Give it to me straight - pelvic exam

[Anonymous]

Extremely painful through my first birth. I declined them for my second.

[Anonymous]

First one in labor wasn’t great because nothing about lying on your back having a contraction while someone is simultaneously investigating your cervix is great. I wanted to high five her when she said I was 7cm though.

Second check the epidural was working and I asked if she wanted to do a Pap smear while she was up there since it’s much more pleasant with an epidural...

[Anonymous]

Mine never hurt at all. I have a ton of pain during Pap smears so IDK Why pelvic exams/cervica checks had never hurt.

[Anonymous]

This is so interesting to me to read these responses. I had lots of cervical checks late in my pregnancies and barely felt any of them. Like it felt like she had her fingers in my vagina, sure, but that was the extent of it. Zero discomfort.

For my first labor they also broke my water, as I was being induced, and this was before I had an epidural because I didn't think I'd want one (spoiler alert, I definitely wanted one after a few hours, so I'm not some crazed high pain tolerance person by any means). And I don't think I really felt that either. I remember being nervous and then like "oh she's done? I didn't even feel what she did".

[Anonymous]

^^ to add, I also felt no true pain (some discomfort maybe) during an HSG, but felt excruciating pain during an attempted endometrial biospy- like she couldn't even get the tiny catheter into my cervix because I was screaming for her to stop. So it must have something to do with the provider doing it, and hormone levels or something. Since that same catheter thing went in there without any fanfare during my HSG! But by someone else!

[Anonymous]

I found them wildly painful with both pregnancies. I wasn’t dilated at all with either. I’d always decline them unless there’s an EXTREMELY compelling and specific reason, or if you’ve had an epidural already.

[Anonymous]

You can decline it, it's totally unnecessary. I never had one.

[Anonymous]

I guess I must be the outlier here but pelvic exams never bothered me with either of my pregnancies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for these responses and insights. Can a cervical check kickstart labor?

If the membranes are stripped, it could possibly start labor.

Is this what happened to the author of Fleishman is in Trouble? She talks about how the doctor used some sort of hook device, but I can't find a medical description of what happened.