Anyone else feel squeamish about the sweep and all the intimate examinations?

[Chrysanthamum]

I'm on baby 3 and for some reason feel more intimidated this time by all the indignities of childbirth like stitches, sweeps, pessaries and all. I dont know why. First time i had no idea, was convinced i'd be a lucky one and would have an easy time. Wrong! 2nd time i didn't even think about the details until i was delivering and didnt care either. this time the thought of it all makes me feel sick!
Anyone else feel like this?

I did... Exactly... And now i'm cooking baby number 4 and couldn't give much of a toss tbh, its just a means to an end - getting the baby here safely. I think i'm far more comfortable with different parts of my anatomy than I ever have been. It may be stretched in places or sagging but I have come to realise that my body and the things its capable of are pretty amazing. My cervix has a function that is necessary to me no different to my foot or ear.

If the midwife needed to check the condition of my nose to see if I am ready to push then it wouldn't bother me - tbh I kind of feel the same way about the rest of me now. I think its a matter of perspective - after dd2 I honestly felt as though my cervix was actually grand central station and told the doc at the fpc exactly that after 2 coil fits and removals. Now I think I would be less bothered.

I do understand why you feel the way you do - I have been there but also all the midwives I have spoken to / been examined by have done their absolute best not to damage my dignity.

It will be ok. Its all worth it in the end isn't it??? I think i'm actually looking forward to this birth with far less trepidation than any of the last 3.

Sorry for interupting but kitkat you're wanted on behaviour/development

Anything medical is undignified Chyrs. I've had cameras pushed this way and that and I find that more undignified than childbirth. At least you get a lovely baby at the end of labour. As kitkat says you wouldn't think of a doctor touching your nose for an examination. Did you have a traumatic birth last time?

stings where????

Found it - Thankyou.

Yep. Have just issued don't come near me orders to all involved this time. No stretches, sweeps, internals or anything else despite complicated first delivery and general medical paranoia surrounding this subsequent birth. 40 weeks today and if nothing happens will wait til 43 before anyone touches me.

well you dont have to have it done if you dont want to, with dd i had a sweep as still had hypremesis and was desperate for her out, i had one exam when i was admitted and that was it, i dont think its necessary, i told them i was pushing i didnt ask permission!

ds was deliveredby paramedics so no issues there

my sil had two induced and the third wasnt, she says tyhe third was the best as she had one exam and that was it whereas being induced was a series of pessaries and people cooming to look up there

For me it depends on how they go about it.

Assuming its a non emergency situation then if they calmly and politely explain what they want to do and why, and then ask for consent then I am fine.

Once they go down the route of 'I'm going to do this', or even don't tell you, then I find it really upsetting.

My midwife came to the house to do my sweep and suggested that the bed was a better place than the sofa, as you can see straight into our lounge .

I was more bothered about the state of the upstairs rooms which I hadn't bothered to tidy up . It took my mind off the sweep though, thinking 'I hope that she doesn't notice the layer of dust on the chest of drawers and think that I'm a complete slattern'!

My husband jokes that my birth plan is 'DON'T TOUCH ME'. I found this on the birth plan section of the homebirth uk website which I found helpful and adapted for my birth plan:

"I would like to minimise internal examinations / avoid internal examinations if possible / I am happy to have one internal examination to check presentation, but would like to avoid them otherwise, unless there is a particular reason why you think one is necessary. (Internal examinations are used to check your baby's position, and how dilated your cervix is. While some people find it helpful to have a measurement of how much their labour is progressing, they may be uncomfortable and can interrupt the flow of your labour.)"

Unless there is a medical necessity for something then I'd like to just get on with things and that includes letting baby come in its own time.