I am now 36 weeks and wondering if when the OB starts internal exams? Is it just in labour that he will check or should i expect the next couple of apppointmens to have them.
I just want to be prepared IFYKIM?
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I am now 36 weeks and wondering if when the OB starts internal exams? Is it just in labour that he will check or should i expect the next couple of apppointmens to have them.
I just want to be prepared IFYKIM?
Hee hee....
I have never had an internal with any of my pregnancies other than once at hospital & in established labour when they check for dialation!!!
Others I know have internals at almost every appt, THANK the lord I dont go see their Dr's!!!
The first internal i had was when i was induced. I had 5 different doctors last pg and none of themdid internals, if any doctors ask to do internals next pg i think i will change doctors, i don't believe internals are a necessary thing if all is going well. Hopefully u won't have an internal til ur in labour! Goodluck with it all
I had an internal at 39 weeks but that's because I asked for a stretch and sweep if it was possible (it wasn't), so I then had one at 40+3 weeks to see if we had better luck this time (which we did). Other than that I had 2 internals done whilst I was in labour - the first to see how far along I was and the second 6 hours later to again see how I was doing. That's it - I had no problem with this (also, I'm the sort of person that has to know what is going on, so knowing how far dilated I was helped me with the labour).
I had one on my EDD and then when my waters broke 5 days later and then a couple of times during labour...
I never had any except for once I went overdue so he could check if I was dilated. My OB says they are unnecessary.
I had one on my EDD and a stretch and sweep, then at a week over and then when induced I had 10 or more over a 36 hour period before my c/s...!!
I had one this morning and thats only because I was due yesterday and my OB wanted to check whether my cervix was ready (which it isnt :( ) I dont expect to have another one till I'm induced on Sunday or in labour.
I didn't have one until I rocked up to my Ob appt in labour....
I had one when i was 1 week overdue (already had a scan to show that we needed to hurry things along, so i think he was just checking.. and i was already 3cm which was good)
I had another when he broke my waters a few days later when i was induced. I had 2 more during labour.
My obs wouldn't do one until i was a week overdue.. I was worried at the time, but so happy now... i found that they hurt, or were at the least uncomfortable, and i don't think you gain much from having somebody stick their hand up there unless they are actually doing something, rather than routine.
Can I ask a silly question? Do they literally have to put their hand up there, or just fingers?
I'm having one on Thursday for the first time.
I'm glad someone asked this, because I have wondered about it. I actually wouldn't mind close to the end, just to know if anything is going on IYKWIM....
I never had one - and it was in my birth plan that I was not to have one unless it was absolutely medically necessary, and not just out of medical curiosity or routine. Internals increase risk, so if you don't need one, don't let them do it. Find out in which situations you would be expected to have an internal, so that if someone suggests it during crunch time, you have the foreknowledge not to be flustered about it and just say no if it doesn't fit into a 'medically necessary' scenario...and word up your birth partner!
Have a great time and enjoy your birth experience!! I did :)
I didnt have any internals at all until I was at the hospital and in labour (I had two, I think). It wasnt really that painful, but it was definately uncomfrortable.
sarah, its all a bit hazy now.. but I think all my midwife did was 'open' me up with the speculum thingy and have a good old look in there. I dont remember hands going in, but then, I really couldnt see what she was doing.
Hi Twoyearwait
We use 2 fingers. By putting one finger at one side of your cervix and the other finger at the other side of your cervix we are able to measure how far dilated you are.
IK
I never do routine internals they usually tell you nothing and it can be quite embarrassing for the woman to have to go through that. In fact most of the births I have attended I have not performed an internal at all. Most of the time a midwife can tell what is going on just by watching the woman and looking for the little signs that you all give.
Alan - glad to hear it! I have faith in the midwives at my local BC because they, too, told me that they discouraged internals (for various reasons) and that they could tell, with experience and knowledge, from how a woman is behaving, what stage she's at. My midwife was magic - we were with her for not even 10 minutes when she started running the bath, knowing that we were well into my birth plan by then! I really was one of the 'lucky' ones who had a fantastic first birth experience, but I prepared for it.
Hi IK
Obviously I can not know what an internal feels like to you girls I can only imagine that a stranger putting his/her fingers in places where only you and your partner should go can not be a pleasant experience. When I assist a woman with her birth I want it to be the most beautiful and memorable experience that she has ever had. I am sure that poking around in secret places will not enhance this experience.
There needs to be more of your kind, Alan :)
Alan, youre great. I wish my midwife was more like you! Can you come to sydney when I have my next baby, LOL!
