Posterior, closed cervix at 38 weeks and 4 days

[flashy09]

Had my cervix checked (which was 10x worse than when I had it checked two weeks ago...tons of pressure and it took a long time) and Dr said it was closed and posterior. Does this mean there is very little chance of giving birth before my due date (12/2) or can things change very quickly?

[BabyBearsMom]

Things can change pretty quickly or they can go really slowly. I know that I walked around 2 or 3 cm dialated for over a week when I was PG with DD. The baby will come when he/she is good and ready and all you can do is sit back and wait. Enjoy the quiet time while you can!

[MSWR0319]

I have a friend who walked around 4cm dilated for 5 weeks. She ended up delivering at 41 weeks. She kept bragging to me how she was going to go before me (she was due two weeks after me). I ended up going a week early. Another friend was at maybe 1 cm and delivered the next night. Moral of the story, one can never tell! It just happens : )

[Simon]

Things can change very quickly. I have preemies, but generally have no cervical changes until the few days/hours before labor begins.

However, if this is a first baby, you are more likely to go to due date or beyond. Women's bodies seem to take longer going through the stages of a first labor/birth. Women with very fast first labors are an exception.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Things can change. However, I would totally advocate not having cervical checks. They won't tell you anything that is really necessary. You could be 3-4cm for weeks or closed and go into labor 2 hours later. You can feel disappointed, encouraged, like a ticking time bomb...all from some numbers that don't tell you much of anything. Maybe you can know how far you have to go when labor starts but even then some women are really pokey getting into active labor even if they start at 3cm while others zip by.

In my 2 pregnancies I did the 1st one textbook with regular checks. I started to get so sad/ mad/ disappointed when week after week there was no change. I was 2cm, 70% and -1 for weeks. Yes, I went past my EDD (42w) so I was hearing the same results for over a month. With ds2 I opted to get no checks. The only one I got was at 41w4d and I was 2cm and barely effaced. I was in labor 3 hours later. No idea how long I had been dilated at all and it obviously didn't really matter. Sucky thing was that as much as I knew #s don't matter, I left that appointment upset! I was sure I should at least be at 3-4! For me, it was so much better not knowing. Your body will do what it needs to do, when it needs to do it. Be patient and mentally move your EDD back. That's what a wise mom told me when I was pg with ds1. Prepare for 42w and hope for sooner. I think it really helped me because I was counting down to a more realistic goal.

I personally loved going late since all was well with us. I had a bit more time! Movies, quick errands, dates...I packed it all in as much as I could those last weeks with both boys. Not to say you'll go late...who the heck knows? Your cervical stats can't predict it. Kick back and know things will happen when they are supposed to.

One thing that would be valuable to know is baby's position though. That is most important. Ask if baby is posterior, anterior...as I found out with ds1, a posterior baby can make you more likely to go late. You can work on baby's position by doing things on your hands and knees and not lounging back on the couch. (check out the spinning babies website for info.) The baby's position is one of the biggest factors in labor and it is one of the least commonly addressed by mainstream care providers.

Beth

[Melaine]

I agree with skipping the cervical checks if possible. Not only are they inconclusive, but my friend ended up having her singleton earlier than her twins because her midwife accidentally broke her water from a rough exam at over three weeks before her due date. My plan is to skip them if possible.

And as a Mama to preemies, I have to say, (and probably sound obnoxious), don't rush it! It's so wonderful to have full-term babies, just try to relax and wait it out and realize that things really will be easier the longer the baby bakes.

[Katigre]

Had my cervix checked (which was 10x worse than when I had it checked two weeks ago...tons of pressure and it took a long time) and Dr said it was closed and posterior. Does this mean there is very little chance of giving birth before my due date (12/2) or can things change very quickly?

I had a posterier, closed cervix up until I went into labor with each child - I didn't dilate at all beforehand.

Remember that there is not a 'due date' but a 'due range' that goes from 38-42 weeks. Just like the 'average' woman is 5'5, but the majority of women are a little taller or a little shorter - same goes for gestational length.

Some women carry for longer, some women carry for shorter. I know two women who went into labor with *all* of their children at 38 weeks b/c that's how long their body is made to carry babies (7 babies between them!). I know another two women who go to 42+ weeks with each pregnancy, and in their family history there are a number of women who had 43 week pregnancies.

Then you have moms somewhere in the middle at 40-41 weeks. That is where the majority of moms fall.

I would advise you to decline cervical checks - they will just cause pain (literal pain - those things hurt!) and make you anxious. Your dilation does NOT mean anything. I had a friend walking around a 5cm dilated for two weeks without going into labor. Another who was 3cm for 5 weeks before going into labor!

Yet here I was, 0cm dilated and I went into labor at 39 weeks with each child.

Patience is really hard when you're at the end of pregnancy and just feel 'done', so it might help to reframe your due date from 12/2 to 12/10 to give yourself an extra week of buffer. I used to tell people my due date was "Sometime in _____ month" so that people wouldn't bug me about the exact date .

[SnuggleBuggles]

Patience is really hard when you're at the end of pregnancy and just feel 'done', so it might help to reframe your due date from 12/2 to 12/10 to give yourself an extra week of buffer. I used to tell people my due date was "Sometime in _____ month" so that people wouldn't bug me about the exact date .

I lied about my EDD with all but my best friend with ds2! I padded it by 2 weeks. Made the end so much more peaceful!!

Beth

[flashy09]

I am definitely done with the checks! I had one at 36 with the group b test because I figured I was already undressed and exposed I might as well see if anything was going on. Then yesterday I was just curious - and the first check was quick and painless so I thought why not.

My baby was posterior at 32 weeks. I don't know if she has changed since then. Can the Dr tell without a scan? Nothing has been mentioned except that she is head down (he had my husband feel her head yesterday) for sure, but not sure if still posterior.

I have felt a little crampy and achy since the exam - can it trigger contractions? He really had to reach way in and push down. I should have said beforehand if the cervix is hard to reach, don't bother! But it's my first pregnancy and all this is new!

[Katigre]

This site has good information - check out their 'baby positions' and 'techniques' tabs for things to do. http://www.spinningbabies.com/

FWIW, following their recommendations helped me avoid interventions in my second birth - the baby was malpositioned which seriously stalled my labor and we did the 'lift and tuck' technique which got everything going quickly!