https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:57:53 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1744052 Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:32:45 +0000 Meridian 1744052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: holy crap, I had NO idea that they sometimes have to stick their whole hand up there, that sounds terrible!! Ugh, not looking forward to this! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1743886 Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:59:03 +0000 Arden 1743886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Meridian: A cervical check is basically where they stick their hand inside your vagina and put their fingers in your cervix. Based on how open your cervix is and how many fingers they can fit in the opening, that tells you how dialated you are.</p> <p>They aren't particularly useful before labor because dialation isn't a good predictor of when you will go into labor (I've known women be 4 cm and go for two weeks, and then ones who are tightly closed right up until labor begins). </p> <p>Because they aren't research supported before labor, you can decline if your doctor asks to do one before labor. There is absolutely no reason you would need one except to check if you were having premature labor or if you are checking to see how favorable your body would be for an induction.</p> <p>It can hurt if the provider isn't gentle, if they have short fingers and have to stick their whole hand in there, etc. my first cervical check was insanely painful (I screamed). Later I had another provider and it didn't hurt badly, it was just uncomfortable. So... I think a lot of it is based of who is doing it.</p> <p>I will be declining any and all cervical checks next time around, including during labor. If I had known the research before I had my last baby, I would have declined it more strongly then as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1743874 Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:53:03 +0000 Vegmama 1743874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our midwives do not perform routine cervical checks during pregnancy ... Of course, I guess if I wanted them to, they would have. I never even had a cervical check during labor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1736073 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 12:42:27 +0000 rachiecakes 1736073@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@coopsmama: probably! I was so terrified at the hospital - haha, I was getting induced and most worried about cervical checks! But it was nothing, barely a touch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1735710 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:23:03 +0000 bunnylove08 1735710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my OB gave me the option. I opted not to because I was told they hurt. So we didn't do it and she came a week earlier than expected. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1735632 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 09:43:13 +0000 JoJoGirl 1735632@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My first cervical check was when I arrived at the hospital after my water broke. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1735623 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 09:40:04 +0000 coopsmama 1735623@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rachiecakes: That would make sense. They told me baby was extremely low at this last check so maybe that's why? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1735615 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 09:36:40 +0000 rachiecakes 1735615@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.ThinMint: @coopsmama: I was checked at the hospital and it didn't hurt at all, I think it depends on how high baby is and how dilated you are.<br /> When I was checked at the office I saw stars it hurt so bad but I barely felt a touch at the hospital (I was induced at 40w1d, not dilated but baby was lower). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1735572 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 09:21:14 +0000 meganmp 1735572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine did, I think because she wanted to make sure I wasn't dilated at first, and later to see if she was going to have to induce me. Perhaps twins are a different scenario? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1735475 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 08:45:40 +0000 heartonastring 1735475@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope, my midwife's practice doesn't do them until labour, and then only minimally. There's no need to introduce bacteria to the area, particularly when they don't necessarily tell you anything in terms of how close you are to going into labour. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1735414 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 08:20:10 +0000 Meridian 1735414@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can someone explain what a cervical check entails and why/how it is uncomfortable or even painful?? No idea if my OB will do it... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1735007 Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:57:16 +0000 Mrs. Cookie 1735007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Someone: Same!</p> <p>Although I had one at 35 weeks because I was going 1.5 hours away on a camping trip and she was concerned. Now it's weekly and I even asked the nurse ahead of time if I could decline, but they really wanted to check, so I was like, whatever. It's also nice to have reassurance that baby is still head down!