Hi Karina
You just let me know when you are pregnant again. You just never know here I will be. Even I dont know where I will be.
I totally will Alan!
Nope you will not have an internal exam unless you are in labour,or they are going to induce you, or unless there is something wrong with baby, not too alarm you so i wouldnt worry and good luck you will see your baby soon its an amazing thing my sis and sis in law just had babies last week one on mon and one on thur i was there for my sisters baby Isaac 's birth it was amazing i had never seen it from the other side this her third baby all 5 years apart big gap huh mine are just 2 yrs apart and im gonna try for my 3rd in feb hoping to get a girl finally but if i dont well its just meant to be lol, Do you know what your having, In the last year i dont know one person that has had a girl everyones having boys,lol well everyone i know has had boys hehe.
Ebonee
P.s how do i attach some pics somebody
i'm so glad to hear that we can actually say no to an internal coz i had the same thing going through my mind!! will the doc have his arm up my waahoo?? scary thought!! anyway, i've already stated in my birth plan that internal to be done only if medically necessary! glad i got that covered. :)
I am having a homebirth and will not be having any unless my midwife feels they are medically necessary, she doesn't do them unless there is a good reason.
Personally I think they are just a way for infection to start, and also would probably be a reason that alot of labours don't progress well if women are able told they have only dilated a certain amount of cm's and so on.
With DD I had an internal on my first OB appt, and then at 40 weeks for a S&S. After that I think twice whilst in labour.
I have not had any this time around. I have a different OB (have moved from Melbourne to Sydney) who has told me that a woman should be able to go through a whole (uncomplicated) pregnancy without having one.
I just thought that it wasa ll part and parcel, but I really love the way that you described it Alan.
I am *so* glad to read this thread. I have major issues with the thought of internal examinations.
Even getting cervical smears done is really traumatic for me - I do get them done but recently I got so stressed, that afterward I fainted in the doctors waiting room. Recently I had to have a urinary cathatar as I had suspected appendicitis in my second trimester. I was in tears and shaking afterwards and two separate nurses had to try to "install" it - and they explained that it doesn't even get inserted into the actual vagina. I felt pretty silly.
I was even asked if I had experienced a truamatic experience - and if that was why I was so uncomfortable with it - that made me feel worse because I haven't had bad experience which could explain it - it's just me! Anything like that is just so uncomfortable and painful - and it makes me feel pretty stupid to react in this way without a real reason. Pretty much any kind of prodding around down there hurts - even making babies is very painful -- my husband is very supportive but you can imagine just how *scared* I am about the delivering my baby or having someone insert a hand or even some fingers up there if it's not really really necessary. To know that internals aren't going to happen every 5 minutes is a relief. Phew. ;-)
Reading this thread has been reassuring that you can be in control of what is done to your body through the process and this will encourage me to talk about this more at my next antenatal appointment as I'm at 29 weeks and so starting to think a lot about delivery. ;-)
ooooh, this thread is very interesting. Now, I've never been keen on pap tests etc. or any kind of medical examination involving taking my clothes off (to the point where my lovely doctor joked with me about my boyfriend at one consultation "blimey, he must have been very persuasive") as I huffed and puffed and flummoxed around with my shirt buttons.
I think, however, that all this changed when my female GP did a pap smear a few years ago and told me "you have the healthiest cervix I've ever seen" and I was RIDICULOUSLY proud. I swear it was as good as being told "you're the spitting image of Naomi Campbell" (which I'm obviously not).
Anyhow, having said all that, I think I might turn into an internal addict during labour. I just think I will want to know how dilated I am to see how I'm progressing. I realise this may be soul-destroying if the answer is "not very far" but I can't imagine not being curious.
I think the midwife at antenatal class suggested that an internal once every four hours would be about normal. Which seemed like a helluva long time to wait to me!
HI,
I too am not at all keen on the pap tests etc, and am glad I haven't had any internals so far.
I have accepted the fact that at some stage someone will be putting their hands at least in the general area, which is fine.
Yet I am glad to hear there is a good consensus of midwives and ob's that realise internals are not necessary for everyone. Fingers crossed jnr, gives them no need to do one.
found out from prenatal class that the most number of times an internal is done is 3 and only necessary especially when deciding to give an epi since epis are only given after 3cm of dilation. and one way or another, they gotta check to give it to ya! but i'm hoping that they dont need to do it at all....*keeping fingers crossed*
Fionas thats hilarious!!!!!!:cryinglaugh::cryinglaugh::
:)