OB appointment at 40wks.....wants to give VE? Should I?

I had a MW appointment today at the hospital (39wk check) and she said to come back in a week for my 40 wk check up but this time it will be to see the Dr/OB on duty for a VE and to see where I'm at..... see if my cervix is favourable and if i'm dialated at all..... ( i thought to myself Eeeeek! cos i was hoping to avoid this until im in labour)

From those experienced mothers who have done this before me........I need some advice!

Should I get the VE done or refuse? What will it prove? If I'm not dialated it may only worry me and then the OB may want to start talking about inductions etc which I do NOT want to discuss until I'm overdue and then overdue by at least 7 days!

What did you do at your 40wk check up? Did you have an internal done and what did it prove?

TIA :D

I would only agree to one if it's what you want. Personally I did because I'd had a lot of prelabour and wanted to know if it had done anything, so it was for a bit of mental relief ;)

If you don't want a stretch and sweep done make sure you tell them if you do have a VE.

Sounds like you have answered it yourself hun, if you think you will be worried then I would just refuse until you are 41 weeks when they can do a S & S as well. There really is no need to have one at 40 weeks and just increases risk of infection etc.

ETA: I had one at 40 weeks because of prelabour as well and had a S & S too.

Ren,

I had one with my Ob at 40 weeks and my cervix was closes and they we talked about inductions BUT that was because I had HIGH BP and it was rising, My induction was then schedualed for 4 days after that.
Its up to you of you would like the exam - I choose to have it as I wanted to know when I was up to. Its not the most comfortable thing but it was ok.

You will have PLEANTY of VE when you are in labour or being induced.

Sorry not much info for you!!

Kate xox

I'm pretty sure I had one at 41 weeks.... so I'd say no ;)

I've had some prelabour pains and things going on the last few days/couple of weeks however not sure if that's enough to warrant me getting a VE?

I'd be curious to know if I'm dialated or not but it doesn't matter if I'm not at 40 weeks does it?? Some women aren't until they are few days over?

I guess I feel i just want to let my body do it's thing naturally and if i get a VE, it may only stress me out unnecessarily which won't help bring on labour :lol:

Yep, from what you've said I wouldn't.

I DID have one because I'd been having a few pains and DP can potentially work long distances away and I was getting myself into a bit of a flap. So for me it was good because it 'proved' that I hadn't been imagining things because I was 2cm dilated but also that nothing was going to happen that afternoon. And I didn't find it uncomfortable, invasive or in any way yeuky.

But horses for courses. If you think it will have the opposite effect for you and it will start you getting worried unnecessarily, then definitely refuse. Your body.

Ah Ren, if it were me, I wouldn't. It doesn't tell you much at that point anyway, does it?
You will know when you are in labour, you are not interested in even talking about induction at such an early stage, so what good will it possibly do? It can't tell you how quickly your cervix is going to dilate, and even if it is 'unfavourable' at that point, there's nothing saying it will stay that way for long, KWIM?
At my 40wk check we did everything as normal. Booked me in for another check at 41 weeks at which point they said we'd "discuss" induction. My 40wk appt was just like another appointment. :dunno:
Your choice though, of course! You may be dying of curiosity and want to know ;) But it is your decision so don't be bullied into it if you decide you don't want one.

VE's before labour don't tell you anything much about when labour is going start.

What they do often end up achieving is giving said medical person some ammunition to convince you that because you're not dilated at 40 weeks you need their help to get your baby to come out.

If you don't want to have it - just say "no thanks" ;) Practice saying it in a nice confident voice so they know you mean it ;)

It wont prove anything. It wont give you an idea of anything either. Your cervix could be hard and closed and tomorrow it could be soft and slightly open... who knows. Trust that your cervix knows what its doing and its at exactly the right position, dilation, and feel as to what it should be. Because it is.

Vaginal Exams - Are They Really Necessary? By Brenda Manning MIPP

I had one done at 40+1 this time round only because i was offered a S&S and id been having alot of pre labour....with the girls i never had any VE's til labour started

Thank you everyone for your posts. Much appreciated. I think it just confirms to me again that I don't need to get a VE until I'm at least either 7 days overdue OR in labour. Don't even want an S&S until I'm 7 days overdue.....

