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Angel
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| Posted: Aug 07 2007 at 6:33pm | IP Logged
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I just got back from my OB visit at 36 weeks. I waited in the waiting room for 1.5 hours. When he finally came in, he did a strep culture, listened to the baby's heart beat, and asked me if the baby was moving okay. I told him I was having increased contractions, and he said, "Drink some water and lay on your left side."
That was it. I'm a little confused. I've bounced around OBs, but... all my other OBs have done an internal exam about this time. I tend to go early and have often started dilating and effacing about now. Typically, a week or two after I start to dilate, I'm in the hospital. It just seems weird because they've all been concerned about the possibility of a VBAC and wanted me to have a scheduled C-section, etc.
Anyway, I'm just wondering... have things changed in the past 22 months? How typical is this?
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Aug 07 2007 at 6:44pm | IP Logged
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I think it all depends on the doctor. I have had some ask if I want to be checked. But the more experienced and relaxed doctors know that how dilated you are at your appt doesn't predict a whole lot. One woman can be 1cm and go into labor that night, or she could be like me and walk around at 4cm for weeks! I think those docs don't want the 1cm moms to get discouraged or the 4cm moms to get too excited.
Just my thoughts.
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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Lisbet
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| Posted: Aug 07 2007 at 7:35pm | IP Logged
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I don't see an ob, but I have never had my cervix checked during pregnancy, only once or twice during labor per my request. I don't find it necessary at all.
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
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DominaCaeli
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| Posted: Aug 08 2007 at 9:10am | IP Logged
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They asked me at 38 weeks if I wanted to have my cervix checked, and I declined. They didn't ask again until I was overdue, and then I did let them--I was pretty curious myself at that point.  I have read, as Molly said, that cervix dilation doesn't really "mean" anything, generally speaking.
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Joyous Lessons
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Aug 08 2007 at 9:15am | IP Logged
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With my first few, I would want to be checked, still thinking that it would give an indication of when I would have the baby. I get pretty impatient at the end, you know! 
These days, I am more likely to decline. I have a midwife who follows my lead anyway, so it isn't an issue. I know I need to pray for patience this time because the last two we tried to help along and it didn't turn out as I would have wished. Anyway, straying from topic. 
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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Dawnie
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| Posted: Aug 08 2007 at 10:54am | IP Logged
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My doc offered to check me like this:
Doc: I can check you, if you want, but it doesn't really tell you anything.
At my weekly visits at 36+ weeks, he weighed me, measured my uterus, checked my urine for protein and some other stuff with one of those dip sticks, listened to the baby's heartbeat, checked baby's position externally, asked me about contractions, and answered any questions I had. That was pretty much it, until I got past my due date, then he wanted to talk about induction. 
I had a homebirth with my 3rd baby and my midwife checked me near my due date and told me that since my cervix was soft, I would have the baby within the next week. She was wrong. TWO weeks later, I delivered.
Dawn
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amyable
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My appointments as of late have been a lot like yours, Angela. For my first 3 kids, I think I had "high intervention" OBs or something, because they would do lots of checks at the end (like 35+ weeks). For my last pg (of my current toddler) they did nothing, except once at 32 weeks because I asked (I was going to travel and wanted to make sure I wasn't already 5 cm dilated or something ). I'm not sure what they will do this time, but I think they are leaning more towards NOT checking unless you ask.
I personally LIKE to know, because usually by 33-34 weeks I have started to efface/dilate. If I'm 4 cm at 36 weeks I'd like to know - it helps me gear my activities better. (Although it really *does* make me more nervous that I'm going to POP at any second ). Yes, I know I could (and have) walk around for weeks at a few CMs dilated ... but I still like to know what I'm dealing with. It helps me to know what to tell them when I call thinking I'm in labor - my labors lately have been pretty "wimpy" in the beginning, but within a few hours there is a baby, so if ignore the "wimpy" because I think I'm not dilated, I fear having a baby in the car.
So probably way more info than you wanted ... but just wanted to share my experience and reasoning.
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Angel
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| Posted: Aug 08 2007 at 7:03pm | IP Logged
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Ok, so it looks like this is not strange. Honestly, I'm not worried about going any minute, but like you, Amy, I do tend to start effacing/dilating early and I *had* noticed a pattern with my other kids. Also like Amy, I tend to have confusing labors and an irritable uterus thrown in the works. Then there's the whole thing with the scheduled C-section this time... I had originally wanted to try a VBAC, which they were sort of willing to do, but dh wasn't comfortable with it, so -- it's the C-section. I guess I just kind of figured that if the OB didn't want me to go into labor before my scheduled date, he would want to see if I was 4 cm dilated at 36 weeks? That was what was confusing.
This OB isn't the OB I originally started out with, because my original OB left the practice a couple of months ago and I didn't know it. So I have *just* met this OB, who will be doing my C-section in 2 weeks. That's probably one of the reasons I'm a little nervous. 
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Topic: OB visits 36+ weeks?
