Pelvic/Vaginal examinations are not the most pleasant thing toundergo when you are in labour. Not because they are painful but it is just the invaisive nature of the proceedure. For that reason they are kept to an
absolute minimum. When we do a vaginal examination we are checking for the dilation and effacement of the cervix, the presenting part ( is it a head or a bottom) and the position of the presenting part in the pelvis. So as you
can appriciate sometimes it is necessary to do more examinations than we would like. A woman in normal labour will probably have 1-2 examinations at
the most. If your waters go before labour starts we tend to do a speculum examination ( bit like having a smear ) to confirm your waters have gone.
Then if you have not gone into labour within 24hrs an examination will be done then to assess the cervix and decide the best route to start the labour
off. If you are really worried about examinations put it in your birth plan and discuss it with your midwife when you go into labour.

Hello, Can anyone tell me if pelvic exams are really necessary in a normal labour? I know that they are used to check dilation/effacement, but if I'm not really concerned about how long Im taking to dilate etc... (unless of course my waters have been broken for 24 hours already) are they really necessary? Has anyone specified on their birth plan that they don't want them and if so, how did staff react?