How do you manage late pregnancy exams?

As I get further and further along, I am finding it so uncomfortable to lay
flat on my back, and started to feel quite faint the other day as I was
laying down and feeling baby. No big deal; everything I have read has said
that this is pretty common in late pregnancy, and I just rolled over onto my
side, and everything was fine.

But what I am wondering is this...either next appointment or the one after
that, my doctor is going to do an internal exam at my appointment. It just
struck me today that this is going to mean laying on my back even longer
than I did the other day when I started to feel faint, and I don't think I
can do it!

So, for all of you that have BTDT, how do you handle late pregnancy exams?
Did you have this problem at all? Is there anything you did that helped
prevent you from feeling faint?

Thanks!
-Michelle
edd 3/14/04

Shelly wrote:
So, for all of you that have BTDT, how do you handle late pregnancy
exams? Did you have this problem at all? Is there anything you did
that helped prevent you from feeling faint?

Just refuse the internal exam. It doesn't provide any useful or actionable
information unless there's a medical reason to induce your labor (in which
case, it can tell your provider how likely an induction is to succeed and
whether cervical ripening agents should be used). Practitioners mainly do it
out of habit and a belief that they "should", but it's really not necessary
or even particularly advisable.

That will at least reduce the amount of time you're lying on your back.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [22 mos.] mom)

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Shelly wrote:

But what I am wondering is this...either next appointment or the one after
that, my doctor is going to do an internal exam at my appointment. It just
struck me today that this is going to mean laying on my back even longer
than I did the other day when I started to feel faint, and I don't think I
can do it!

Your doctor isn't going to want to make you feel faint. Just tell them
that you've been feeling faint and ill when lying on your back and
they'll do their best to accomodate you (or why are you seeing them in
the first place).

"Shelly" wrote in message
...
either next appointment or the one after
that, my doctor is going to do an internal exam at my appointment. It just
struck me today that this is going to mean laying on my back even longer
than I did the other day when I started to feel faint, and I don't think I
can do it!

So, for all of you that have BTDT, how do you handle late pregnancy exams?
Did you have this problem at all? Is there anything you did that helped
prevent you from feeling faint?

Hi Shelly!

I had a lot of trouble breathing with my daughter. Awful feeling, isn't it?
(Just a suggestion that helped me: when you feel faint, lie down on your
*left* side, because that pulls the baby away from your vena cava, which is
most likely being compressed and making you feel faint. Advice from a
friend of mine who is a ER attending at Columbia in NYC). Anyway,
regarding the exams, they're very quick. It's not like a pap smear - you're
really talking about two minutes, max, on your back. Not fun, of course,
but manageable.

Maybe your OB has a suggestion? Definitely tell him/her about your concerns
before the exam. I can't imagine that this isn't a fairly common, if
loathesome, effect.

Hang in there. If you're getting internal exams, you must be getting close!

Donna

Shelly wrote in message
...
As I get further and further along, I am finding it so uncomfortable to
lay
flat on my back, and started to feel quite faint the other day as I was
laying down and feeling baby. No big deal; everything I have read has said
that this is pretty common in late pregnancy, and I just rolled over onto
my
side, and everything was fine.

But what I am wondering is this...either next appointment or the one after
that, my doctor is going to do an internal exam at my appointment.
Why?
The only internals I've had either pregnancy were when I was in labour prior
to having an epidural.
I didn't have any internals at all with #2. I wouldn't have them unless
they're totally necessary.
Debbie

It just
struck me today that this is going to mean laying on my back even longer
than I did the other day when I started to feel faint, and I don't think I
can do it!

So, for all of you that have BTDT, how do you handle late pregnancy exams?
Did you have this problem at all? Is there anything you did that helped
prevent you from feeling faint?

Thanks!
-Michelle
edd 3/14/04

Shelly wrote:

As I get further and further along, I am finding it so uncomfortable to lay
flat on my back, and started to feel quite faint the other day as I was
laying down and feeling baby. No big deal; everything I have read has said
that this is pretty common in late pregnancy, and I just rolled over onto my
side, and everything was fine.

But what I am wondering is this...either next appointment or the one after
that, my doctor is going to do an internal exam at my appointment. It just
struck me today that this is going to mean laying on my back even longer
than I did the other day when I started to feel faint, and I don't think I
can do it!

So, for all of you that have BTDT, how do you handle late pregnancy exams?
Did you have this problem at all? Is there anything you did that helped
prevent you from feeling faint?


As routine late pregnancy internal exams are useless
and may increase the risk of infection, why would you allow
them anyway? Avoid them unless there's a darned good reason.
You don't even need them during labor, except maybe to determine
if you're fully dilated. You might choose a few more here
or there for reasons that make sense to you, but certainly
if you're dreading it, there's no reason to have any more
than strictly necessary! With my first two pregnancies,
I didn't have *any* late pregnancy exams. With my second,
I had some during a week of false labor trying to figure
out if things were really happening or not (all at my
request--they'd have been happy not to check if I didn't
want it, and they didn't really provide much in the way
of actionable information). With my third, I had a couple
trying to figure out if she was breech or not because they
were having a devil of a time figuring it out from palpation
(she was in an odd position). I had very few exams during
labor as well, because I did *not* like to be on my back
either.

If you choose to have an exam, you could probably
arrange to be slightly elevated so that you're not *flat*
on your back. That might make it easier.

Best wishes,
Ericka

You can probably lie on your side for most of the exam...

"Shelly" wrote in message
...
As I get further and further along, I am finding it so uncomfortable to
lay
flat on my back, and started to feel quite faint the other day as I was
laying down and feeling baby. No big deal; everything I have read has said
that this is pretty common in late pregnancy, and I just rolled over onto
my
side, and everything was fine.

But what I am wondering is this...either next appointment or the one after
that, my doctor is going to do an internal exam at my appointment. It just
struck me today that this is going to mean laying on my back even longer
than I did the other day when I started to feel faint, and I don't think I
can do it!

So, for all of you that have BTDT, how do you handle late pregnancy exams?
Did you have this problem at all? Is there anything you did that helped
prevent you from feeling faint?

Thanks!
-Michelle
edd 3/14/04

What about the test for step? I'll be having that done next week
(week 28) and was told to expect an internal for the test. I know
it's not 'necessary' but it's probably something that would be useful
to know and prepare for if it's positive. Do you generally just skip
that?

On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 11:46:22 -0800, "Circe" wrote:

Shelly wrote:
So, for all of you that have BTDT, how do you handle late pregnancy
exams? Did you have this problem at all? Is there anything you did
that helped prevent you from feeling faint?

Just refuse the internal exam. It doesn't provide any useful or actionable
information unless there's a medical reason to induce your labor (in which
case, it can tell your provider how likely an induction is to succeed and
whether cervical ripening agents should be used). Practitioners mainly do it
out of habit and a belief that they "should", but it's really not necessary
or even particularly advisable.

That will at least reduce the amount of time you're lying on your back.

I don't know about in pregnancy but I had a smear done years ago by a nice
lady doctor and she did it with me on my side....

Good luck

Camille

KD wrote:

What about the test for step? I'll be having that done next week
(week 28) and was told to expect an internal for the test. I know
it's not 'necessary' but it's probably something that would be useful
to know and prepare for if it's positive. Do you generally just skip
that?


Personally, I skipped it, but it's not an unreasonable
test. If you just do the test, though, that part of the exam
is pretty quick and probably wouldn't cause too many problems.

Best wishes,
Ericka