https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 05 May 2026 21:21:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-638391 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 22:39:22 +0000 Ree723 638391@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never got any cervical checks either and was quite happy to not have them. Like you @aprk, my MW could tell from the outside what position the baby was in - and at my 38 week appt, she was "locked and loaded" with her head firmly engaged in my pelvis. That was more encouraging to me than knowing whether I was dilated or not. I had my first check when I got to the hospital in active labour (I was at 3 cm) and holy heck did it hurt! I plan on refusing any cervical checks in the future as having that information, which really means nothing, is definitely not worth the pain of the check! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-638371 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 22:22:49 +0000 aprk 638371@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: yep. I'm glad I stuck with my initial instinct </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-638350 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 22:01:34 +0000 Arden 638350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm firmly in the NO camp, and I'm 39+1. I'm interested to know, but not enough to mess with my body. Oh well! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-637707 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:03:10 +0000 BananaPancakes 637707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aprk: Well then refuse away. I have a suspicion my doctor thought he was breech but didn't want to suggest it until she was sure. So she persuaded me to do the first check. But I was pretty sure I was going to say no to them all until then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-637448 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:44:14 +0000 aprk 637448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bree72: my midwives can feel the position from the outside, and he's been head down for weeks, luckily! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-637338 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:08:03 +0000 2PeasinaPod 637338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: Hang in there! FWIW, I had one check, and it was at 39w. I was totally closed up and wasn't at all effaced and went into labor naturally 6 days later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-637337 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:07:14 +0000 BananaPancakes 637337@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My doctor starts them at 36 weeks, and I planned on refusing them. But she convinced me to do just that first one, because she was unsure about the baby's exact position. The exam was no big deal, other than the fact that the baby's head was nowhere to be found. Turned out that he was breech. So you can always decided to just have the first one done, and then refuse the rest. She said it wasn't a big deal if we didn't do anymore after that first one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-637329 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:05:06 +0000 aprk 637329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: ugh - so frustrating! Hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-637321 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:00:40 +0000 travellingbee 637321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've had them all along since 36 weeks (I'm over 40 now) and they are very frustrating. I have been at 1 cm and 50% effaced since 37 weeks and nothing is happening. :( Everyone thought I was going to go early and here I am late and still waiting with no "progress". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636930 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:12:03 +0000 aprk 636930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OK in waiting for my appt to start, and decided I'm not gonna have her check me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636560 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:37:31 +0000 cascademom 636560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got checks from 36 weeks on per my OB's office practices. I think the 38-39 week ones were the worst. I bled on one of them which she warned me about. I think I was pretty close to delivery by that point. Beyond that, the initial ones yielded no information. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636540 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:31:38 +0000 aprk 636540@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hellobeeboston: exactly what I'm worried about - it doesn't really indicate anything, other than an interesting fact to know ... I think I'm gonna have to make a game time decisions </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636532 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:29:10 +0000 hellobeeboston 636532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my doctor does it routinely starting at 39 weeks and it HURT, probably because I was only a "generous 1cm" and about 50% effaced.... the next week at 40 weeks I was 2cm and 70% effaced - had her strip my membranes and this week it hurt much less.<br /> I went into labor the next day at 40w1d!</p> <p>it was good knowing &amp; not at the same time - whatever you are dilated is NO indication of when you are going to go into labor. I had a friend at 3 or 4 cm for 3 weeks prior before she went into labor and she kept thinking it would start.... it'll drive you nuts! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636524 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:27:13 +0000 MamaMoose 636524@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am in the "need to know" camp. The more info the better. I got them at 36, 37 and 38 weeks. They wen're fun, but they didn't hurt me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636477 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:12:39 +0000 aprk 636477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: ahh I am getting curious too!