Do you think being told how 'dilated' you are is beneficial?

[Mad Scientist]

That's a great way of looking at it. Maybe they should be selective in what they tell the birthing mother then?....I mean if they aren't progressing but it's not a serious problem maybe hold off saying anything....but I can definitely see how it would be encouraging if the news was good....

[Jellymaker]

I dont want to be told when i go into labour. I think if i find out im only like 4cm or so ill feel really disheartned. Its kinda like when i was trying to lose weight before getting preggers, i would be really good for the week and the scales was my reward at the end of the week, if i jumped on the scales and hadn't lost anything or only a few grams, i would be like "what was all that hard work for then?" and want to eat a tub of icecream.
I wont ask for an internal and refuse if they try to do one unless the MW thinks something is wrong, but once i know they know, ill want to know too, you know? LOL (did you follow that?)

[Indadhanu]

Of course its helpful if you're progressing...

[gypsy79]

I'm the sort of person who wants to know details, so if someone did an IE I would want to know the result. With my DS I had one about half an hour after arriving at the hospital, to be told I was 5-6 cm. I was stoked! A couple of hours later, contractions were much worse and the MW said she thought I was progressing really well and would be ready to push soon. Ob came in and did another IE, only to tell me 5-6 cm. This time I was crushed and demanded an epidural, even though I hadn't wanted to have one.

So I'm another one who thinks they're great if you're progressing, but terrible if you're not.

[Tish]

I don't think its helpful and I think you know when your near the end (well I did anyway!). Honestly I think its better to not think about how dilated you may be and just go with the flow (removing all clocks helps too lol!)

:yeahthat:

The thing that really interrupted my flow big time with DS was the cranky old midwife who told me I was 2cm (I think?), gave me a panadeine forte and sent me home saying "you're in for another 24 hours of this". Being told that really badly disheartened me, and the panadeine forte made me too sleepy to focus properly but did nothing for the pain whatsoever. DS was born 3 or 4 hours later.

I think if I hadn't have been told how far dilated I was I would have had more confidence in my body to say no we're staying here and no I don't need the panadeine. I feel I knew I was near the end (I did transition when we arrived home), but telling me that undermined the confidence I had in my body. I had a great birthing experience overall, but I'm really angry that I had to experience such awful pain in the car needlessly because I didn't believe in my body, not to mention the sinking feeling of "omg i'm never going to be able to do another 24 hours of this, i need an epi or a CS".

When we arrived back at the hospital a few hours later I remember yelling from my wheelchair "I don't want to go home again, please don't make me go home" Little did I know I was at 9cm LOL.

Next time I will be requesting no IE and no cranky old midwives LOL

Tish
xx

[miss.mestiza]

imo, yes! i wasn't checked for dilation until labor! i thought it was a mandatory thing to do at your 37 week midwife appointment? i was a bit disappointed, just needed some insight on how things are going.

[blackduckies]

I always wanted to know cause my labours are long and difficult, but to my detriement was never good news although I always hoped it would be. I think you would be far better off not knowing so it does'nt knock you for six, but in saying that I am a gluten for punishemnt and am sure I will be asking this time around as well????? (I am slightly crazy)

[thepixie]

I wanted to know because it was important to me to have an idea of how I was going because I wanted to know if I would need to step up the pain relief - eg. I was having gas, and was starting to think about other pain relief options, mw gave me an ie and I had progressed so I thought I could hang on with just the gas. If the news had been different maybe I would have asked for stronger pain relief. Also when I wanted to push obviously I needed to know where I was at so I knew whether to go for it or not. so yeah I think it can be useful but it is no doubt disheartening if you aren't as far along as you had hoped.

[littlebear]

I was induced so they had to do internal exams to see how I was progressing. I remember I'd been in labour for a long time, and everyone was thinking I'd be about 6 cms which would be really good, and that encouraged me, but then we found out I hadn't actually dilated at all since they'd broken my waters earlier that morning and it upset me so much I was physically sick.

I think it really depends on your frame of mind. If you have your hopes up, you'll be disappointed. If you're doubting yourself, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Personally, if I'd had the choice, I wouldn't want to know how dilated I was, because I really lost focus & hope when I found out that nothing was happening!

[~Minny~]

First time around i wasnt checked for dilation until DD was in distress which was after 17.5hrs labour.....when i heard i was only 1cm i was sooo disapointed as there was nothing they could do to speed things up to get her out.... result was a ceaser.

Second time round i liked to know just to make sure i was progressing this time, although i didnt need as many as they gave me!

[alioops]

IN fast labours I would say it is great, but in slow labours it would be really upsetting. I think when I have done my study I will tell the actual number if there is good progress, but if the number is not wonderful then just say 'You're doing wonderfully, keep going'

[*Beema*]

I agree with Alioops I would go with the encouragement over the number, and look for them to offer a different position, or to walk around etc to help things move along, rather than you have only dialeted 1 cm in four hours. I feel that would be very disheartening, but I can't really understand what that would be like... yet

For me having a very fast labour, and a premature one, we wanted to know if it was possible to stop it, but I had gone to 7-8cm, after 45 minutes of contractions (1 1/2 hours after waters broke) so for me it gave me a clear sign that we weren't going to be able to stop the labour, and that it would soon be over, and 45 min later she was out.