03/07/2022
✌🏽Vaginal examinations aka VE are routinely offered in labour in NHS trusts ✌🏽
📏They are a way of assessing the length, consistency, position and dilatation of your cervix and sometimes which position your baby is in. It is important to know the findings can vary massively between health care professionals and dilation is not linear! You could go from 3cm to having your baby in an hour 📏
⛔Vaginal examinations are not compulsory, you absolutely have a choice to decline having someone else's fingers inside your body!⛔
🚫Vaginal examinations are not bargaining tools to access care; you shouldn't be offered access to a birthing place on the condition a midwife or Dr performs a VE🚫
⚡They do come with risks so it's important YOU weigh up the risks vs the benefits in your individual journey. There are situations such as an induction of labour where a VE might be necessary, it's important you know all of your options and what the outcome could mean for you BEFORE anyone performs any procedure⚡
💜I'll repost a fantastic photo of The Purple Line after this post but it really is amazing to see in practice! Not every birther will have one and some are a little tricker to see than others, they start at the a**s and lengthen to the top of your bum crack as your cervix opens💜
😎🤫😡😂 A midwife will quite often have an idea about where you are in labour depending on how you stand, move and talk and what noises you might make. Remember that you are the expert in your own body so you will probably know you're getting closer to meeting your baby😂😡🤫😎
🌡️🦵🏾 Your lower legs can actually become cooler as you progress in labour, your super clever body directs more blood flow away from your legs and pushes it to your womb 🦵🏾🌡️
Check out these accounts for more on VEs
