153 | Will cervical exams change my birth? A risk and benefit analysis of cervical checks

How are cervical checks going to affect my labor? I know something as small and simple as a cervical exam doesn’t seem like much of an interruption to the labor process, but it actually is. When we introduce pain, tension, or fear into labor it can cause labor to stall and make it harder for you to access your coping tools. And let’s flip the script, I actually would love for you to think of cervical exams as small and insignificant in actually helping labor, because there are truly no benefits to including multiple cervical checks in birth.

In this episode I discuss:

• A risk and benefit analysis of using cervical checks in labor so you can make an informed choice on if you want to include them in your birth or not.

• In home births we don’t typically see cervical exams unless the mother requests them, and how requesting a cervical exam shows some doubt in your body’s ability to birth.

• The story of a mom who dilated from 2 to 10 cm in an hour and the mom who stayed dilated to 5 cm for a whole week.

• When to expect cervical exams as part of your prenatal care and exactly when ones you can decline.

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