Cervical Checks: What They Can and Cannot Tell You

I think women deserve a better explanation of what a cervical check actually involves.

Sometimes you hear, "We just need to check your cervix," without really knowing what to expect.

Then you're lying on the bed, someone is reaching quite high inside your vagina, and it can feel incredibly uncomfortable. Sometimes it even hurts.

I've had plenty of cervical checks across my four births, and honestly, I never particularly liked them.

But what I really wish I'd understood earlier was that the number of centimetres you're dilated doesn't tell you exactly when your baby will arrive.

What actually happens during a cervical check?

A cervical check, also called a vaginal examination, is when your midwife or doctor uses gloved, lubricated fingers to feel your cervix.

They're usually checking a few things:

• Dilation: How open your cervix is, measured in centimetres. Around 10 centimetres means fully dilated.

• Effacement: How much your cervix has shortened and thinned.

• Station: How far your baby's head has moved down into your pelvis.

They may also assess the position of your cervix and baby's head.

These findings help your maternity team understand what's happening, but they're only one part of the overall picture.

Can a cervical check tell me when I'll give birth?

No, and I think this is something every mother should know!

A cervical check tells you what your cervix is doing at that particular moment.

You might be several centimetres dilated and stay that way for hours. Or things might change much faster than anyone expects.

With my third baby, I had fewer cervical checks because my labour didn't initially seem to be progressing very quickly.

Then suddenly, I needed to push!

She was coming, and that birth ended up being one of my better experiences.

It's why I always say that dilation isn't a countdown clock.

Does my cervix need to dilate one centimetre every hour?

No.

Labour doesn't follow one perfect timetable, and there's no single rate of dilation that every mother must achieve.

Your maternity team looks at the whole picture, including your contractions, baby's wellbeing and whether labour is progressing.

One examination, or one number, shouldn't be used to predict exactly how much longer you have left.

How often will I need cervical checks?

That depends on your labour and your individual circumstances.

Some maternity guidelines recommend offering examinations around every four hours during established labour, although you may need more or fewer.

If your waters have broken, unnecessary examinations are generally avoided because of infection concerns.

Your team should explain why they're recommending each examination and how the information will help guide your care.

Can I say no to a cervical check?

Absolutely!

You can ask why it's needed, what they're looking for and whether it can wait.

One question I really like is:

"What will we do differently depending on what you find?"

You can also ask for the examination to stop at any point, even if you've already agreed to it.

And remember, consenting to a cervical check doesn't automatically mean you're consenting to a membrane sweep. They're different procedures.

If you're unsure what a membrane sweep involves, we've explained exactly what happens, whether it hurts and whether it works in Membrane Sweeps: What They Actually Do.

I remember how much anticipation I felt before every check, wondering whether I'd made progress.

Sometimes hearing a number made me feel encouraged. Other times, it made me feel defeated.

Looking back, I wish someone had explained that my body could still be doing plenty of work, even when the number hadn't changed much.

Cervical checks can give your team useful information, but they don't tell the whole story. And you should always understand what's being recommended before deciding whether you're comfortable with it.

Read next

• Membrane Sweeps: What They Actually Do

• Stages of Labour: What Actually Happens

• Pushing in Labour: What to Expect