</p> <p>And for me it doesn't hurt that bad, it's uncomfortable sure, but not painful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1733914 Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:35:24 +0000 mdf106 1733914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My OB does. They can be useful for telling whether you are making progress in labor, and on the likelihood of a successful induction. My OB was able to predict the week I would go into labor based on it, but I do not think that was the primary reason for doing them. It was not too painful during appointments. During labor the cervical checks were extremely painful, though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1733741 Tue, 01 Jul 2014 09:29:46 +0000 bunnylovesbear 1733741@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't remember if they were done with my first...she's 13 now. lol. But I opted out of them with LO#2. I (accurately) predicted that I would go into labor early, and I didn't want to do anything that could help encourage labor. I'll probably do the same thing this time around...as we get closer, no more internal checks unless absolutely necessary. (But I have a shortened cervix and just started on progesterone, so I imagine they won't be messing around up there anyways. Lol) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks/page/2#post-1733483 Tue, 01 Jul 2014 08:05:21 +0000 coopsmama 1733483@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.ThinMint: You're not alone. I just had a cervical check at 39 weeks and it was neither painful or uncomfortable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733473 Tue, 01 Jul 2014 07:57:25 +0000 ElbieKay 1733473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My OB didn't suggest a check til I was full term, and I declined until I was several days overdue. There wasn't a reason to do it until we had to assess my candidacy for induction. I successfully stalled scheduling an induction until my water broke naturally at 10pm nine days after my due date. Labor started four hours later, and my son was born at 1am eleven days after he was due.</p> <p>But, I felt very (probably irrationally) strongly about avoiding an induction, and I switched doctors during my pregnancy because I wanted one who would be supportive of my birth plan.</p> <p>My OB does NOT do membrane sweeps because she says they don't do anything, and they're uncomfortable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733359 Tue, 01 Jul 2014 03:57:12 +0000 lamariniere 1733359@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends on the practice. For LO1, they did them, for LO2, my doctor did an ultrasound at every appointment to measure the baby, and while he was there, he would check the cervix, but it wasn't the same kind of check as with LO1. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733348 Tue, 01 Jul 2014 01:46:03 +0000 nana87 1733348@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My practice does them but I never had one before I was induced bc I hadn't had any contractions. Lo was born at 37 weeks so maybe they would have started them if I were pregnant longer? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733247 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 21:01:46 +0000 MrsA 1733247@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another "other" here...they started offering at 36 or 37 weeks and I declined. I tend towards anxiety and over planning and I knew that knowing my progress (or lack thereof!) would drive me nuts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733186 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:15:09 +0000 Mrs. Oatmeal 1733186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our midwives didn't check until I was in labour. She said the number didn't have any real implication on when labour was going to start. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733178 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:07:43 +0000 ILoveLettie 1733178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think mine did them regularly, but that could just be for me since I was having premature contractions for the 2 appointments before I delivered. I was actually sent to L&amp;D after my 2nd cervical check (and went into true labor the next day, a little over 24 hours later). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733173 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:05:49 +0000 catlady 1733173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine did not. I saw a midwife so that might be why. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733166 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:01:21 +0000 Smurfette 1733166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They do at 36 weeks and then not again till 39 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733161 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 19:59:33 +0000 Dandelion 1733161@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My OB office started them at 36 weeks. I wasn't crazy about them, but I had decided from the very beginning of my pregnancy that I was gonna go with the flow. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733158 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 19:57:11 +0000 Tanjowen 1733158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@night cheese: It's so funny to hear how each practice is so different! I was one of those that didn't want to have checks because I knew it would frustrate me, but I was offered them from 36 weeks on! They finally insisted on doing it week 40 and I gave in :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733138 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 19:47:35 +0000 Mrs.ThinMint 1733138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wonderstruck: I'll cross my fingers I'm just lucky! Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733137 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 19:45:58 +0000 wonderstruck 1733137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.ThinMint: I'm thinking you're just lucky, although everything in that area does generally get more uncomfortable as you get more pregnant since there's more pressure/weight on the area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733115 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 19:36:16 +0000 Mrs.ThinMint 1733115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is slightly off topic, sorry, but I'm 25 weeks and I was having a ton if BH contractions at regular intervals. So, they did a cervical check to make sure I wasn't dilating. (Luckily I wasn't) Everyone is saying the checks are painful, but it wasn't painful at all or really that uncomfortable to me. Does it get more painful the further along you are or am I just lucky that it wasn't painful to me? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733063 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 18:47:14 +0000 Ocean girl 1733063@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine never did, but I went into labour on my due date and was supposed to have my 40W check up the next morning. Am assuming my OB would've checked me then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-anyone-elses-doctor-not-do-cervical-checks#post-1733030 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 18:22:53 +0000 MrsKoala 1733030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My MW only does them if requested. </p>