Cervical exams

Definatly possible.

I've done several births with no VE at all, including my first birth as primary. During my apprenticeship, I've worked with 12 (!) midwives in our area, and some like to check, some don't unless there's a problem, or the mom really wants a VE.

My primary preceptor is very minimalistic with VE. So much so that I felt like I couldn't get ANY experience checking dilation! I was thrilled that moms weren't being subjected to "routine" VE, but I was also (I admit, very selfishly getting frustrated that I didn't have but a few chances a year to find a cervix and assess dilation. And I'm sorry, but those "flesh-like" teaching models don't feel a thing like the real thing.

Then I went and worked at one of the birth centers and was suprised at how much more checking they did there.

Made me very happy that my first year of apprenticeship was spent learning with one of the most hands-off midwives in the area, IME.

Checking to see if a woman is complete is basically telling the woman that it's the midwife, not her body, that will be dictating the labor. I also feel that when a woman is checked to see if she is complete, second stage is sooo much longer and there is more directed pushing.

Here is something I wrote once about this issue:

Quote:
The theory about the cervix swelling if a woman pushes too soon is mostly bul*sh&t. Seriously. In many cultures, women start bearing down quite a bit even in the earlier parts of labor. It takes a malpositioned baby or some very serious pushing to swell a cervix!

The idea that there are so many anterior lips is also a pure product created by midwives who are checking to see if women are complete. It is my belief that anterior lips naturally happen as the final portion of dilation occurs - it's not something that necessarily needs to be pushed out of the way or fiddled with. If a woman is listening to her body, she more than likely adopts a different position that naturally puts pressure of the presenting part on the cervix that helps it melt away.

It's hard when you learn with more aggressive midwives - in some ways you have to "unlearn" so many things. I'm still doing that and I have to admit that I'm not even close to being the mw I want to be.

I do vaginal exams when I'm concerned about position, and only after asking. I've had many clients turn me down and I, in turn, have turned many clients down when they requested one (for fear of them being disappointed, etc.).