Will they check if you're dilated?

Question

I've got my 40 week check up with the midwife on monday and i have been having strong period like pains for a couple of days now but they don't seem interested in checking if i am dilated (this is in the UK). Is this something they should do or isn't it necessary? All they've checked since my 20 week scan is my bloodpressure, have had check ups every four weeks since then. This is my first so i don't know what to expect! Hope someone can help!

Answer 1

it sounds like you are in slow labour,i'm from the UK,and the only time a midwife will give you an internal is if you appear in actual labour.or if you are overdue and she needs to sweep the membranes.with my first baby i was in slow labour from tuesday,had a beautiful baby girl on the saturday.keep on your feet spring clean your house and baby will soon be here.good luck and hope all goes well.

Answer 2

I had a baby 12 weeks ago and I'm in the UK.

They checked me, but my waters had started leaking so they wanted to see if I was dilating or not as if your waters break but labour doesn't start there is risk of infection.

If your waters haven't gone they might not be interested in checking until your pains are regular and closer together - ie you are in "active" not latent labour. And you will know when this happens because the pains will get much more intense.

I spent most of my labour at home because they checked me at 4pm and 7pm and found I was only 1.5cm dilated. In the end I had to go in at 10pm because I couldn't take the pain anymore but they still didn't check me until 11.30pm by which time I was fully dilated! My son was born an hour later!

Answer 3

Hi, if you've been having period pains for 2 days and you're 40 weeks it sounds like the early stages of labour, in a couple of days you could be seeing your baby or even sooner.
Try having a nice hot bath and taking 2 paracetamol will help in the beginning and then I would ring the hospital or your midwife and discuss what's happening.
They could be extremely busy and know full well that they'll be seeing you shortly and until then there's not a lot anyone can do.
Genenerally when you're late they'll give you a quick internal and this usually helps things to get going but don't worry. I know it all may seem scary but you're in safe hands and they know what they're doing, you'll be fine. xxx

Answer 4

They dont normally check if you are dilating in the UK until you go into labour, and you WILL know when you go into proper labour ! If you are worried ask your midwife, who will give you an internal exam if you want one.
You may be in slow labour but you will not start dilating till you go into active labour, the pains will become increasingly regular, closer together and more intense, lasting longer and taking your breath away for a few minutes.
i gave birth 4 months ago and you WILL know when its happening.
If your waters break phone the maternity unit straight away who will advise you what to do.
good luck and just remember you will be meeting your amazing baby soon and the pain will be forgotten in a second.

Answer 5

This answer is for the UK. There is no need to check to see if you are dilated until you are in established labour (although this is normal practice in some countries). What is concerning is that they have only checked your blood pressure during your pregnancy as they should be checking your urine, the growth of your uterus by feeling your tummy and enquiring about movements. They should also have done some blood tests also. If these have not been done you need to seek care elsewhere (as this is sub standard) and check out the NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) guidelines for antanatal care on the NICE website

Answer 6

My goodness at 40 weeks you would think they would be wanting to check you over ! I know they don`t like to do internals randomly as the possible risk of infection but come on your 40 weeks .. Thats the NHS for you what a let down ... I hope your baby arrives soon ..Good luck x

Don`t worry you will know when you`re in labour ! Just stay relaxed and make sure your bag is ready to lift .. You will be absolutely fine when you are admitted . Midwives are lovely and they will look after you ..

Answer 7

I dont know about your country, however the routine in malta is that when a woman comes to hospital complaining of cramps or contractions, if ultrasound scans do not show a low-lying placenta, first an abdominal examination is done (to see the position, lie and descent of the fetus), then the fetal heart is heard and finally a vaginal examination is done to see if the mother has gone into labour; that is by seeing if her cervix is soft or rigid, if it started effacing (thinning) and how much it has dilated. by doing a vaginal examination, the midwife can also check the level of the baby's head in the vagina, to see how low it is. if the head is still high up (and this is felt through abdominal examination), they usually avoid doing vaginal exams, because of the fear of rupturing the membranes early...or else it's just the policy in your country.

Answer 8

i had the same problem and it turns out that i was in slow labour for three weeks as a result i had a difficult time when my waters broke.
ask the midwife to check you and explain the feelings you have been having. be strong and don't let them fob you off. the problem with the uk is they are too busy to deal with people properly, they just want you in and out end of story. put your foot down and tell them you want to be checked.
i did it with my son eventually but they sent this really nasty old lady to do it so i left the hospital and did it meself. i know sounds bad buit i'm glad i did as i was dilated.
good luck with everything

Answer 9

I'm in the UK too. They won't check unless you ask them to because any internal examination at this stage could trigger labour. I requested an internal because I wanted to go into labour (I suspected I was already in the early stages anyway) and sure enough it worked ... my daughter was born 12 hours later. At 40-weeks you've got nothing to worry about - if you'd like to speed things up a bit just ask your midwife, she should be sympathetic and help you along. Good luck to you and yours x

Answer 10

Yes they should check if you're dilated! With cramps like that there could be a number of things wrong or labor. You should express you're concerns with the midwife and if she still does nothing get a second opinion. Don't feel like you are just being paranoid,after all this is YOU'RE baby were talking about.