Cervical/internal checks in 3rd trimester

[lesleyjohnson]

Thanks for your replies! Appreciate it! Makes me feel better knowing that they might npt be as necessary as some women have made it out to be.

I wanted to get more opinion. Yes, everything is ok with baby and there are no complications so I guess until I go into labour no checks will be required!

Thank you! x

[beau_9]

i had my first internal at 41 wks, and that was to do a s & s, cause i'd started to go into early labour, but thats the only one i have ever had.

[lesleyjohnson]

i had my first internal at 41 wks, and that was to do a s & s, cause i'd started to go into early labour, but thats the only one i have ever had.

Thank for your reply. So maybe I get one done at around the same time if she hasnt come out yet by then. Will have to wait and see I guess!

Thanks again! x

[Snacks]

Only necessary if you want one.
I think it is stranger to have them before term, TBH. It really doesn't tell you anything much - it can look completely different even the next day.
I don't intend to have any this time, unless I really want to know what's going on when I'm in labour. (That's the only time I had them last time - one when I arrived at the hospital, another to make sure I was fully dilated before I started pushing.)

[Alan]

A few OB’s will do an internal examination from as early as 38 weeks. I have no idea why they would do this. An internal at this stage in pregnancy will not give you any useful information. I once asked an OB why he wanted to do an internal on a woman who was 39 weeks. He said that he wanted to check if the cervix was still closed. I said to him ‘you would know if the cervix was opening as the woman would be in labour’. I don’t think he liked this comment.

[Ozziehoffy]

He said that he wanted to check if the cervix was still closed. I said to him ?you would know if the cervix was opening as the woman would be in labour?. I don?t think he liked this comment.

ahahah love it Alan!

I had no internals with any of mine.... first was c/s so none at all. Second, internal done only once I was in labour to check what was happening as heartrate was dropping to 40bpm and so far with this one (38 wks 6 days today) have had no internals. I would actually refuse if they told me they wanted to do one unless there was a medical reason for it.

[AliBaby]

I had my first internal at 40wks for a S&S and at this stage I was already 1cm dilated. (I didnt go itno labour until almost 2 weeks later)

They said they would not do internals before then as there is no need. THe only other time I had an internal was during labour.