Internal Exam Report

I

imani

Cathlete
So I just got back from my doctor's appointment and wanted to report on the whole internal exam experience. First, I have to say that it was uncomfortable but not painful. So, Sandra, hopefully you'll have a better experience this time. The doctor felt for the baby's head and my cervix. She said that the baby's head was engaged since she could not push the baby out of my pelvis. Then she said that my cervix was way behind the baby's head which is normal. The cervix should move into position during labor. I'm not dilated at all which is good because I am really hoping for a May baby.

Overall it was a good experience just a little uncomfortable but the excitement of learning about the baby outweighed the bad things. I can't wait til next week's appointment! I am so excited to meet my little one!

Imani
 
That is so neat to hear about! Thanks Imani! I'm up next on tuesday morning! I'll share my experience too!

Thanks so much for posting!:)

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
That's great to hear! I'll keep my fingers crossed that my cervix is more accessible this time around. So, the baby is engaged, hey? That's great to know. At this stage they aren't likely to move into a breech position, are they?

Take care,
Sandra
 
Ok so what does "engaged" mean???

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Hey Wendy! The baby's head in relation to an imaginary line drawn between the ischial spines of the pelvis is the "station". Negative numbers indicate floating above the ischial spines of the pelvis, O or "engaged" means at the level of the ischial spines, and postive numbers mean the baby is below the ischial spines heading for the outside (a +3, +4 or +5 is crowning... you can see the head). :) I am a visual learner, so here is a link that illustrates it

http://www.childbirths.com/euniversity/laboranddeliveryskills.htm

My DD was a +2-3 the last several weeks of my pregnancy... you should have seen me wobble. :)

Edited to remove the huge image. I just wanted the link not the image.

:7
 
Wow, Autumn, that's a fascinating website! I'm going to take some time and go back and read it more thoroughly. Then I can be really annoying to my doctor at my next prenatal visit ("Did you check this? And that?") LOL!

Sandra
 
I looked at that site briefly late last night and had to hurry it up right past some of the more graphic pics...lol

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Okay, I have had 2 vaginal births and it still amazes me THAT IS WHERE BABIES COME FROM! It doesn't seem possible! It shouldn't be possible, should it?
What is even more amazing, after all that, sex is still possible, and it still feels the same! Amazing. Absolutely mind boggling. I don't get it!
 
TYVM Autumn! :)

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Okay, I'm up for my first internal this morning...in a couple of hours...I'll come back and post here when I get back to let you know how it went!

I'm very excited to hear what's going on!!!:+

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Hi. I'm back. No pain, not even physically uncomfortable. No different feeling to me than a regular check up!:)

He said he felt the baby's head so I guess he is in the right position and dropped or dropping. Said I am effacing nicely...mentioned a centimeter but I am not sure what that meant? He says everything is "progressing nicely" and I go back in a week.

:+

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Coooool! It sounds like your body is getting ready for the Big Event. I *think* (not 100% sure), that "effacing" means that your cervix is beginning to get thinner.

Glad to hear it wasn't uncomfortable for you. I guess the fact that my uterus was "tilted" with my first pregnancy really made a difference to how accessible the cervix was.

Glad to hear it all went well! Thanks for posting!
Sandra
 
Gosh, I can't wait! I'm gonna talk to him every night now and try to coax him out! I was joking with my friend at work that as of May 1st I was gonna start jumping up and down on a daily basis to try and jiggle him lose!!! HA HA!:+

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Glad you had a positive experience. Did the dr. mean that you were 1 cm dialated already? I go again on friday and hopefully I have started to efface or dialate!

imani
 
Hi Imani.

Thanks.

I don't know...maybe that 1 centimeter IS dialation. I don't recall hearing him say I was dialated but who knows...lol I guess if I'm effacing I could be dialating too, huh?

Well,Imani, I hope next week's appointment brings progress for you!

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Wendy, I don't think he was referring to dilation, unless he specifically said so. The cervix during pregnancy actually has a length to it, of a few centimetres. When the cervix starts to efface, from what I understand, it begins to open from the inside, and the length of closed cervix begins to reduce (shorten). I don't know all the specifics about this process, but from what I've read on the TCYOF forum, a part of the ultrasound process is to measure the length of the cervix. If a woman's cervix, in early pregnancy, is shorter than, I think (?), 2 cm, then she is considered as having an "incompetent cervix", which will lead to preterm labour.

I think I've got that right, but if anyone else knows more, please feel free to correct me.

Cheers,
Sandra
 
I'm sure that you are probably right, Sandra! Thanks for the info! I can be pretty clueless about this stuff! :p :7

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
Okay ladies...this morning will be my 2nd internal...I will come back and post afterwards to let you know my progress! :+

ETA: My DH tells me this morning that he had a dream last night that I went to today's doc apptmnt and was sent home to get my things because I was to check in to the hospital today to be induced!!! OMG! Now I'm gonna be paranoid! LOL

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img]
EDD: 05/19/05
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top