First Vaginal Exam

[LittleRobins]

I’m 13 weeks and wondering when the first internal exam is?

I dont remember them being carried out earlier than when I went for a sweep to try and bring on labour.

Weird question. You should have had your booking in appointment by now and received your yellow book, which will set out which appointments and tests you will get. You don't generally get internal exams during pregnancy. If you need to be induced layer on, they may take a look at your cervix but that's about it.

I only had one because I had constant bleeding throughout pregnancy with Ds2 so they checked my cervix and I had a few swabs etc done

Otherwise non until sweep and during Labour

Never from a routine point of view

Several hours into labour for my first pregnancy, not at all for my second.

Have you booked with the local midwifery team? If not then do so asap, in my area there is a form to complete on the hospital trust's website.
Internal exams will be offered during labour to assess cervical dilatation, but you don't need to accept.
Have you considered booking onto antenatal classes eg NCT as you sound quite uninformed to be expecting vaginal exams at 13 weeks pregnant!

Labour for me.

You maybe offered a stretch and sweep at 40 weeks. There is no evidence they make a difference and they do come with some risk. During labour midwives will ask if they can assess you to see how dilated you are but there are other ways to see how labour is going.

I have had 3 children I never had a internal examination with any of them until I was way into labour.

Never had one until I had been induced with my son. They're not generally done as routine in the UK

With DS1 only during induction to check if it was working (it wasn't).

With DS2, never.

@LittleRobins

I’m 13 weeks and wondering when the first internal exam is?

During Labour

Labour or a sweep if you need one so right at the end

During labour (or if you get induced) ! And even then it's not always necessary.

Never

Labour for me.

** not really 'labour' before a C section.

If you go into labour you'll be offered internal exams. You don't have to have them.

If you go beyond 40 weeks you may be offered a "sweep" which some believe induces Labour. Again, this is not compulsory.

I never had one

A vaginal exam in pregnancy? My baby is 10 weeks old and I've never heard of that being done. Is that usual? I never had one.

In some countries outside the UK its common practise. I had a few during pregnancy with this baby in Italy. They were obsessed with checking my cervix as standard. I even had one after my c section. Cervix was fine then too!

Not until I was I labour

Have only had one in four births and never in pregnancy.

You shouldn't need one as routine examinations. I only had one for a swab to test if I was in early labour and none after that.

They do it in labour but a few times in early pregnancies I had light bleeding and a bit of watery discharge which I thought was my waters breaking, so they gave me an internal exam. Also had internal scans every early due to bleeding.