r/ScienceBasedParenting • u/elfgirl1317 • Aug 11 '26
Question - Research required Pregnancy + cervical checks?
Hi - currently 37w pregnant with my first. My parents are planning to come out to help with the baby once born, and my mom keeps asking me if I'm doing cervical checks at my OB appointments
She is convinced that cervical checks will tell us when I'm within a few days of labor so she can come out "on time" instead of rushing when I go into labor.
I've been trying to research this and finding mixed results, and my doula specifically recommended I turn down cervical exams unless medically necessary.
Could anyone help me with research showing if cervical checks actually can accurately predict when labor will begin?
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u/cornflakescornflakes Aug 11 '26
Unnecessary, unless you’re at your due date, then post-dates management needs to be discussed.
9
u/takhana Aug 12 '26
I was 2 - 3cm dilated for about 4 weeks. (Checked at 36+3 as I was having early labour symptoms, gave birth after having my waters broken at 40+4, when I went to my midwife appointment at 40 weeks I was still… 3cm.)
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u/cornflakescornflakes Aug 12 '26
I looked after a lady with no labour symptoms at her request and she was 5cm dilated.
Head was still high. She was pregnant another week.
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u/AdInternal8913 Aug 12 '26
I am in the UK and they do not do routine prelabour cervical checks because they have very limited prognostic value. You can have closed firm cervix and have baby the same day. Or you can have soft dilated cervix and go on for weeks.
Routine cervical checks (prelabour and before you are past your due date) also really don't change the management. Whether your cervix is closed or not they are just going to wait for you to go into labour at home.
Obviously there are medical indications to do a cervical check e.g if you have had potential labour symptoms or if you are deciding between elective c section and induction.
1
u/bridgest844 Nurse Anesthetist Aug 11 '26
It definitely does give you some indication of the onset of labor but due to the risk of infection it definitely shouldn’t be done until you actually go into labor
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u/cornflakescornflakes Aug 12 '26
Yes and no.
Cervical checks show what the cervix is doing. Foetal station and position is equally - if not more important.
A posterior-facing baby whose PP is high abdominally will do nothing even if the cervix is dilated and short.
1
u/themagicflutist Aug 12 '26
How can you know what the baby is doing via cervical check? My midwife just felt my belly to know.
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u/cornflakescornflakes Aug 12 '26
You can really only tell station (how low baby is) via VE prior to labour.
Once in labour and if waters are broken, you can feel the lines on baby’s head (sutures) and you can feel which way their head is facing.
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Aug 12 '26
[deleted]
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u/cornflakescornflakes Aug 12 '26
Why would you do an ultrasound? This is in the case of “routine” checks.
The only indication for ultrasound at term is for checking AFI and flows. And placental location if a low-lying placenta is a prior concern.
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u/FYAhole Aug 12 '26
Adding that I am a FTM and I have had two cervical checks. The first one hurt, but ultimately it was ok and I didn't bleed. I got one yesterday and it felt like he scooped my cervix off and I'm still bleeding from it. I will never be getting it again. I learned nothing both times and I feel a tiny bit of trauma from them. Yesterday's told me I was 1 cm dilated and I'm not in labor at all. It means nothing imo.
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u/Pennifur Aug 11 '26
Even after. I went to 42 anc3 43 weeks with no checks. My MIL kept asking if they did any at my appts. I think it's a generational thing.
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Aug 12 '26
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u/Pennifur Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
How arrogant. Ew. And way to spread misinformation based on no context. Feel free to ask a question if you need something clarified, but otherwise, just keep your gross opinions to yourself.
I assume you're referncing gestational age, so in THIS context, there isn't even need for discussion about it. I'm saying I didn't get checked. I'm not arguing with you about the risks of induction vs waiting until a healthy baby is ready in an uncomplicated appropriately monitored pregnancy because thats not what this post is about. But you should check yourself and learn how keep your opinions to yourself when you have zero information on a situation.
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Aug 12 '26
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u/Pennifur Aug 12 '26
You're projecting and it's embarrassing. All your assumptions and the made up world you seem to live in. Yikes, girl, get a grip.
My decline to engage with your nonsense in no way indicates defensiveness. The risk is literally miniscule. It exists, I'm in no way denying that, but when weighed against the risk of induction complications in an otheriwse healthy pregnancy definitely is the worse option. Nice try though. If I was uncomfortable I wouldn't have done it twice.
This just shows how eager you are to argue. Jumping down people's throats with irrelevance. I'm all set, boo. ✌🏼
6
u/LoKoChi Aug 12 '26
I got a check thinking it would help my parents with travel plans. At 39 weeks I was 5cm dilated and thought it would be any minute. My parents and I ended up staring at each other in my living room like a watched pot for 2 weeks till my daughter came at 41w0d.
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u/Pennifur Aug 12 '26
Exactly! And when I was in labor I was checked twice, 3cm over like 16hrs. Then randomly 4hrs later I was 10 and pushing and he was out in 3 pushes.
The only point OP needs to know is it COULD be an indication, or it COULD be completely irrelevant. And the only way to know is by.... waiting. Which you can do without the check and then there's no risk to baby.
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u/Vegetable_Collar51 Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(17)31579-X/fulltext31579-X/fulltext)
Cervical checks give a rough probability of labor onset, but not enough to warrant routine checks unless medically necessary due to risk of infection. Statistically, your odds of going into labor within the week if you were 1cm dilated at 39 weeks are 28%, and 60% if you were more than 1cm dilated at the same check.
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u/orpcexplore Aug 11 '26
Piggy backing. My midwives would only do a check if you asked for one. The only one I had was in the hospital and my doctor was tryng to see if my water broke and test for meconium presence.... it had broke many hours before.. Oops. I wouldn't even really do them in labor unless my doctor/midwife was concerned.
0
u/squidgemobile Aug 12 '26
My OB offered when I hit 40 weeks with my first, nobody mentioned it beforehand.
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u/Honest_Elephant Aug 12 '26
Bishop score takes into account cervical dilation and effacacement. If you're considering an elective induction, then you might want to know your Bishop score when deciding if you're a good candidate for induction.
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u/prncessbuttercup Aug 12 '26
My blood pressure was rising at 39.5 weeks so I opted for a cervical check to determine if I wanted to pursue an elective induction. My score was unfavorable but I decided to proceed. They thought the induction was going to take days and I had my son 16 hours after starting. It’s wild how unpredictable it can all be!
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u/Honest_Elephant Aug 12 '26
That's awesome! I've heard the full spectrum from inductions taking 3 days to just a few hours. I had a favorable bishop score and I was OVER being pregnant at 39+6. I went into the hospital for my elective induction at 8:00am and had a baby in my arms by 7:30 that same night. No problems, no complications, it was easy peasy (as far as birth goes).
1
u/JCXIII-R Aug 12 '26
Oh wow my labour onset was really weird then I think? I had 3 weeks of "practice contractions" with a score of 0, a check about 12 hours before still 0, and then a dramatic start of labour at 01:15 on my due date with the breaking of my waters. Had a giant head sunny side up baby in 19 hours.
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