36 week appointment - what do I expect?

Hey guys,

Ok, so my appointments are now weekly, I have my 36 week appointment on Thursday.

I'm just wondering what to expect from here, I have read that an internal exam will be done at some point to check the thickness/ thinness of the cervix? Is this right? And if so, when will this happen.

My appointments have been fairly brief so far, checking BP, bubby heart rate etc. but obviously now I am close to the end of the pregnancy I just wondered what happens from here? If anything?

Thanks in advance. Might post this over in the labour and birth section too.
Sue xxx

I imagine the 36 wk appt probably differs for each hospital/ob/antenatal clinic so it might be a little hard to tell.....

I'm doing shared care with a private Ob/GP and the midwives at the private hospital, and have been on weekly appt's with the midwives from 36 weeks. At my 36 wk appt it was just the usual stuff - BP, weight, urine test, heartrate and fundal measurements, and the Group B strep swab. For the last 2 visits they have also started noting if bub is engaged or not, giving me a 5/5 both times meaning no engagement yet. I have not had any internals though - kinda glad about that too!

My Ob said the only time I will have an internal prior to being in labour is once I am 40+ weeks to gauge how we're going.

Good luck with your appt :)

From memory with DS, not much changed really, just that I went in more often. I was lucky enough to have had a very uneventful pregnancy and so all was just routine still. I didn't have any internals until I went to the hospital in labour at 39 weeks and that was no big deal compared to what I'd heard about having an internal done. Maybe it depends on what sort of care you've got going - I had 'shared care', saw my GP for most appts and an ob at the hospital twice for 'major' checks and with the midwives a couple of others. This time I'm in a slightly more rural area and the GP is also my Ob and will be present at the birth. Again everything has been very uneventful and so far no word of an internal and he's decided to see me every 3 or 4 weeks still rather than every 2... so maybe it's a case by case thing?

However it goes, good luck for the next few weeks! Hope it's all going smoothly :)

Hi Sue,

Oh how exciting not long now until you will meet your little bubba in your arms.

I have my 36 week appointment next week and as far as i am aware there is a routine blood test to be done at this appointment aswell as the general things ie. checking bubs heartbeat, bubs position, fundal measurement, they will more then likely also check your BP, take a urine sample etc.

Goodluck i hope everythign goes well for you at your checkup and way beyond. x

36 weeks is when they offer you the swab test for GBS (Group B Strep?). usually they give you the swab stick and you can do it yourself in the bathroom. (you dip it in your vagina and then on your bottom hole- and then cap it and give it to pathology)

no internal, and everything else was just the same. a bit of let down really!