37+ weeks, cervix exam??

[chillisbopper]

I'm 37 weeks today and I have a mw appointment on Monday which is a "criteria check" for giving birth at the local CMU.

The last mw I saw said that they'd do a "big check up" but when I asked what that would involve she just said "basically the same as today" (which was just the usual blood pressure, baby's heartbeat, how he's laying, measuring bump and dipping urine sample)...although this was a new mw I'd never seen and she instantly forgot the measurement she took and didn't bother doing it again so left my growth chart so I'm not really sure I trust her that much...

Anyway I basically know to expect the usual and I know they are taking blood that day but I have been told apparently you start getting cervix exams around 37/38 weeks, which I've never been told by a mw or doctor so I don't know...I'd just feel so awkward going and not expecting it then for it to happen ...I've never had a cervix exam of any type and I'm a little nervous now.

So I guess my question is what has been other people's experiences at this stage? Has anybody else found it's common practice to have a cervix exam around now?

Sorry if this is a stupid question it's my first pregnancy lol

Thank you x

If you are in the UK -

I've had 3 babies but never been examined till in labour.

Btw you don't have to consent to one even if they offer

Your body! Your rules!!

I was just going to ask if you're in the UK as well, if you are I'm due on Sunday and haven't had an internal examination of any kind when seeing my usual midwife.

Lol yeah I am in the UK, sorry I should have said. That's reassuring at least, I've been dreading the ones in labour but at least I know to expect that

You d

Posted too soon. You don't have to have them in labour.

Are you booked for a midwife or c

ARGH

or a consultant led birth? I declined all vaginal exams in my 3rd labour. Didn't even phase the midwives.

At the moment booked for community midwife unit, but I've this "criteria check" on Monday to say if I can go there or if I have to go to the hospital. So far I've had a perfectly healthy pregnancy with some additional scanning as a precaution due to husbands family history but nothing's come up so as far as I can tell the criteria thing is just a formality.

I'm hoping for a water birth anyway which I read means you're less likely to have exams which is a bonus, I'm not very good at putting my foot down and my husband always sides with the docs/midwife as he says they know best so I don't know how I'd do at refusing them but I'm quite a private person.

I guess with it all getting closer now I'm starting to worry about all the daft little things

The criteria check is nothing to worry about. They will go through your notes, confirm that you are low risk (which from the sound of it, you are) and then they will book you for the MLU. They will have to go through a checklist of things to make sure you are happy with being transferred to the hospital if there's an indication, the fact that there are no doctors there, etc. but it's just a big chat really and nothing to worry about. It certainly won't involve a vaginal exam!

Thank you that's a relief, I'm looking forward to finding out more about what happens when I arrive etc since it's getting so close now!