I've never had a single VE. Good thing no one ever offered one because I would have declined. The birth centre I went to had a policy of first VE 6 hours after arrival. I arrived pretty much pushing and baby was born about 4 hours later.

My homebirth I didn't have any either. Again my body started pushing when it was ready and I felt an uncontrollable urge to go with it so I did.

I never cared to know how dilated I was. When I was pushing and pushing away for eons in my second labour (happened in the first one too) my MW suggested I could check myself to see if I could feel baby's head as I think she was trying to encourage me as I was losing steam and getting frustrated no baby was coming out. But I had no desire to go sticking my fingers inside. My vagina was aching and I didn't want to touch it at all.