I guess from my experience internals give you information, and I'm a bit pressed to see how getting information is a bad thing. A lot of discussion here has been about being disappointed. I find this point a bit weird....I do lots of things to find out more information. When I had high blood pressure during pregnancy I had urine and blood tests, and I was very disappointed with the results. But I'm a big girl, I dealt with it, I much preferred to know and be disappointed than not know. If you are in a similar frame of mind I don't see why it should be a problem.

So with my situation, I was in labour and had an internal at about 2:30am and was 2-3cms. At about 3:30am I opted for some pain relief (epi) as I was not coping and I was likely to be in labour for a long time yet. An internal at 4am revealed I was 10cm. The point being it I had of had an internal and got the information about how my labour was going at 3:30 I would have not had an epi at that point in time. I thought what I was feeling was 2-3cm type pain and there was no way that I could see myself doing that for several more hours, when what I was experiencing was actually transition and something I could have dealt with if I had of known pushing could be a few minutes away.

I think you've hit the nail on the head with the midwife vs. ob point, I think your midwife friends are taking the context they want to from your situation to push their own agenda and ignoring the facts i.e. you requested it and are happy for it to occur. I have absolutely no problem with some one giving me information about my options but if in the process they are being unsupportive and unhelpful - well that's not helping me and I'm probably not going to be as receptive to their point of view.
Sagres evidence based practise tells me that internals don't tell a lot - so respectfully I disagree with your comment. TMTM made excvellent points in her post. A Woman can be ripe and ready and dilated for many days before labour begins.
I have seen a Woman go from zilch to 10 in an hour ( & also myself in a little over an hour!).

The reason why your friends were so outspoken is because it is contrary to evidence based practise. It is not wise practise as it sets up Women for disappointment and failure. PLEASE do not underestimate how those feelings can impact on your body. Your head gives birth before your Hoo Haa. If your head is saying: "I am not working properly, all this contraxcting is not getting anywhere, what if I can't do this..." You are set up for failure.

THAT is evidence based!

Something that has been overlooked is that birth is abaout trust. Birth is intrinsically related to trust. Without Trust Birth is hard. Trust in care provider, body, support network, in life...

With a finger poked into a vagina you can measure a cervix with some estimate. That only tells a teeny part of the story. Your body is telling you much more than your obstetricians finger. Your body is telling you that it is working hard. That it is exercising that beautiful muscular organ that holds your precious baby. Love your body for that! Thank your body for that!

Get back into the earthiness of this process and Trust.

I understand what your friends are saying - maybe they could have said it better but what they are outraged at is that it is not (most of the time) a positive thing to have a look see...

Trust that beautiful body my darling...