Can i refuse a cervix check

It’s your right to refuse it. But not really the most recommended thing, neither the ideal for your medical professional to actually do their job.

Absolutely you can refuse it. It is not 100% necessary and there are other ways they can check how far along you are.

You can refuse. They cannot deny your treatment for it.

You can refuse it. But If you are having an induction, it’s very difficult to know the next steps if they can see how dilated you are. I used gas for all the checks, as with my first daughter the induction took 3 days, and with my second daughter, I got the propess and after they removed it, labour started by itself. So lots of checks on my first and just 2 in my second

No need to have an induction if you and baby is healthy, it’a not needed, but normal cervix check with fingers are ok. When you give birth things will be more intrusive so please.

Of course you can refuse. You can refuse anything - your body, your baby, your choice.

However, I would encourage you to try and let them do some because it’ll be helpful for them to know when you can safely push. There’s going to be a lot of people hanging around down there so you’ll quickly need to become comfortable with it. I found that when I was in labour I quickly lost any feelings about it as I was focused on trying to have a safe delivery.

You can absolutely refuse checks, and they can judge dilation in other ways. Dilation is not necessarily a good indicator of how long things will take anyway. They cannot refuse you treatment just because you don’t want cervical exams, that could well be seen as coercion to pressure you into agreeing to exams that you do not want.
yes, labour is challenging, but they are in no way comparable. Contractions are a completely different feeling to cervical exam, and what is tolerable for one person may not be for another. Particularly victims of SA may struggle with cervical checks

You can refuse whatever you want. Don't let anyone else's comments here make you feel like you're obligated to 😊

many people have been given sweeps they haven't consented to whilst having cervical checks. If she doesn't want a cervical check, she absolutely isn't obligated 😊

I refused checks with my last baby. I ended up agreeing to one check only because I wanted to go in the pool as I knew baby would be born within the hour.

You don't have to agree to anything you don't want to. But be mindful that they may not give you gas and air, or use of a pool unless they know you're in active labour by checking dilation.

To people saying Labour and birth is more painful and intrusive, I didn't find that to be true. Contractions and birth were fine, I found VE agony. Also, during birth noone shoved anything up me so it was much less intrusive.
Similarly to anyone saying they have to check to know when to push, also not true for me. My body (as most womens will) pushed involuntarily when needed. I didn't push my last baby at all, my body ejected her itself.

100% you can refuse it. No one has the right to put their fingers in your vagina. If anyone coerces you into it or makes you feel like you don’t have a choice, it’s assault. It’s your right to decline a cervical check, they can’t withhold pain relief because you decline a check. Cervical checks are pointless anyway as dilation holds no correlation with when baby will be born. Once your cervix is dilated and your baby is ready to be born, you will know as you’ll start getting involuntary pushing urges. I didn’t have any VEs at all and you don’t need to either

True Fiona

Ur completely allowed to refuse but theres no other way to check for dilation

You can refuse it and I personally would! They can’t predict anything with the info they get anyways!

they can look for your behaviour, the purple line and the rhombus of Michaelus is to get an idea of dilation. Anyone who tells a woman they can’t tell without doing a Ve is lying or bad at their job. My midwife said “any midwife worth her salt shouldn’t need to do a VE to know how dilated a woman is, there are so many other ways to tell”

wow all the cervical checks i couldve avoided

@Jerelly dilation means very little anyway. I know woman who've been at 3-4cm for days. I was 2cm at a check and baby in arms 90 mins later with my first labour

it’s sad isn’t it that so
Many women have these horrible experiences due to poor health care providers. I’m sorry you had to go through it

@Alice it's isn't just a physical pain that is an issue for a lot of women.

I may be okay on the day but it could also trigger SA memories, which would make me release stress hormones and stop oxytocin production.

So I will almost certainly be refusing.

they don't actually need to do anything, as birth is a natural process.

not true and you don't need to check anyway. The body does its own thing...

your body knows when to push, you don't need medical staff to tell you...

You can 100% refuse. It's not needed.

It's such a shame we're all trusting medicine with our bodies without questioning it.
Birth is not a medical event.
You only go into hospital when things go wrong health wise, so why are we doing it as standard practice with birth??

because so many women died of childbirth before medical interventions were possible. I understand what you’re getting at and I agree to a point, but having medical professionals involved in birth is generally safer than not having them. Some women can go and give birth in the forest and be fine, but for the vast majority we need a little bit of help or at least reassurance. I would’ve died in my first birth without intervention and lots of women are in the same boat.

@Caroline think you tagged the wrong Ana. There are 2 of us.

I dont agree with cervical exams. I do know intervention is sometimes needed. However it is overused to help manage workloads and keep costs down.

Absolutely you can refuse! Also please don’t listen to anyone who makes you feel bad for finding a cervical check painful.
There are medical reasons why women feel extreme pain during these & I have it, and also have no control over the tensing.
Although it’s also why I’ve had to go down the C-section route as no one was able to check my cervix.

lots, but not most. Most women don't need that help. The only reason it's perceived as needed is because we're not properly informed and educated on the process of birthing.
Medical interventions can save lives but it's a fact that the rates of interventions are higher in hospitals than they are if you birth at home (or in the forest), which begs the question how often are they actually needed?
Again, it's great they are available and they are needed sometimes but absolutely not most times.
Also, so many women died and still die due to medical intervention... Prior to the turn of the 20th century women died in childbirth because of a lack of training and understanding, not so much lack of doctors and technology.
It's a fascinating topic that I've researched extensively and can refer sources and studies if in doubt.

I refused any and all checks during my pregnancy and labour. The midwifes at the time actually told me it was refreshing for them to assist with a labour which just went with the flow!

There’s a dilation indicator by looking at the purple line going up your butt crack! No joke. I refused checks and this was helpful

I agree with the comments about your right to refuse cervical examinations/dilation checks. The only thing I would add is that if you opt for an epidural they are more useful because obviously you can't use your visible signs of discomfort as an indication of dilation and you probably won't feel an urge to push. I wouldn't have known I was 9cm had they not checked as I wasn't in any pain x

9cm has got notjing to do with anything and epidural is not a good choice it’s antiquated. If you would like to know how I had my first birth including labour for my first born only 50minutes in total inbox me ladies.

I'm not sure this comment is helpful or supportive. I had an epidural and had a wonderful birth. Thanks though.