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636476 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:12:16 +0000 Mrsbells 636476@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i never asked for them, I only had them when my OB suggested them, and she started around 38 weeks. They were NOT fun </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636472 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:10:19 +0000 pl0508 636472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was solo curious. I got them every week starting at 36 weeks. But... My cervix was extremely posterior and it HURT </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636428 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:49:58 +0000 ladyfingers 636428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had checks at 35, 38 and 39 weeks (35 only because he was already doing the group b swab). The midwife who delivered LO did my 38-week check and bless her, she was so gentle it barely hurt. The other two - wow! Although I also had my membranes stripped at 39 weeks.</p> <p>I was in the "don't do it" camp but I actulally ended up getting really curious! I'm glad I did because I was 2cm and almost completely effaced at 38 weeks so I knew labor would be somewhat speedier and that if I did need to get induced, I likely wouldn't need a c-section. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636410 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:45:46 +0000 twinmama 636410@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My OB wouldn't do it until my 39 week appointment. I was definitely curious before then, but it was nice to know finally that I did have some progress, and then a little more when I went to the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636408 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:45:29 +0000 matador84 636408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did and the cervical checks didn't hurt me at all...I think a gyn exam with the speculum was worse! I was 100% effaced for 2 weeks so I am super glad I got them done...it helped me see the end is in sight! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636398 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:43:20 +0000 aprk 636398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: @dagret: I'm feeling very conflicted. I have until 2 to decide ... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-636067 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:44:47 +0000 Smurfette 636067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had one at 36 weeks and then not again till my 39 week appointment. I liked knowing. I knew it didn't mean anything but it gave me some reassurance that something was happening. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-635973 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:13:31 +0000 dagret 635973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got a check at 38 weeks bc the curiosity was killing me. My cervix was, in the doctors words "doing a whole lotta nothing." It did make me feel better, though, when I went to the hospital in early labor 5 days later and was almost 1 cm/ fully effaced; I knew my 14 hrs of early labor were actually productive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-635969 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:12:57 +0000 aprk 635969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: aw dang! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-635965 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:11:04 +0000 blackbird 635965@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been getting them because my doctor says it's important to have a "baseline" so that when i get to the hospital, if I'm still at a 1 or 2, they have a gauge. </p> <p>I'm of the opinion that the more info the better. I found it uncomfortable but my doc is ULTRA quick about them.</p> <p>@aprk, i told my doc i was crampy and she said braxton hicks can resemble menstrual cramps. but my cervix is at 0, so it doesn't mean something's happening down there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-635963 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:10:07 +0000 aprk 635963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Weagle: ugh, that would be awful</p> <p>@Bao: I've been crampy for weeks now so I am blindly telling myself that something's going on down there, lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-635956 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:07:51 +0000 Bao 635956@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got regular checks (one at 36 weeks one at 39) so I guess only 2. At 36 weeks I was 2 cm and 50% and at 39 weeks I was 3cm and 70%. She did a membrane strip at the 39 week check. When I found out at 36 weeks I was 2cm I thought I'd go into labor sooner than 39 weeks. However, I did like knowing that my body was doing something. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-635955 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:07:37 +0000 Weagle 635955@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did at 38 weeks. Never again. I still didn't go into labor until 41 weeks, and that check hurt like crazy! Tears in my eyes and sore for a while kind of hurt. FWIW, I have a friend that was told she was 2 cm at her 38 week check. She ended up being induced at 41 weeks and was told she hadn't dilated at all when she arrived at the hospital. Talk about disappointing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cervical-checks#post-635949 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:04:22 +0000 aprk 635949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am 38 weeks today and trying to decide if I should have my midwife do a cervical check at my appointment today.</p> <p>I had been firmly in the "not necessary" camp, since I didn't need more information that wasn't going to tell me anything - like when the heck is this baby coming out!!??!? - but my doula made a good point yesterday. If I get checked then at least we know where we might be starting from when labor begins. Even one or two cms would be almost like freebies.</p> <p>What do you think? Did you get regular checks? Did the numbers mess with your head? </p>