Sorry if TMI but are the midwife checks for how dilated you are really uncomfortable?

[BettyBi0]

Might seem silly to worry when you think of the size of the baby's head which is about to come out. However, friend got me worried the other day saying that when the midwife checks for how dilated you are it is basically almost fisting as they have to get a lot of fingers in to judge how wide the dilation is. Is this true? Obviously they use gloves but do they also use lots of lube or does labour make that unnecessary?

Also, how often do they check? I'm clearly fixating on the important things to worry about in labour here

I found it painful and invasive, and was horrible to have to lie on my back. BUT... as it turned out I was 9cm, and that was very encouraging and I perked right up after a night if no sleep. Had been feeling like I couldn't take any more, so was pleased to hear end was in sight.

I had quite a few due to inductions and concerns about babies. For me the midwives ones were absolutely fine. The doctors' ones were horrible. Maybe midwives get more practice? Doctors are more used to being involved in more medicalised births with pain relief? May just have been coincidence though.

No. Not at all. Mind you, by the end crowning didn't hurt at all either...

I found it painful at the start when cervix wasn't dilated much and still posterior. But when they checked at 10cm it wasn't painful at all didn't even feel it

I think it depends who does it too. With my first examination, it was painful but easy to manage pain, just more uncomfortable pain. I heard another lady screaming through hers and wondered why. Then the same midwife that did hers did my second one...and it hurt like crazy!!! I had to stop her at one point. She was so rough! I know she didn't need to let it hurt as much as that because the first midwife was wonderful. It's down to technique I think. I feel so sorry for people who have their first ones with so much pain because they'll think it's normal and probably won't tell the doctor to be more gentle.

I had two checks during labour with DC1 and didn't feel a thing. With DD2 they could pretty much see her head by the time I got to hospital, so they didn't need to do anything!