CHECK DILATION WITHOUT VAGINAL EXAM - Page 3

mamasara · #31 04-14-2007

A midwife and i used the finger width check with a mom who was receiving pit due to PROM and no dilation. It worked beautifully and was right on everytime she was checked.

triciaohiomidwife · #32 04-15-2007

I have learned so much from this thread... thanks for all the wise input! ~Tricia

birthisnatural · #33 04-15-2007

I've got this printed out and will be trying it for fun when my gal goes into labor at any time now! Will let you know how it works for me...can't wait!!

Alaska_Birth · #34 04-16-2007

I can't remember where I read about the indentations, might have been during my DONA doula training

How does the purple line work?

clairec · #35 04-16-2007

It runs up between the buttocks, gets darker and longer as labour progresses (apparently it does correspond in cm to the dilatation - not that I've measured it) but at full dilation it's at the top of the buttocks.

If a woman is on all 4's or standing it's quite promient, but ost promient one I saw was in a birth pool with mum kneeling upright, maybe the water magnified it. You don't always see it but it's handy to check

vbacmom · #36 04-16-2007

Does anyone teach the mom how to check her own cervix to assess dilation/effacement at the end of pregnancy and while in labor??

birthisnatural · #37 04-17-2007

I am so excited. I am currently a doula, going to start midwifery in June! So I had posted earlier that I was going to try this for fun with my gal that was going to go anyday. Well today was the day, and her labor was VERY unusal, in that it was very sparatic, contractions 5 min, 4 min, 3 min, 6 min and she was just very cool calm and collected. I had asked her if she was feeling any pressure, she said no, next contraction she said yea pressure. I am thinking, hmm, maybe in her head?!? lol, so i asked her if next time she had a contraction if she would be on her back so I could try this(she had been on all fours the whole time). She said ok, maybe for a min. Didn't appear to be any space at all, but I am thinking yea right, I'm not doing it right. Shortly thereafter......she wanted to go ahead and go......feeling pressure, so off we go. Mind you in btwn she is smiling, making light jokes..get to hospital, and wham bam, complete. So I'll be darn, it does work! YEAH!

beautiful*birth · #38 04-17-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by birthisnatural

I am so excited. I am currently a doula, going to start midwifery in June! So I had posted earlier that I was going to try this for fun with my gal that was going to go anyday. Well today was the day, and her labor was VERY unusal, in that it was very sparatic, contractions 5 min, 4 min, 3 min, 6 min and she was just very cool calm and collected. I had asked her if she was feeling any pressure, she said no, next contraction she said yea pressure. I am thinking, hmm, maybe in her head?!? lol, so i asked her if next time she had a contraction if she would be on her back so I could try this(she had been on all fours the whole time). She said ok, maybe for a min. Didn't appear to be any space at all, but I am thinking yea right, I'm not doing it right. Shortly thereafter......she wanted to go ahead and go......feeling pressure, so off we go. Mind you in btwn she is smiling, making light jokes..get to hospital, and wham bam, complete. So I'll be darn, it does work! YEAH!

That is awesome that it worked! I can't wait to try it either.Too cool. Sounds like you are a great doula! THanks for sharing the story!

Womb To Walk · #39 04-18-2007

Oh cool my client is due anyday, am sooo excited to try this! So we are using flat fingers between the xiphiod process and the fundus right?

Rebecca

DeniseAK · #40 04-18-2007

I think I will try it on myself when I go into labor, for as long as I can remember... lol. I will also mention this to my midwife next time I see her

Babycatcher · #41 05-27-2007

WOW what a great thread, I can't wait to try it onthe first client who lets me!!! Thank you for posting!

bigfamilyboss · #42 06-17-2007

This is an awsome thread! Has anyone else had an oppertunity to us this yet? I can't wait until someone else goes into labor. Do you ever feel guilty that your ladies are guinea pigs?

bigfamilyboss · #43 06-18-2007

Maybe I'm not that bright, but, if this really works what is the purpose of doing a vaginal exam? What would be a honest reason for doing one any way? Would a woman have a desire to push before she is dilated? Is there a valad reason to know how dilated a woman is before she goes into labor?

clairec · #44 06-18-2007

Some women do have an urge to push when not fully dilated (more common with an OP position as there is increased pressure on the bowels), occasionally a lip will swell when it is pushed on for a long time (more common with primips, multips will often push through it)

You can also assess position from VE, if the woman's dilation hasn't changed but there has been rotation or descent then there is progress.

If there is a query about presentation in labour you can get that from a VE - is it a bum, a vertex, a face?

Is there a cord? (ok you'd get the clue from the FH but you'd confirm it vaginally)

Is there excessive caput or moulding on the baby's head? - suggesting there is problem with fitting through the pelvis

I don't see the need to know how far dilated she is prior to labour (hence not doing VEs prior to labour unless a sweep is requested - after due date)

All a VE will tell you is what the cervix is doing NOW, just because you've found a 6cm cervix doesn't mean you won't have a baby within the next 10 minutes, and a fully dilated cervix doesn't mean a woman is READY to push

DeniseAK · #45 06-18-2007

What Claire said, and a lot of women feel more reassurance if their midwife tells them how far they have dilated after a VE. A lot of Docs have made it seem like the only way dilation can be checked as well, but I have learned that its more for the hospital protocol, than anything else.
And by the way, Sherry, asking questions is a sign of very good intelligence sweetie... How else do we learn??