I'm about a week and a half out from my 36 week appointment and my doctor mentioned that they start cervical checks at 36 weeks. This is baby #3 for me and I've never declined cervical checks with my prior two pregnancies but I've read that they can cause your water to break sooner. With my first, my water broke at 37+6 and with my second I had a small leak in my amniotic fluid at 38 weeks even. I'm wondering if it would be smart for me to decline cervical checks. With my first, they showed that I was barely dilated until I gave birth and with my second I was very much dilated/effaced and they told me at the 36 week appointment that I should be prepared to go early (my amniotic leak ended up not being detectable until my fluid became low in the 39th week and I was inducted at 39+6). I also recall having spotting after the checks. Clearly, the checks didn't really tell me much. I'm just curious if other people have declined cervical checks or whether in other people's experience there is much value to having them.
-
My doctor's philosophy is he doesn't need to check my cervix unless I'm in labor in front of him. He will if you request it or are having your membranes swept, but otherwise not until you're in labor.
-
@Sams Mom: I think that approach makes a lot of sense. I'm on doctor #3 (different doctor for every pregnancy) and they all seem to be cervical check proponents starting at 36 weeks.
-
I never knew to deny them, my first was induced at 39 weeks, second came 37 weeks, I think I did start leaking water post check, and third child came 36+4, the same day I had a cervix check sooooo 🤷‍♀️
-
@Shantuck: mine is fairly young (36/37 I think), and he's all for the you could walk around dilated forever and a day or go 0-10 within hours.
I don't think your doctor should challenge you if you decline it.
-
Mine doesn’t check unless you ask. I was never checked with my first (had her at 38+5) but did request checks and 39 and 40 weeks with my second.
-
I don’t think my doctor planned to check until 40 weeks but I only made it to 39. I would probably decline until then if I thought they might do it earlier!
-
I didn't, because I'm nosy and wanted to know what was going on in there, even knowing that it didn't mean much
But I feel like I'm in the minority! I also didn't find them that uncomfortable, so I can see why you would decline if you do.
-
I never had any cervical checks. I think the cervical checks are kind of useless unless you're actively having contractions or are leaking fluid. When I went to my OB at 37 weeks she didn't offer, and I didn't ask. However, she did tell me that I was already engaged and wouldn't be surprised if I didn't make it to 39 weeks. My water broke at 38w2d and that is how my labor started, so I guess she was right.
-
Last time my practice offered checks at I think 39 weeks, but was very clear you could deny them. My previous practice did it routinely but they were not a good practice. It has never been predictive for me so if I can help myself I’ll refuse them this time. With my last pregnancy I had a check on Monday, I was 2cm (so nothing), not effaced, and a posterior cervix. I had the baby Wednesday and the first thing the midwife said when she walked in was “Really?!”
because she hadn’t expected me to go for a few weeks. -
Yes you can definitely say no! I even said no in labor once when I knew it was too soon to check again. I had zero checks with my first two kids until well into labor.
The one time they are informative pre labor I think is if you are being induced. I did have one for that reason at 38w with my third, because we were planning likely induction and a check can indicate how favorable you are and what approach they might take. Doesn’t sound like that’s likely an issue for you anyway and a third baby induction is usually simple anyway! Other than that, no purpose I can see except to mess with your head!
-
@bhbee: The plan is to induce during the 39th week for me if labor doesn't happen sooner. Since I just turned 40, my risk of having a stillborn birth is much higher than it previously was. If you do cervical checks prior to induction, I'm assuming that is something you would do much much closer to the actual induction, right? Presumably lots could change in 3 weeks.
-
@Shantuck: yes last visit before the induction would be a good idea I think - that’s what I did, my ob has always understood me saying no before that visit. I had my induction on a convenient day during the 39th week also and it was super easy.
