How to do cervical examination in late pregnancy

Pregnant women are a status that a family attaches great importance to. Pregnant women are bearing the offspring of a family, and the hope of every family lies in pregnant women. Therefore, pregnant women must take good care of their bodies during pregnancy. Women must have prenatal checkups on time until the baby is born. Many expectant mothers in the late pregnancy do not know how to do a cervical examination and are quite worried. How to do a cervical examination in the late pregnancy? Let’s take a look at it next.

1. The purpose of cervical examination in pregnant women

Mothers who have given birth know that they need to do a cervical maturity test before delivery. This test can help them understand the delivery time of the pregnant woman, whether she is suitable for delivery, etc., and can effectively determine the time of delivery. The process of cervical ripening can be as short as 12 hours or as long as 6-8 weeks. Prenatal examination of cervical maturity can determine the time of labor and make predictions in advance, so that pregnant women close to labor can be admitted to the hospital at the most appropriate time to avoid accidents due to sudden onset. The closer the due date is, the easier it is to give birth naturally after the cervix is ​​fully ripe.

2. How to do cervical examination during pregnancy

During the examination, the doctor will disinfect his hands and the expectant mother's vulva, and put on sterile gloves to check the softness, length, position, dilation and position of the presenting part of the cervix to determine whether labor is imminent. The cervical maturity test depends on the doctor's expertise and the sensitivity of the expectant mother. It may sometimes cause slight bleeding and be accompanied by a little pain during the test. Expectant mothers should pay attention to relaxing themselves and avoid being too nervous when undergoing cervical maturity tests.

3. When to check cervical maturity in late pregnancy

Clinical practice has confirmed that abnormal cervical maturation can pose a threat to mother and child. For example, premature maturation of the cervix can cause premature birth, while an immature cervix in full-term pregnancy will cause prolonged labor or prolongation of the pregnancy. In addition, when a high-risk pregnancy needs to be terminated, whether the cervix is ​​ripe is an important factor in determining whether a successful vaginal delivery can be achieved. Cervical maturity test is one of the examination items that every pregnant mother must undergo. This prenatal examination mainly checks the softness, length, position, dilation and location of the presenting part of the cervix to determine whether labor is imminent. Currently, the Bishop scoring method is mainly used in medicine to determine the cervical maturity of pregnant women.

The cervical maturity check is performed in the late pregnancy. Before 36 weeks of pregnancy, the cervical measurement value of the pregnant woman is relatively constant, but as the due date approaches, the cervix is ​​closer to maturity. Generally, a check is done at 37 weeks of pregnancy to predict the time of delivery. During the prenatal check-up in the late pregnancy, the doctor will request this examination to determine whether labor has already begun, or to determine the specific time for induction of labor. For pregnant women who are already in labor, the doctor will also perform a cervical ripening examination. For pregnant women planning a cesarean section, examining the cervix at 37 weeks of pregnancy and measuring the length of the cervix can determine the timing of the operation. During the examination, the doctor will disinfect his hands and the expectant mother's vulva, and put on sterile gloves to check the softness, length, position, dilation and position of the presenting part of the cervix to determine whether labor is imminent. The cervical maturity test depends on the doctor's examination regularity and the sensitivity of the expectant mother. Sometimes it will cause slight bleeding and there will be a little pain during the examination.