vaginal exams

[Anonymous]

I am 36 weeks & went today for my weekly exam. Doc insisted I have a vaginal exam b.c. "it is routine". Well, I trusted the doc being my first pregnancy and all and it was a very painful & now I feel worse than I did before the exam. More pressure on my bladder and bowel, frequent trips to the bathroom, high level of back discomfort, and what I think are more frequent contractions. Also, I had a little spotting after the exam. Is this a normal reaction? If not, is it possible that she stimulated labor? Results following the vaginal were that the baby's head is very low and "settled in" ready for delivery, 1 cm dilated, soft and long cerix.

Any thoughts???

[Anonymous]

Yes, the exam is routine, and yes, the spotting is normal. That said, it's completely pointless!!! All those "indicators" like dilation and effacement mean exactly squat about how much longer you'll be pregnant. Just ask for the experiences of mothers here. You'll get the whole range, from "I walked around 3cm dilated for four weeks", to "cervix high, closed tight on Wednesday, delivered before dawn on Thursday." Seriously.

I declined to have a vaginal exam until I was 41 weeks, and then I had the membranes stripped. My doc said it was up to me. I'd be wary of any OBGYN who insists on an invasive exam as early as 36 weeks.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that the 36 week vaginal is standard however, you don't need anymore after that (as I agree with poster above that those "indicators" can be off).

[Anonymous]

I have one every week since week 36 and they are indeed very uncomfortable. My last one was last week which is ridicously painful and she told me I was 2 cm dilated. I had light bleeding for the rest of the day and I have been having abdominal pain since then. I know 2 cm doesn't mean much but the truth is that you are kind of hoping things will speed up, especially when you have that pain you think something is going on. I have my next exam this week (week 39), I'll go through with it I guess because perhaps I might want to set up a date to be induced.
I had my first pregancy in Europe and only had a vaginal exam once so I am sure it's not necessary.

[Anonymous]

I had to practically beg for a VE around 36/37 weeks, and it was very uncomfortable. I think the pain you are experiencing is quite normal. Agree with the PPs that the effacement/dilation is not a good indicator of impending labor. You can search the site, there was a thread not too long ago about that with many responses. The only possibly helpful bit of news that you got is that the head is low and settled. To me, at least, that would be a good indicator that the baby is in good position (don't know if it's actually true, there are probably people who end up with c-sections even though their baby is "really low", but my c-section was because my baby was "too high" and wouldn't descend so at least in my eyes you have that going for you).

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure she didn't strip your membranes?

In my opinion, you have the option to refuse anything that is "routine."

[Anonymous]

The only time I ever had any discomfort from a vaginal exam when I was pregnant was when I had my membranes stripped. It was my first pregnancy and it was very uncomfortable. In fact, I specifically told them with my second that I did not want to have my membranes stripped. They didn't. No discomfort.

I agree with the PP, I think they stripped your membranes.

[Anonymous]

My vaginal exams were not painful at all (even when my membranes were stripped), and my doctor would have obliged if I had declined.

[Anonymous]

I had the exact same experience as OP at my 1st vaginal exam at 36 wks, although I think I was 1 cm dialated and starting to efface. My dr told me that labor was not necessarily imminent, b/c people can stay that way for weeks. I gave birth to a healthy baby 4 days later. The back pain post-exam was intense for several nights.