Anyone do their own internals during labour?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Just wondering.

Doula said I was the only one she'd known.

[DrSeuss]

Seriously?
How?
Why?
Please say you're teasing!

[StrawberryMojito]

Good God woman...No!!

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Well, to see where my cervix was, what it was doing, whether my waters were bulging and then later whether the head was coming down.

Why would I be teasing?

[DrSeuss]

Because it's just not something that would occur to most of us. Even if I'd done it I wouldn't have known for sure what I was looking for.

[bringonthetrumpets]

That's awesome starlight! Most women can't even reach that far when they're pregnant.

I'm on pregnancy #3 and am a student midwife....you'd better believe I'll be checking myself to see what's going on during labor!

[Emandlu]

I believe my cousin did, but then she was a doctor.

You aren't my cousin are you

[StarlightMcKenzie]

No. I'm not a doctor. Just wanted to know what my body was doing.

I spent the days before labour trying to locate my cervix so I knew it all pretty well by the time I came to labour.

FWIW, I didn't allow the mw access. Not that SHE'D have been able to reach given I was in the pool the whole time she was there.

And, you CAN reach, honestly, if you're determined.

[5madthings]

Not my cervix no but i did reach and feel in transituon etc and could feel.the gead descending and realised at one point the head was only a finger length away iyswim and that baby would bw born soon. I reached down as i was pushing each time actually it was very instinctive for some reason? An instinct to guide that babies head out?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Funny, - once I'#d felt the head I stopped feeling. But I was in water and was worried about stimulating the breathing.

[DinosaursOnASpaceship]

I remember trying desperately to give myself a sweep when pregnant and overdue with ds1.

[bamboostalks]

Why didn't you allow access? Were they ok with this? You sound v confident. How often to you have have poke?

[OhGood]

That's very interesting and makes total sense to me. It just never occurred to me at any point. So did you just reach down and feel around? I wonder if it never occurred to me because I felt I was 'unqualified'? Hmmmmm. I wonder if they could teach this to me?

[5madthings]

Ah actually starlight the one birth i inly felt the head briefly was my pool birth. I didnt feel.the need, but also didnt push either my body just did it whilst i breathed on the gas and air. With my others i had a very strong gutteral urge to bear dkwn and push and instictively reached and felt. In one birth the midwife tried to move my hand away and stop me as i might get blood on my hand! Like i cared!

[cbeebiesatemybrain]

Me too dinosaurs, overdue and desperate to move things along! I couldn't reach though

[MrsCantSayAnything]

I did. I did when trying to get pregnant and when in labour too. It amazes me that more women don't get to know their inner selves.

[MrsCantSayAnything]

OhGood you felt unqualified because women have been infantalised by the medical system. Only a doctor is clever enough to feel inside you...which is crap of course. If you can reach to touch then there is no reason not to....

[MrsCantSayAnything]

Exploring the inside of yourself (with clean hands!) is a very good way of being in touch with yourself and you get to know your cervix's "moods"

[StarlightMcKenzie]

'i might get blood on my hand!' ROFL

[Badgerina]

Yes I did. I had been labouring for a couple of hours and felt pushy already. I sat on the loo and thought "I'm going to check where he (baby) is before the midwife comes" so I shoved my hand up there and lo and behold I felt an open cervix (not sure how open) and a bit of baby's head!

I'm glad I did because when the snotty registrar came in to tell me "why are you pushing? You're not in labour yet?!" I knew it was A-grade bull shit!

[Purplecatti]

I don't see why you shouldn't, as long as you have super clean hands. I gave myself a poke before a sweep yesterday and guessed myself at 2cm. And I was bang on. I was too scared to do the sweepy thing to myself mind in case I poked too hard and broke something.

[MrsCantSayAnything]

Gave myself a poke!

[Flisspaps]

bamboo lots of women decline internals. MWs have to be ok with it really, they are not compulsory!

[GhostShip]

It's brilliant that you were able to.

And should be encouraged! Why wouldn't you have a feel?

[StillIRiselikeAZombie]

It's your vagina, your cervix, your birth.

I'm always asking women if they want to fell themselves instead of or before i do. Most don't though. Which is a bit sad and weird though.

[forcookssake]

I fully intend to, if ever I manage to become pregnant!
It's such a positive thing to be familiar with all the bits of your body, particularly those you can't see.
Be involved with yourself!!