oh we got the we got the orange one today number one and that's an exciting one vaginal exams
we gotta cover it sometime vaginal exams so when are they done how are they done
and what are they done for let's talk about that so vaginal exams are done for a few reasons but
mostly to check on the progress of your cervix in both its dilation and its effacement so dilation
meaning opening effacement meaning thinning so a vaginal exam is usually done with two fingers that
are inserted now your care provider should request your permission and let you know before they're
going to do a vaginal exam and they insert their fingers into your vagina and go and basically
their mission is to touch your cervix with their fingers and that's how they can figure out um just
by touch how dilated and how um a face you are the other thing that they can tell sometimes depending
upon how dilated a face and where the baby is is a number called station and that's where the baby is
in the pelvis so they can sometimes feel where the baby uh the baby's station also
sometimes they can feel when they do the vaginal exam if your amniotic sac is kind of bulging
outside of your cervix they can sometimes feel if that is coming down they call it a bulging sac
so a couple different things that they can feel and check on during a vaginal exam so
vaginal exams different people experience them different ways and sometimes it has to do with
the way your cervix is what position it is in when you are pregnant your cervix is usually
pointed backwards um so it is during a vaginal exam it's harder to reach it's further back
so sometimes the provider has feels like they have to reach really far to get to your cervix um
occasionally you'll see providers tell you to make fists ball your fists up and put them under your
hip bones and sometimes that tilts just right so that they have an easier way to access your cervix
now as your cervix changes either before labor or during labor the cervix comes closer in so that
the the cervix is easier to reach so there isn't quite a reach when they're doing a vaginal exam
what else to know vaginal exams are sometimes done in your provider's office prior to labor happening
it depends on the provider and what their policy is and what they generally do i will say that
this is usually an option for people whether or not you want to choose to have a vaginal
exam prior to labor or not you can usually have that choice if you're in the office
and it's something to have a discussion with your care provider about um vaginal exams looking at
your cervix ahead of time doesn't necessarily predict when you're going to go into labor
so you could have zero dilation zero effacement and go into labor two hours after you leave the
office and after that exam or you could be the opposite you could be two centimeters dilated and
eighty percent of face and not go into labor for a week so it doesn't tell us a whole lot accurately
of what when when things are going to happen and how fast they're going to go
it just gives us a little piece of information gives your care providers a little piece of
information about what's going on with your cervix every time you have a vaginal exam there is the
opportunity i guess that's the only word i can think of that it might introduce the vaginal exam
might introduce bacteria now certainly your care providers take caution they use sterile gloves
um but it just it's just a risk that bacteria could enter during the vaginal exam and so when
your water breaks most providers will limit vaginal exams so that there is less of a risk
of getting an infection during a vaginal exam now oftentimes in labor when you
show up at your birthing location your hospital your birth center there they often will do a
vaginal exam before you're admitted that's not every location again something to talk to your
um your providers and your birthing location about so that you'll be ready and know what is expected
and then sometimes we'll see vaginal exams done regularly sometimes they're done sort of on a
basis of like if you're going to make a decision and you want to know your vaginal
you might have a vaginal exam to know your cervical dilation or
progress before you maybe get an epidural or something like that
other times they'll do a vaginal exam is when it seems like it's time to push
usually they'll do an exam to check to make sure that cervix is totally effaced and totally
opened so that when you start pushing there is a clear path and there is not a risk to
injury of the cervix or tearing of the cervix so vaginal exam is often done at that time though
there is a very big variety between the number of vaginal exams that happen in care providers
especially if you're looking at like a home birth versus a typical hospital birth with an ov
and midwives are kind of in between so because it varies so much it's great to talk to your care
providers about what their policy is and what their procedures and what kind of options you
have if you have experienced any kind of sexual trauma in your life it's certainly something that
i suggest that you make sure that your care team knows about in regards to vaginal exams and and if
you um you know want to talk that over with them i recommend it definitely make them aware of that so
vaginal exams let us know what's going on with our cervix what's going on with the baby and um
done with the two fingers i get that question a lot in class where someone will say well you say
it's two centimeters dilated how do they measure it and it's like no they don't have a little ruler
that they put up in there no it's just they feel and they know by feel how dilated in the face and
what station baby is so often you have an option for vaginal exams so great discussion to talk with
your care provider about and see what your options are and when it's done and yeah let me know if you
have in the comments below if you have any stories of vaginal exam exams that you'd like to share
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okay guys have a great day bye