Honestly for a third baby I think you still might even be able to decline it if you want because the induction is not likely to be difficult to start like sometimes happens for first time moms, so you could even ask exactly what they will do with the information before they do the check and make sure it seems useful. In my case I think it helped decide whether to use a cervical ripener in addition to pitocin or breaking water (I ended up with cytotec that didn’t do anything and then just had my water broken).
-
I would decline them. My doctor is like @Sams Mom and doesn’t check unless it’s requested. With my first two she checked me starting at 39 weeks and I was never dilated at all. My body seems to only start dilating when I’m in labor. This time I didn’t bother asking her to check me, and I went into labor on my own at 39 + 2.
-
@Shantuck: my practice has a policy of not checking before 38 weeks. I had my first at 38.5 weeks so I’d had one check.
2nd pregnancy, I was only 36 weeks when I requested a check—I’d been having intense prodromal labor and had a week long work training and just wanted to know if anything was happening. At 36 weeks I was 2 cm dilated. At 37 weeks I was 3.5cm dilated and I did indeed go into labor at that work training and barely made it to the hospital in time to push—it was scary since I thought for a few minutes I’d be giving birth alone in my car. So in my case, I requested but was kind of told it didn’t necessarily mean anything, but The next morning after the appointment, I went to work and went into labor and went 0-baby in 2 hours time and had to drive myself home (almost 1 hour) in active, painful labor. I should have taken the 3.5 cm thing more seriously and stayed close to home I guess.
-
My midwife practice didn’t do them routinely until 40 weeks, but would if I requested it starting at 38 I think. I have both babies almost on my due date so I never had a check until I was checking into the hospital in active labor.
-
@Shantuck: I would probably elect to get checked prior to the induction so you can better plan what type of induction. Like maybe your cervix and position are super favorable and you can get a foley bulb placed instead of pitocin.
-
It’s not routinely offered in New Zealand and as somebody that was over 40 weeks and walking around at 4-5 dilated for four days I don’t really feel like there’s any benefit to doing them.
-
My oldest was born on 41+4 so I got them after my due date in order to keep a pulse on the situation.
My twins were induced on 37+2 so I got checked before the induction because it affected whether or not they needed start with a cervical ripener versus just going straight to pitocin. I was already at 2 so we just started on pit.
In general I would decline them unless / until I felt the information would inform my decision making.
-
Our first was with a midwife and she didn’t do them, though he was born at 35 weeks due to PPROM. Our second was with an OB and also not offered. Membrane sweeps were offered twice at the very end so I believe DW did them at the 39 week appt and the 40 week. He was born at 40+4
-
I totally declined, with all three kids. It's not like these checks give any really useful info in most cases. It wasn't a big deal. The only check I had was when I was 40 weeks with my third and wanted to know if she's got any plans to come out. Totally useless check, because I was told there are zero signs of labor, and she was born six hours later
OK, maybe not totally useless, now I'm wondering if the check made my water break!
-
All my kids were with a midwife and they don’t do checks if you don’t want them (or if there is some reason to) and they typically don’t even suggest until 39 or 40 weeks. I wouldn’t want one before 39 weeks, not because I’m afraid of them breaking my water, just because I feel like it’s totally unnecessary. In 3 pregnancies I had 8 stretch and sweeps and no accidental water breakage. Haha.
-
@Shantuck: I had one check in my first pregnancy (at 39isb weeks, fingertip dialated but went inti labor 2 days later) and none with my second until I got to the hospital at 7 cms in (very) active labor.
-
I kind of believe my cervical check at 39 weeks was one factor for me going into labor... I was only 1cm, not effaced at all, previous baby was induced at 41+1, so OB & I didn't think at all that I was near labor. Cervical check at 4:30pm, nursed toddler around 6:30pm, water broke at 6:45pm.
-
I declined them with both pregnancies, because I didn't see the point and thought they were slightly uncomfortable. Even if they tell you how dilated and effaced you are, that can change overnight or stay the same for a while.
But I feel like I'm in the minority! I also didn't find them that uncomfortable, so I can see why you would decline if you do.
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
24 comments