Cervical checks at 36 weeks

[Anonymous]

My OB wants to check my cervix when I will be 36+ in a little less than 2 weeks. I would much rather prefer an us. I have a C scetion scheduled for 39+5 and I am afraid the cervix check will jump start labor. He wants to check because I am having a lot of contractions and baby seems to be low. Does anyone have experience with this? It’s my third baby, but first manual cervix check.

Tia

[Anonymous]

I don't think a cervical check is a risk for jump starting labor. However it also only shows a small part of the picture. If you are dilated or effaced, that won't really predict when you go into labor. Some women walk around dilated for a long time.

So I'd ask him what he hopes to learn from the check and how it would change your treatment plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think a cervical check is a risk for jump starting labor. However it also only shows a small part of the picture. If you are dilated or effaced, that won't really predict when you go into labor. Some women walk around dilated for a long time.

So I'd ask him what he hopes to learn from the check and how it would change your treatment plan.

Thank you! I had us with my second (for other reasons) and my cervix was closed and long until the 39th weeks... I never went into labor. My first I went to 41+3 and was induced and ended up with aC section so the ob thinks tht if my cervix is long and closed it’s a good indication that I will make it again to the C section date. I know it’s not a guarantee... I just don’t understand why doctors here (in the US) are so much against us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think a cervical check is a risk for jump starting labor. However it also only shows a small part of the picture. If you are dilated or effaced, that won't really predict when you go into labor. Some women walk around dilated for a long time.

So I'd ask him what he hopes to learn from the check and how it would change your treatment plan.

Thank you! I had us with my second (for other reasons) and my cervix was closed and long until the 39th weeks... I never went into labor. My first I went to 41+3 and was induced and ended up with aC section so the ob thinks tht if my cervix is long and closed it’s a good indication that I will make it again to the C section date. I know it’s not a guarantee... I just don’t understand why doctors here (in the US) are so much against us.

Because they can be wasteful and extra ones beyond the standard of care don't change the treatment plan, just satisfy curiosity. Healthcare is expensive enough for our country and doctors rightfully increasingly won't do procedures / tests that don't have clinical value.

Cervical checks have also actually been determined to not be predictive of labor, you can be dilated for days or tight as a drum until labor starts. I personally would decline that b/c they're uncomfortable but if you're curious go for it

[Anonymous]

I declined to have manual cervix check last pregnancy because I also had a scheduled c section. I hear stories about after the manual cervix check, there is a chance that water broke or something. And, it has happened to one of my friend for pre-term labor because of that. Last pregnancy, I was fully dilated before scheduled c section date (scheduled past 40 weeks), and ended up trying for vaginal birth with an on-call obgyn that I never met, but emergency c section at the end at 39 weeks 5 days. Oh, well!

This pregnancy, I am planning for scheduled c section as well, and I will decline manual cervix check as well. I am high risk, I have another obgyn to do ultrasound on me every few weeks. And, I schedule the c section earlier this time, definitely not past 40 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think a cervical check is a risk for jump starting labor. However it also only shows a small part of the picture. If you are dilated or effaced, that won't really predict when you go into labor. Some women walk around dilated for a long time.

So I'd ask him what he hopes to learn from the check and how it would change your treatment plan.

Thank you! I had us with my second (for other reasons) and my cervix was closed and long until the 39th weeks... I never went into labor. My first I went to 41+3 and was induced and ended up with aC section so the ob thinks tht if my cervix is long and closed it’s a good indication that I will make it again to the C section date. I know it’s not a guarantee... I just don’t understand why doctors here (in the US) are so much against us.

Because they can be wasteful and extra ones beyond the standard of care don't change the treatment plan, just satisfy curiosity. Healthcare is expensive enough for our country and doctors rightfully increasingly won't do procedures / tests that don't have clinical value.

Cervical checks have also actually been determined to not be predictive of labor, you can be dilated for days or tight as a drum until labor starts. I personally would decline that b/c they're uncomfortable but if you're curious go for it

I understand, but in my case we would anticipate the C section date if there was already a change. In Europe and Latin America they do US at every appointment and I don’t think they have more wasteful healthcare systems... probably the opposite. I am not curious, but I would love to avoid an emergency C scetion if possible. Anyway... thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I declined to have manual cervix check last pregnancy because I also had a scheduled c section. I hear stories about after the manual cervix check, there is a chance that water broke or something. And, it has happened to one of my friend for pre-term labor because of that. Last pregnancy, I was fully dilated before scheduled c section date (scheduled past 40 weeks), and ended up trying for vaginal birth with an on-call obgyn that I never met, but emergency c section at the end at 39 weeks 5 days. Oh, well!

This pregnancy, I am planning for scheduled c section as well, and I will decline manual cervix check as well. I am high risk, I have another obgyn to do ultrasound on me every few weeks. And, I schedule the c section earlier this time, definitely not past 40 weeks.

Yes, thank you. Mine is for 39+5 which is very close to 40... I wish I could do an us instead!

[Anonymous]

You can decline. They don't tell you anything about when labor will start. You can be 0cm and go into labor that day, or 3cm and go into labor 3 weeks later.

[Anonymous]

I declined with my first and will decline again. Induction set for 39 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Most modern practices don’t do them anymore...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can decline. They don't tell you anything about when labor will start. You can be 0cm and go into labor that day, or 3cm and go into labor 3 weeks later.

This. I would skip it.

Fwiw my water broke after a cervical check at 38 weeks with my first pregnancy. I declined all cervical checks in my later pregnancies until I was already in labor.

[Anonymous]

I would probably do it in your case, especially if there is some danger for you to go into labor spontaneously. The reason being if you're super effaced then that is a reliable indicator you'll go into labor sooner than later, and you may need to be watched more closely if that's the case.

A regular cervical check (without a membrane sweep) does not trigger labor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would probably do it in your case, especially if there is some danger for you to go into labor spontaneously. The reason being if you're super effaced then that is a reliable indicator you'll go into labor sooner than later, and you may need to be watched more closely if that's the case.

A regular cervical check (without a membrane sweep) does not trigger labor.

This is exactly what happened to me with #1. DD ended up arriving two weeks early and I'm so glad I had a little bit of notice that that could be about to happen.