on Thursday DD was born.

Holly

[Qalliope]

I'm not doing cervical checks at all, if I can avoid it.

[cpop]

My last pregnancy my MW didn't do any checks at all until I was in labor (and then they did only one at the begining).

[miguelsmom]

My midwives leave it up to me. They checked me at 36 weeks when they did the GBS test "since they were down there" But I've decided no good can come from checking and driving me crazy if I'm progressing and nothings happening or the other way around.

[Shenandoah]

I would like to avoid all checks. Last time I was 2-3 cm dialated and 70% effaced for weeks. It drove me nuts. This time I'm declining all checks. I'm sure this will drive the ob crazy.

[bleumoose]

I can have cervical checks if I want them, but AFAIK the MWs don't require them ever. I hope to wait until labor, and even then, as long as labor is progressing I might not have any. I'll just play it by ear and if I need it for my brain or if the MWs recommend it for some reason, I'll consider it.

I was like the OP too, where I wasn't dilating much until labor. Although I was nearly 100% effaced, it didn't mean anything to me at the time so I felt as if nothing was ever going to happen and I was a failure.

[MacKinnon]

I won't have any until I am at the hospital in labor (and hopefully pretty far along). I'll have one more when I feel the urge to push and that's it! Unless I request them, which I admit is tempting when I am unsure of dates and feeling so much pressure

[Shazer]

MW doesn't do any checks until they come to my house for birth. I am very happy about this because I don't want to be reminded about my progress and I don't like people poking around down there.

[pbreffe]

My midwife doesn't do them unless you ask. I had an appointment today and had the GBS swab done. I thought about asking her to check since she was already down there. But then I thought that if I was nothing that I would be upset! Especially with all the contractions I have been having so I decided to just wait till I am in labor.

[meggles]

I haven't had any yet, at 36 weeks. I think my mw waits until labor to check. She hasn't even seen my yoni yet...I did the gbs swab myself! How different mw care is from that of an OB!

[bethwl]

Last pregnancy, my midwife did the only prenatal check two days prior to 40 weeks at my ok. It was my normal check-up and I asked her to, because I was just so uncomfortable and hoping that labor was going to start soon. I was about 3 cm I remember. I went into labor about 12 hours after the appt.

I don't think they do them at all in my practice unless they have a specific reason to suggest it or you actually ask them and are past 38 weeks.

[BoSoxMama]

No checks here either until you are past 40 weeks. I was hours into my labor with DD (two weeks early) before anyone checked my cervix.

The midwifery practice I use also has you do your own GBS swab. At 36 weeks, that is HARD to do!!

[kalisis]

Last time I didn't have one until the 40 wk appt and then a second one while I was in labor. The MW had taken her time getting here and now in hindsight, I realize she was surprised by how far along I was . She didn't do it for me, she did it for her!

This time, I haven't had any checks at all and I don't anticipate having any (unless the MW insists or in the throes of labor I get really curious) before the little one arrives.

[ayme371]

I wasn't checked until my 40 week appt and then again when I was in labor. Gottta admit, I was pretty darn curious.

[MacKinnon]

I also did my own GBS swab at my last appointment. I had had a pap with the other midwife shortly before I got pregnant, so my midwife didn't do my pap either! She hasn't "seen" me since my first appointment with DD's pregnancy in spring 2003. Her partner delivered DD and did my pap!

[niki_73]

my midwife doesn't do them unless you ask, but when i slipped a fell 2 weeks ago and ended up in the hospital because of too many contractions and bleeding she insisted on checking.

[stormgirl]

The only naked thing my midwives have seen is my big white belly. They said in the beginning that they don't even do it during labor, unless I want, I suppose, so that mama's don't get hung up on the whole progressing progression timeline...also much different than the whole hospital journey I had with ds...

[PortraitPixie]

I think I may have spurred this thread.

My mw does them upon request.

The curiosity was killing me. I know that it could still be weeks, but I'm a peeker (we found out the sex) and a checker!

[2Sweeties1Angel]

I'm not having any cervical checks. I've had them in past pregnancies and found them to be both painful and pointless.

[earcher]

None here unless I ask for it. With DD#1 i had one the night I was in labor and that was it.