This post is for my US followers (and other countries that routinely perform cervical…

This post is for my US followers (and other countries that routinely perform cervical checks in pregnancy) A lot of women become anxious about how far dilated or effaced their cervix should be once they hit the 35 week mark. I know that in the US, many doctors routinely perform vaginal examinations to check the cervix for changes but I don't understand what the rationale behind this is. I would expect that a woman who is less than 39 weeks pregnant with her first baby is going to have a closed cervix that is long and hard unless she is about to go into labour. Even women who are past their due dates may not have any cervical changes until the last minute. So if you visit your doctor at 37/38 weeks and are told you are 1cm dilated and 50% effaced, it doesn't mean much. You still may not go into labour for another 3 weeks! Examining women without valid reason increases the risk of infection and simply causes undue anxiety especially if they are told there has been no cervical change. Did you know you can have a closed tight cervix today and go into labour tomorrow? If you have had a baby before, it's highly likely that your cervix will never be fully closed so bear that in mind when you are told that you are 1cm dilated hoping that means the birth is going to happen soon.

Remember that you don't have to consent to these checks if you do not want to and always ask your physician the reason they are suggesting any invasive procedure 😊 . . . . . . .

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