I am going to be 39 weeks pregnant next week. I have not received any pelvic exams [excluding a pap on my first visit, and a strep-B test at 36 weeks]. I have not received any vaginal exams as I am high-risk [bicornuate uterus/low amniotic fluids/grade 3 placenta] and was told no vaginal stimulation is prefered. I received 4 ultrasounds a week and 4 NST's [non stress tests, monitoring of the babys heart and my contractions] a week. My baby is head-down [NOT transverse/breech].
I was told at 39 weeks they will check my cervix for dilation. How do they check? My Mom says they only use a finger and feel up there.. I am convinced this would not work and they must use a speculum and actually look up there.. Right?
If I'm receiving NST's and ultrasounds 4 times a week to monitor positioning of baby and both the health of baby and I, is there really any reason I NEED to be checked vaginally???
I don't care how dilated I am, should I? I will get checked if I have contractions.
2007-10-04 18:26:07 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous Person 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
i was high risk too - and the only time i had a doctor look at me like that was when i was having contractions at 30 weeks! i was so ill, and on so much medication that i cant clearly remember - but i think they used a spectulam and fingers.
They only checked to see how dialated i was.
Hope this helps!
2007-10-04 19:26:20 · answer #1 · answered by Kylie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, given the fact that you are gestationally due at 37 weeks, they probably want to give you a pelvic to determine if you have dialted at all because by doing so, the doctor can begin to make decisions about maybe inducing you labor if you haven't dialted at all (generally, the cervix can sit a 2cm dilated for some time before giving birth) or if he checks and sees that you have started to dilate, he may wait to see what happens natually. Actually, fingers do work and have worked for quite sometime. They can feel the opening of your cervix and fell how open your cervix is by how many, or how much of on fingertip can get just through the entrance (or exit, HAHA!). An ultrasound does not tell you how open the cervix is, so yes this est is needed. Do not worry; I am sure your doctor has delivered a baby a time or two, and he or she is not ordering anything any different than the rest of us moms has had. Blessings....
2007-10-08 10:05:35 · answer #2 · answered by jmizzle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ultrasound should actually show if you are dialting or not, too. They are probably able to see it that way. The reason that they do start checking that in the last month is merely just to check for signs of labor. They know that when you begin to dialate, there is not much time left to go before you will have the baby. Plus, they can monitor how quickly your dialation is coming to predict other things such as how close to going into labor you actually are. Yes, they do check by inserting a finger becasue that is how they judge how much you are dialated. For example, one centimeter is the equivalent to one fingertip and so on and so forth.
2007-10-04 18:50:58 · answer #3 · answered by Amanda K 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should NOT be worried about NOT having a pelvic exam. I was told by my midwife that pelvic exams are just too invasive when pregnant and didn't have one during the whole pregnancy. There should be no reason for them to check your cervix unless you are in labor and having contractions, but even then, I personally feel that your body knows what it is doing and you won't begin to push until your cervix is fully dialated, so what's the point, right? Don't let anyone touch you if you don't want them to. You're in charge of your own health. You'll do great!!!
2007-10-04 18:33:20 · answer #4 · answered by hollywollyd 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally, a pelvic exam is not done with a speculum, they simply feel to see how dilated and effaced you are. I would talk with your doctor about your thoughts - if they are not trying to see if you're ready for induction or there isn't some other medical reason for checking and you don't want them to initiate labor that might otherwise wait until 40 weeks or so, then say so.
2007-10-05 19:38:43 · answer #5 · answered by Eileen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All they do is put there finger up there and measure by their fingers how much you have dialted. They need to know how dialted you are to prepare for the labor once you are in the hospital or when you go into the doctor they might check you to see if you should go to the hospital (if you are dialted enough). At 39 weeks there will be no harm if the exam gets your labor started so don't worry.
2007-10-04 18:31:23 · answer #6 · answered by Me 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is true they use their finger they can feel how soft (ripe) your cervix is and they judge how far you have dilated by the width of their finger. I would say if your doctor thinks its okay to check you knowing all your problems than it should definitely be okay. Don't ever be afraid to ask your doctor tons of questions I suggest writing them down. Hey thats what you pay him for! Good Luck
2007-10-04 18:33:24 · answer #7 · answered by Rachel G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They only use their fingers and they check before you go into labor to see how likely it is that it'll happen soon.
2007-10-04 18:35:52 · answer #8 · answered by chipmunk 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no they should not need to use a speculum
2007-10-04 18:31:55 · answer #9 · answered by dumplingmuffin 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