Pregnancy visits and internals.....

[Angeliz]

Hello

I have just recieved a letter informing me of my first visit to the hospital to see a gynaecologist (just routin visit i think and to get blood test results). I just wanted to check, I DON'T have to have an internal do i???/

Infact, do you HAVE to have any during pregnancy?
(NOT looking forward to all that)

This was a huge joke between myself and my dh during my pregnancy - every time I had any sort of appointment he'd tease me about "TODAY'S THE DAY" and wiggle his fingers at me!!!! Cheeky git.

Anyway I'm not sure if this is standard but I didn't have my 1st internal until I was admitted to the labout ward - they needed to see how dilated I was.

I think if you have any problems during pregnancy they might do one but if you and the baby are both healthy I don't think they make a point of doing them.

Hope this makes you feel better

You don't have any inernals until the very end unless there is a chance something is wrong that needs checking internally.
I had a very early scan vbecause of bleeding this time and that had to be dine internally but none since (now 37+2) and I had no internals at all with dd.
So no need to let modesty go to the wind until all and sundry start peering at your cervix to check dilation (or dilaopidation as dh calls it ) etc.

Don't worry about internals Angeliz, once you are in labour with contractions and that big bump blocking the view you really won't care.

St Chandra, Patron Saint of the Shy mothers spoke.

Thanks for that! Phew!

lol Chandra, i have a dd aged 3 so i'm not worried about the 'labour' part, i know that nature takes over there and modesty is irrelevant

I just HATE HATE HATE internals!
Especially by male Doctors!

(Sorry for any offence but tis true!)

They don't touch your bits unless they have to Angeliz, I had an internal at 16 weeks because of bleeding but nothing before or after, so don't worry.

i read after the birth of my ds1 you can refuse internals during pregancy and labour. its your right - unfortunately they don't advertise that information.

I have never had an internal before or during this pregnancy - another thing to look forward to!

they make a big thing about getting a cervical smear at the start of pregnancy, but I refused, even though I was due one. I said I felt pregnancy was a vulnerable time and I was waiting until a couple of months after birth.

NB - always find it's better to avoid phrases like "I'd prefer", or "I'd rather not", cos then they just start bullying.

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Twiglett, he's both.

Thanks everyone, can't believe how quickly i've forgotten all this. Am SOOOOOOO glad :0

Had a smear last year so they can't get me on that one . (They did ask if a male student could sit in on it.....eeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr NO!!!!!)

this is a bit old, but just want to add my twopennorth...I had 3 babies in the UK and NOT ONE SINGLE INTERNAL examination. Then I had one baby in France, and they wanted to do internal exams every time I saw a doctor. Including men. I refused point blank on both occasions.
The response was the same both times "But I am a doctor..." as though that makes some strange bloke sticking his fingers up me any better!!!

Surprise, surprise, their subsequent behaviour was like spoilt little conceited men who've been turned down, not doctors. They insisted on touching my shoulder, and annoying me in other ways, as though to prove that they could touch me if they wanted to. [very emoticon]

Nn, I know what you mean about the French system. I've been living in france for four years (dh is french), and we came back here to have the baby. I hate the fact that they do internals at every visit, but at the same time, if they didn't certain things may not be picked up on.

Go for a female gynaecologist next time! Mine was!!

hi evansmummy

the whole experience was good apart from the internals!
There are 2 hosps in our area. I asked everyone what they thought, and the general opinion was that our closest hosp was v clean, efficient etc but not sympathetic. I went there, and that was my impression too. That was where I had the first row over internals!

So then I exercised my freedom to choose, and just registered at the other hosp instead. It was pink and flowery, midwife-led, friendly female doctor...it was great.

And the FOOD...need I say more...he he he I thought about the NHS with every delicious mouthful...

where in France are you? I am currently shuttling between France, Germany and the UK for reasons just too complicated to go into.

angeliz,
im 39+4 wks pg at the mo with my first baby and i feel exactly the same about internals as you!
i havent had any yet and have even put on my birth plan that i dont want any unless it is absolutely neccessary.i appreciate that they will probably do one when i first arrive at the hospital to see if ive dilated but im hoping that'll be it or at least until ive had the full dose of the epidural.

i really am a coward!!

Before birth of dd, I found internals for e.g. smears very difficult but bearable (just - I would always end up crying and shaking)

Had none during pg, but during induction of labour I saw 13 different mw, 6 different drs and every single one of them did at least 1 internal. No informed consent - I hadno idea I was allowed to refuse. But if you are 0 cm and uneffaced one hour, what the hell is the point of doing another one an hour later? Just cause there is a shift change??? As far as I can see, saying "I'm just going to do this, dear" does not constitute informed consent.

I will not be touched by anyone this time unless they give me a damn good reason why it should be done.

Gail, 33+ 3

With DS1 I didn't have an interal until I was induced with prostaglandin gel and I was greatfull for the intervention... I had raised blood pressure and felt awful.
With DS2 I didnt have any "messing about downstairs" until I was in the later stages of labour.
Hopefully this pg will be the same. I think if there was a good medical reason most women wouldnt object but when its done just to check everythings ok your well within your rights to refuse.

I did not have any internals with DD till i went into labour and they needed to check how far dilated I was and by the end of 23 hours of labour i couldn't of cared who did what as long as they got the baby out safely. They did half heartedly mention a smear in the early stages this time round but i said no thank you so hopefully no one is going to do any of that till i go into labour i have however asked that they keep them to an absolubte minimum this time round as it felt like they were doing one every half hour last time which was a little excessive!!

I really don't get this business of suggesting a smear in early pregnancy. I've read of it on here a few times recently. I've had one smear in the past where the nurse made me bleed - and only once would I say that it has been done so competently as to be virtually unobtrusive (top marks to that nurse!). There'd be no way in hell anyone would be getting near my cervix when I was pregnant - at least not until labour and there's a damn good reason. How can you know it's not going to introduce infection? Or guarantee that it's not going to prompt a miscarriage...??