First Time Expecting Club

[ahandley]

At my next doctors appt, my doctor wants to give me an internal to be sure the babys head is down. Is this a normal thing to happen at 37 weeks?

I have had a great pregnancy, no problems. I was tested positive for Strep B therefore my doctor isnt going to swab me again at my next appt.

A lot of people I have spoken to do not believe it is normal to have an internal at 37 weeks.

I would like to hear other opinions. Thanks!

[Mum2BeautifulBoys]

It may be the "norm" in your doctor's practice, but you don't have to allow it if you don't want it done (same goes for pretty much any test or exam, though doctors don't usually present things that way, I found!) Many doctors and m/w don't do "routine" internals in pregnancy, esp. so early (they may at term to see if anything indicates labour is iminent, but really, they don't have to do that either, and women don't have to "let" them). And any caregiver worth his or her salt would be able to tell if baby was head down without an internal (considering if you aren't actually giving birth yet they shouldn't see the baby's head from that view...)! They can generally tell by poking around on the outside, so to speak.

Neither my OB (first pg) nor my midwife (second) did an internal at 37 weeks. Personally, I'd refuse it.

[ahandley]

Right!
My mom seems to think that; I'm due January 8th, and my doctor is on vacation from the 29th to the 7th. By doing this internal he will put me into labour sooner (before he leaves for vacation).
I believe that he knows what he is doing and wouldn't do something he shouldn't.

[4princesses]

I've had 4 baby's and have never had the doctor do an internal to check the position of the baby's head.  By feeling the baby throught the stomach they can usually be fairly certain whether that baby's facing head or tails up.  And if you've "dropped" the odds of it being a bum are really unlikely. 

The only time I've had a doctor do an internal was to see if I was dialated yet and that was at 39 weeks and by my request.

If it were me I'd ask the doctor to check from the outside (any doc who knows his stuff shoudl be able to tell)  If there's still doubt the only sure way to tell is by an ultrasound.