checking your own cervix for dilation...

[NewMumToBe270313]

Im 36 weeks pregnant.. i had the midwife this afternoon and told her about the pains that ive been having heavy period cramping in lower back and tightning across tummy like braxton hicks but painful and gets worse rather than better if i try to walk it off. I havent had a show and my waters havent broken - as far as i know!
its been happening for a few days now and my midwife just said "oh the joys of pregnancy pains!" didnt check anything just the babys heart beat! so i looked online at how to check for dilation on yourself (clean washed hands everytime so no lectures please :P) but either im not doing it right or my fingers arnt long enough to reach my cervix! i havent had any internals thoughout the pregnancy and id rather check myself than wait 7 hours to be seen in hospital :/ hellllp..! :( :(

I don't see how your fingers could possibly be long enough to check yourself. I couldn't even reach to do perineal massage with dd1. Even if you did know what you were looking for.

Could you be in the 'latent stage'? So annoying, but not life-threatening. You'll either go into labour properly, in which case you'll know it, or you won't in which case it won't matter if mw didn't do ve.

I admit its annoying not to know though.

I went to the NHS classes a couple of weeks ago and the MW said under no circumstances should you check your own cervix (someone asked the question) as it could possibly cause infection and you really would not know what to check for anyways.

Not that this is something I'd attempt anyways.

its a good job i couldn't reach then! :s my friend checked her own cervix and told me how to do it so i assumed it would be ok :s ! i wont try again! just annoying not knowing whats going on and what the pains are, if i knew it was my cervix starting to dilate then it would put my mind at rest but im worried it could infection or something although all is ok with baby according to midwife think im just over worried about everything just now! thank you guys :)

If you did go to hospital at this stage and they though checking for dilatation was needed it might well be via speculum rather than internal as you're preterm still. Not sure if that's less or more appealing! A 7 hour wait sounds rubbish - would it really be that long?!

I winced only the other day when a friend of mine told me she did her own sweep. There is no way I could reach! (not that I would consider trying!)

Firstly, it's normal not to have had internals through pregnancy.

I checked my own cervix towards the end of pregnancy (perfectly possible, and I don't see how it's any more risky than sex or intimate touching from a partner in terms of infection)

I don't see that there's any need for you to go to hospital to be seen though - if you are in the latent stage of labour that could go on for days (and take you into 37 weeks, which is term) and if you're not, then it's a waste of 7 hours.

Just relax, if your waters go or you start having regular contractions then call the labour ward.