How many internal examinations should be done before giving birth? What other embarrassing examinations are there before giving birth?

Prenatal checkups are normal for expectant mothers, but some of them can make expectant mothers feel embarrassed. Today, I will share with you some of the embarrassing prenatal checkups so that you can be mentally prepared.

Mothers expecting a baby will encounter two key words: "anal examination" and "internal examination". It is said that unless you have decided in advance to have a caesarean section, all pregnant women will definitely be examined by doctors, nurses or even interns for anal or internal examinations, and the number of times is not small. What exactly is an "anal examination"? What is an "internal examination"? Are anal and internal examinations necessary? Dora will reveal the secrets to you...

@丝丝妈妈: "I am speechless!! I had an anal examination by two doctors today. It turns out that they check whether the cervix is ​​dilated through the anus. It is so uncomfortable..."

@Miss Xiaomi: "I was shocked by the internal examination today. The doctor asked me to hold my knees with my hands. I was stunned and asked the doctor how to hold them. The doctor said in a depressed tone, "Hold them with your hands and open your legs to both sides as wide as possible!" Then he reached in and touched them again...ah, I am so embarrassed..."

For expectant mothers who want a natural birth, anal and internal examinations are inevitable after entering the delivery room...

These frequent, embarrassing, and uncomfortable examinations are all to confirm the condition of the cervix and to prepare for a smoother delivery process. Mothers should prepare themselves mentally, hypnotize themselves to relax, and not be too nervous. Excessive fear will make it more difficult for the doctor to perform anal examination, and the expectant mother will suffer. Compared with the pain of uterine contractions, the pain of anal examination is really nothing.

Vaginal and anal examinations can help understand the exposure of the fetus, the condition of the cervix and the pelvis during delivery. Anal examination is more suitable for understanding the condition of the posterior pelvis, while vaginal examination is clearer for other aspects. Anal and vaginal examinations are basic skills for obstetricians. They are very necessary for predicting the maturity of the cervix, predicting the mode of delivery, the progress of labor and the balance of the fetal head before and after delivery.

First of all, it is certain that internal examination is necessary for normal delivery. Many women have to undergo internal examination five or six times during delivery, and sometimes even more than ten times. The doctor uses internal examination to check whether the cervical os is suitable for normal delivery, understand the shape and size of the pregnant woman's pelvis, understand the position of the fetal head, the opening of the cervical os, and the soft birth canal. If there is vaginal bleeding before or during delivery, it can help find the cause of vaginal bleeding. And it is necessary to check before surgical delivery to understand the surgical indications and the difficulty of the operation and prevent complications.

Vaginal examination steps: The mother takes the lithotomy position or supine position, routinely disinfects the vulva, lays a sterile towel, and catheterizes or empties the bladder. The doctor washes his hands, wears gloves, and wears sterile clothes as usual, and performs the examination after disinfecting the vulva of the mother. The doctor stands on the right side of the mother or faces the mother, separates the labia minora with his left hand, and extends the index and middle fingers of his right hand into the vaginal opening to squeeze toward the anus. If necessary, the whole hand is inserted into the vagina, and the left hand is required to touch the uterine fundus, and the right hand only moves the fingers to touch, and the hand or wrist cannot be moved, so that the mother will not feel uncomfortable.

In fact, many mothers have also said that internal examination is not that painful. Don’t be afraid, just relax, and it will be completely fine. The more nervous you are, the more painful it will be.

Childbirth enema

Enema is to clean the intestines, prevent stool infection, and promote the progress of delivery. However, after enema, the pain of labor will be more acute, so in some hospitals, suppositories that can soften stools are used instead of enema. Regarding medical treatments that may be taken during delivery, such as shaving and enema, mothers can learn about relevant knowledge from their doctors during pregnancy.

Maternal episiotomy

First of all, episiotomy is only done for normal delivery. Secondly, not every mother who gives birth naturally will have an episiotomy. Only expectant mothers with a large fetal head, weak pelvic floor muscles, or risk of tearing need an episiotomy. However, it must be pointed out that the episiotomy rate among Chinese mothers is very high. (Some mothers and their families reported that if the red envelope was not given in place during childbirth, the mother would have an unnecessary episiotomy. I don't believe that doctors would be so unscrupulous. Generally, doctors will only do it after weighing and thinking that episiotomy is better for the mother.

So will an episiotomy hurt?

Everyone has different feelings about pain. Some women say that the pain during childbirth was so intense that they barely felt any pain during an episiotomy, but others say that they felt pain during an episiotomy. Whether or not you feel pain during the operation depends on the hospital's policy. Most hospitals will give you a local anesthetic before an episiotomy. After the local anesthetic is given, you will hardly feel any pain during the operation. Before giving birth, you should check in advance whether the hospital will give you anesthesia before the operation.