I will get ready to say 'oh thanks but no thanks don't feel it's needed at this stage' ;)

Kelly -thanku for the link i'll check it out now.

Renstar you dont need them in labour either... there are other ways to know how your going along...often when they tell you in labour a pg women does the labour math.... 8 hrs to 4cms gee im going to be doing this for another12 hours....aauuurrrggghhh

which isnt how it works at all...

also be wary that your ob might try to scare you in to having a VE at 40 weeks...... BE STRONG

Thanks girls, i'll be strong!! :D And DouDou, I'm also hesitant during labour to want to have one.... except when I feel like I may need to push perhaps then i'll let them check to see i'm at 10.

Only consent to one if *you* think the information would be useful to *you*. "Favourable"? Why does the OB want to know that unless s/he's planning an induction? When you're in labour, your cervix is by definition "favourable".

There is no need for a pelvic exam barring complications. It will not give useful clinical information as a cervix can go from high, hard and unripe to low, soft and ripe in a matter of hours. And then it can stay that way for weeks without any further progress.

If you are getting fed up and you need some encouragement, then that's a different matter - also, if you want a stretch and sweep at term to hurry things along, again, there's a reason for that.

But unnecessary PEs raise the risk of rupture of membranes before you *are* ready, and introducing infection. If you don't want one, just say no.

I refuse them during labour unless I request them. I have only had them during labour twice in five deliveries.

what Kelly said !! and TBH, why can't you have a feel for yourself, without the OB? if you squat you might be able to reach around..

in my opinion, it's unneccesary, especially if you are in pre-labour, and risks infection, especially if you ARE a little dilated and have lost your plug.

i'd be questioning the OB's reasons, and asking for written information to take home and think on before you go to the appointment.

How'd the appointment go Ren?? Was it yesterday??

Thanks girls.

The appointment well really well - VE wasn't even offered!! The MW i had last week should not have said that they'd do a VE!!! she got me worried for nothing....I saw the hospital's OB (all women do at 40wks) this time and he just said jump up on the bed and lie down and he felt my tummy, bub's position, heartbeat and then checked my BP.... all great. Baby engaged nicely..... he said to come back next week (Tues) for my weekly and they may do a VE then to see how my cervix is going......
Who knows by that stage I *may* want a VE being 41wks.... Or maybe not..... I'll decide at the time.

Had lots of nice prelabour pains last few days and sometimes when it feels like it's starting it stops! Hopefully any day now..... before Tuesday would be great!!!! :lol: bub is VERY quiet today..... hope its a sign!!

Hossy won't induce til you are at least 11 days over which is great news. Too early for me to worry about that yet anyway.

glad to hear all is going so well !!

Great to hear everything went well today!! As I was approaching 40 weeks with Emily, I told the hospital under no circumstances will they be inducing me if me and bub were doing fine. I had her a day early, so fortunately I didn't have to worry about that.
Hopefully it's a good sign that bub is being quiet today. :goodluck:
Sending you lots of *labour vibes* hun!

Yay to all of the above, Ren! How exciting to know that your baby's birth is just around the corner :)
I too am sending you some lovely labour vibes...

*Labour vibes* hun, stick to your guns and they'll only do what you want them to.

Thanks girls for the lovely messages :p

I sure hope these pains i've been getting since 3pm mean something.... that walk may have helped after all .... :pray: but not getting hopes up.... lol

Hi Ren,
Just popping on to wish you all the best for the upcoming birth. Can't wait to read the BA. :goodluck::goodluck:

VE's before labour are in my opinion completely meaningless, and even worse, I feel they are used as a tool to gauge how compliant a patient you will be during labour, they are just so unnecessary, i simply cannot believe they are still performed.

I've been through 3 pregnancies, and have had ONE VE, that was during my first labour, I have since thought about them a lot, and researched the uselessness of them, and the downsides of having them done, and never will I ever have any, unless it is a medcal emergency.

This Gloria Lemay article has a good comment in it about some of the detrimental effects VE's in labour can have...

www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/pushing.asp

Cyathea - thank you for that article. Very good article!!

Ren - what are u doing here? i said u were going to have ur bub yesterday! ur meant to be in hospy holding ur little one!