Anybody else refusing internals

[HellBunny]

For those ladies who know they are being induced early, or will be in labour a while is there anyone who is refusing internals? Both my babies were early inductions due to type 1 diabetes, and i feel they did far too many internals, i find them excrutiating, i found the pain worse than the head crowning it was that bad, id much rather push a baby out than have an internal. I've no idea why i find them so agonising but i'm considering refusing internals until right at the end.

The only exception is if there is a problem.
With my inductions i was examined at the start, 12 hours after the propess, then every 4 hours after that. Complete waste of time, all that pain and stress to be told "your not in labour". Well of course i knew that! A good Midwife can tell when a woman is in labour without shoving her hands up there with force. The Consultant was worse she spent about 20 minutes up there, it truly was the worst experience of my life.

I did google something similar and it seems i'm not the only one, but the thread i saw was from a couple of years back somewhere.

 

[Ruthyduejan]

Wish I had, I have never felt pain like it before. I felt like the mw rammed her hand up to her elbow each time. I screamed when she did it at one point and she stopped and then my mom asked if I could have gas and air while she did it. After I couldnt walk or sit properly for days x

 

[glowing]

In my area. If you have propess (24 hour) there should be no reason to examine you unless you are contracting regularly and think you are in active/established labour. Prostin is 6 hourly so need the examination to see how favourable your cervix is and administer the drug. Again any other examinations should only be if you/MW thinks labour is establishing. $ hourly routine examinations is not good practice apart from when you are in established labour (4-10cm dilated). You can ask for gas and air through these examinations if you explain how painful they are. No one can do an examination without your consent. Good luck x

 

[CARNAT22]

I was only examined when I got to 5cm (I got that far at home) so my internals were fine! Didn't bother me at all.

xxxxxxxx

 

[Robyner]

I HATE internals. I hate them so much, they gave me gas and air!

 

[cosmicgirl]

Wow, I must have a bucket because I can't even feel it lol x

 

[knopk@]

Thankfully i had epidural so couldnt feel.it but i had to have smear and speculum 3 months postpartum and OMG it was excruciating.
I am hoping for another epi and they can so their internals

Tapatalking so cant see signatures

 

[clairebear22]

I had 1 when I first went to hospital and didn't really feel anything, then had another when pethidine wasn't relieving my contractions and was 5cms and had an epidural. I had quite a few after that (I reckon around 7) because he was back to back so they kept making sure he was turning. I'll never forget the senior male Doctor who came in towards the end of labour when they were discussing c-section as a posibility, he was huge and had massive hands! I remember saying to OH 'thank god i'm numb' after he left!!

I guess they're like anything else, for some they hurt for others they don't x

 

[mrswoody]

I didn't feel my internals until the doctor came in and had to put a catheter in to try and drain my bladder, they thought I needed to pee which was causing baby not to move, that was horrible and I begged him to stop, turns out that wasnt the problem. So he had to do an internal while I was contracting ouch!!

 

[HL28]

With my first I had been in labour for 16 hours before I went in to hospital to be told I was only 2cm. Didn't get to 4cm for another 5 hrs. But was pushing 2ish hrs later. I found it horrible being told u r ONLY 2cm. So had homebirth with second with an independent midwife and refused internals until she gently suggested it would give us a rough idea how I was getting on. By then I was 7cm and felt a much better sense of achievement and encouraged I guess. I will do the same with this one. X

 

[HellBunny]

Lol, i thought with my second baby i wouldn't feel anything because i've been through it before but my god it was still so painful, i don't know why? I thought it was just me until i googled it, but it does seem for most they are just a tad uncomfortable. It felt like someone shoved sandpaper on my cervix and scraped it, is that even normal? i'm dreading them so much, infact its the only part of the labour/birth i'm not looking forward to! Induction again this time at 38 weeks unless he/she comes before so i'm dreading the whole process again lol.

 

[HL28]

You are well within your rights to refuse them. Or atleast ask them to only do the absolutely necessary ones if there are such things! I haven't been induced so don't know the procedure but surely unless you're actively contracting etc they shouldn't need to do one? Although they like to break your waters before the drip? I wouldn't let them break my waters either. Mine haven't actually gone before until I'm pushing. Sorry I'm babbling ha!!! Xxx

 

[babymother]

I only had one for last birth, when I first got to hospital. Then just got on with it lol

You have the right to decline them, and it is assault if they do it without your consent.
I think it's good to think ' what will I gain from this internal?' Like you said, being told you've not progressed is not helpful and can interfere with your labouring.
If you're in early labour, leave it at that. Also, like you said, midwives should be able to tell by posture, noises what stage a woman is at.

I just think internals in early labour can be demoralising and painful. I want minimal internals but know it will be a struggle with twins.

You're experienced and know how your body births your babies.

 

[BunnyN]

My theory is during a normal labour doctors can't really do much to help so they feel the need to do things like internals just to look like they are doing something. I don't see why there would be any problem with refusing them as long as there was no specific problem, even then you have the right to refuse anything you want, but there might be some situations where an in internal really is useful.

 

[HellBunny]

The consultant one was worse, she was so rough! last time she examined me 48 hours after the induction gel thing (but midwives examined every few hours after the gel) i didn't see the point in this at all, the induction failed and i went home because i was so exhausted, i then came back the following day to be taken to delivery room and have my waters broken then on the induction drip. I wish i could just have the waters broke then the drip first rather than all the faffing about with gels/propesses! Another question do you think i would be able to go straight to having my waters broken? obviously i don't expect anybody to know that for sure i was just wondering if it was a possibility lol. I can't believe i'm worrying about all this at my stage along! xx

 

[lovelylily]

I'm thinking of refusing internals but more cos I only had one in my first labour when I was 2-3 cms and after that my midwife left me to it. She didn't even examine me before asking if I wanted to push - she just told me to do what felt right. I really liked that about my last labour so am thinking of asking for the same this time.

 

[katie_lou]

I had to have gas and air when having internals as I hurt so much x

 

[HellBunny]

I'm so glad its not just me x

 

[glowing]

The whole purpose of induction is to get your cervix open to around 2cm then you can have artificial rupture of your membranes and the syntocinon drip. Refusing internals during an induction is a bit counter productive. How will you get the drug in, assessment of where you are etc.

 

[tiaflame]

I was dreading internals, but I found them absolutely fine. Just relax xx


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