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I was checked the way you suggested- when I arrived, and when I was in transition and almost ready to push. Even then, I don't think they were required, but with my first I had asked about an epidural (and they knew I wanted to avoid one) so they suggested checking to see how far along I was. Knowing I was 9-10 cm have me the boost to push through without drugs.

I actually can't remember but I think they never checked a second time with my second. Definitely not every hour or anything either time.

Eta: I wasn't at the hospital very long either time. 4 hours from arrival to birth with my first, 45 minutes with my second.

I was checked once. But midwives tend to take a more hands-off approach when it comes to checks, at least in my experience...

I was checked when I arrived to make sure I was 5 cm (they won't admit you before that unless there is a health problem), once 30 minutes later when I moved into transition, and then once I was complete so I could labor down. Every hour seems like a bit much.

With my first, my water broke prematurely so they limited the checks to decrease the risk of infection. With DD, they checked me twice, once when I checked into triage and was 7cm and then once when I said I needed to push and was at 10cm (less than 35 mins after getting to the hospital!)

I didn't have many...maybe 5 in total. I was induced and from receiving medicine to having the baby was about 26 hours. They checked when I got to the hospital, when I got Pitocin, some random time hours later, then they wanted to check me to see how far along I was and possibly decide to break my water to help labor along. That check actually broke my water. Then they checked when I told them I thought I was 10cm. I could be missing one, but I think that was it.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I was checked as you requested, but my water broke prior to getting to the hospital, so they didn't want to check me unless necessary. When I got there I was 1 cm, and had my baby about 12 hours later.

I was checked when I arrived, an hour later to check for progression, many hours later when I requested (wanted to see where I was to decide on epi or not) then when I told them I thought I was complete. Only 4 total. Every hour seems crazy unless there is some kind of concern

Eta I arrived at the hospital at 6 am had baby at 5pm.

I also requested minimal checks. I was in labor at the hospital from 8:30pm-8:23am and think I was checked maybe 4 times, so every few hours. I think that is an acceptable amount, given that they needed to know how far along I was in order for the on-call OB (since it was the middle of the night) to know when he should be heading to the hospital.

The OBs are not bedside (nor are midwives typically) and so I think it makes sense to have more than only 1-2 like you mentioned, given that doctors need to be updated based on their on-call status/other patients delivering in the hospital/scheduling at their office, etc.

With #1 I was checked at check in, 3-4 hours later, right before they broke my water and when I was 10 cm and getting ready to push. I was in the hospital for 9 1/2 hours

With #2 I was induced. They checked me at start of induction, 4 hours later, an hour after that when breaking my water and then a couple of times towards the end when I was 9-10 cm and having a ton of pressure to push but still had a lip of cervix not going away.It was a 7 hour induction.

ETA: I think it is easier to do fewer checks if you go med free because they can rely more on what you are feeling than if you had an epidural. I had an epidural both times.

I never had a check before being in labour - they're just not done as a standard in Australia. I had a check upon arrival to the hospital with each LO and then after the epidural was inserted, several hours later, at which point I was fully dilated.

A lot. 10 ish times. I was induced and in labor for 42 hours, they kept checking my progress to see if I needed a c section.

With my first I was induced and they checked me 3 or 4 times over 12 hours (I had a midwife). I was happy to be checked, knowing my progress helped me not need an epidural, but if I'd been checked every hour & known I hadn't dilated that much more I'd probably felt very discouraged. I was only had the hospital for 45 min with my second so I only was checked 2 times (once at the midwife office before going to the hospital and once when admitted).

I think it's wierd that they have a "max" time limit that they'll allow - you are allowed to refuse a check if you want to.

I feel that this isn't something that you can really argue too much beforehand. It really depends on how your labor is going and what's happening. Sometimes it's necessary. If things are clearly progressing then it's not. No one wants to check you if it's unnecessary.

Never before I was in labour.

When i got to the hospital (6cm)
When I asked for the epidural a couple hours later (8cm)
Then they broke my water at some point and rechecked. Then they also tried to rotate him.

I had a 36 hour induction, and I think I was checked 3-4 times? Once after being on cervidil and pit for about 15 hours (I was still only at 3), once when the pit got to be too much about 5 hours after that and I wanted to see if I was close or if I should get an epi (I was only at a 4!), and then 1-2 times in between the epi and pushing (I went from 4-10 in like 5 hours after the epi). I didn't have any checks before I was in labor (I was induced at 37 weeks for low fluid and hadn't had any contractions or even b/h so there was no need to check).

Agree with @Torchwood, I'd be alarmed by a place that has that kind of policy in place with the assumption that's going to be the procedure for every woman who comes in the door. Every hour?? I did midwife care for about a billion reasons, and cervical checks were definitely one of them. I had exactly one cervical check for all of my pregnancy+labor, and it was at 8 cm dilated. Yes, of course if things aren't going well you will need more checks, but it's definitely a red flag for that practice to have their MO be hourly checks and then to try to tell you that you aren't allowed (under any circumstances?) to stretch that out more than 2 hours.

I was only checked once, during transition. I was ready and given the go-ahead to start pushing. My labor started with my water breaking, though, and I was already having contractions by the time I was admitted to the hospital, so there was no question about whether I was far enough along. And my midwives try to do as few cervical checks as possible, particularly once the water has broken.

with my first, i was 40w1d, and had a pretty long labor, i think I got checked a million times. I was at a major teaching hospital in Boston and there weren't many women giving birth when I was so it was like resident, after fellow, after OB, after nurse, after resident coming by.

with my second, i was induced at 41w3d and was at a smaller hospital with 1 midwife tending to me mainly, i think i was maybe checked 3 times the whole labor. they also didn't do checks leading up to my due date,

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: yes, cervical checks starting at 36 weeks we were encouraged to decline (Bradley classes) and I did decline them. NBD and as far as I know, they are not necessary.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: That would make me really uncomfortable. But like @PawPrints I went with midwives partially for that reason. And you totally can just skip the induction! They can't make you go! And if they try to stop treating you because of it they can get in big legal trouble, according to my birth class.