So THAT'S WHY! (I have an awesome doctor)
I am 37 weeks and had an appointment today. I've been wondering (and slightly concerned) why she hasn't yet checked for dilation/effacement yet, and when she still didn't today I asked her why not and when she does this. She said "Well, I don't! Unless you specifically ask me to, or if you are past your due date". When I asked her why this is she said it's because this information really doesn't tell you anything about when you are going to have your baby. She said that some women can walk around with their cervix as long and hard as a roll of lifesavers (not dilated or effaced at all) and their water breaks that night, while other women can be dilated 2 centimeters for 2 weeks and still not go into labor. This totally makes sense to me. One of the girls in my labor class said she was dilated 2 centimeters and effaced such and such percent and that she would probably not be there for the last week. Well sure enough, the next week, she was there and still no baby! My doc said that it can be a pretty uncomfortable procedure and she just doesn't like poking around for no reason, even though a lot of older doctors were trained to start doing this around 34 weeks. This totally makes sense to me, why mess with nature when you don't need to? I say, let nature do it's thing. And furthermore, this makes me wonder if my sister's labor would have been easier had she not been induced. She has an older doctor and he induced her just because she was dilated a couple centimeters. She was in labor for 18 hours, pushed for 3, then had to have a c-section! Maybe her body just wasn't ready! I know I rambled, but I think it's interesting to think about. What do you guys think?
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