Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Nov
18
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“…I Don’t Want Anything Banging On That Cervix…”
“Your yolk sack isn’t perfectly round as it should be. So, no sex for three weeks. I don’t want anything banging on that cervix and causing a miscarriage.” - OB during ultrasound scan on a mother in her first trimester.
There are 40 comments to this post.
And during the U/S which more than likely was vaginal exactly how much banging took place to get a good picture? I have other thoughts, but let’s just start there.
[Reply]
Ashley Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 7:59 pm (Quote)
Having had a non pregnancy related vaginal u/s I can say that the wand goes no where near the cervix. If done correctly that is.
[Reply]
Details Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 3:48 pm (Quote)
Really, I don’t think you know jack from sh!t. The wand is very firmly pressed up to the cervix. Now a competent tech doesn’t bang, but this person doesn’t sound competent.
[Reply]
Details Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 5:09 pm (Quote)
I take that back. I am now firmly convinced that there is a lot more variation to the shape of a vagina than I previously thought. Of course that picture on WedMD isn’t an accurate portrayal of a vag U/S wand as the ones I have seen are not spherical at the end, but have a flat side. Anyway back to my change of mind. I have a tipped uterus. In the WebMD picture http://women.webmd.com/transvaginal-ultrasound it would be standing straight up rather than reclining like that. And the wand would be pressed to the point it was under my cervix. Then the flat side of the wand would be pressed up to get a good picure. In the WebMD picture the fake wand in touching the mound of the closed cervix, but not up to the opening. Now your cervic and vaginal may be oriented somewhat differently. So your experience might be completely different. And if the U/S tech was trained to do it the correct way for one orientation he/she could be torturing a patient with somewhat different structure if they haven’t been trained to be flexible. I supposed it is hard to do it right when you can’t see what you are dealing with and everybody is shaped so differntly. Seems like a good reason to be gentle and focus on the patient, rather than bang around and focus on the image on the screen.
[Reply]
Jade Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 8:48 pm (Quote)
As I described below, my cervix is very easily felt, not far up my vagina and is quite anterior. I have never had my cervix banged with a trans vaginal US wand, the wand has always gone above/below/beside. And all of the wands I ahve ever had inserted were a long thin wand with a rounded/spherical end.
[Reply]
Details Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 6:39 am (Quote)
Just in case anybody is still interested in the shape of a wand http://www.absolutemed.com/Medical-Equipment/Ultrasound-Probes/GE-618E-Transvaginal-Ultrasound-Transducer-Probe . This is not the one I have seen before. But this one looks like an improvement with more than just one flat side.
[Reply]
Sheva Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 4:33 pm (Quote)
I guess my ex-doc didn’t do it correctly, then. There was definitely plenty of very painful banging-contact with my cervix. I was climbing up the table, begging him to take it out. He didn’t. One of the reasons why he no longer has my business.
[Reply]
Ashley Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 4:38 pm (Quote)
I’m sorry that you had such a horrible experience. I found this link to a description of how a transvaginal ultrasound should be done. http://women.webmd.com/pelvic-ultrasound?page=3
Details, it sounds like you are speaking from a similar experience and I’m sorry that you carry that pain. I’m sorry if my previous comment was read as accusatory or condescending. It was not my intent.
[Reply]
Sheva Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 8:43 pm (Quote)
WebMD describes it as thin, and only the tip being inserted. (The picture shows it fully inserted, though.) I’ve never heard of that – it was actually wider at the end, and the whole thing was inserted, and twisted and pointed in all different directions to view my whole uterus – to “make sure you’re not having twins”. And I meet none of WebMD’s indications for a trans-vaginal ultrasound – mine was done because (I was told) a trans-abdominal wouldn’t have picked up on the baby – I was only 8 weeks pregnant at the time.
Am I the only one?
[Reply]
Jade Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 8:52 pm (Quote)
I have had trans vag ones in early pregnancy because trans abdo did not pick up the baby. I have also had a trans vaginal one done when we were checking for ovarian cysts so that we could get a better picture of what was happening. Looking at the webMD things I don’t meet any of those criteria (with the possible exception of having a hard time with a full bladder). But I think that it is usual to do transvaginal US in very early pregnancy.
[Reply]
At least the OB cars, If he didn’t say something then she would be complaing that he didn’t care !!
[Reply]
Darsy Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 7:37 pm (Quote)
If the OB didn’t say anything, the mother would have no idea that they were incompetent. The idea that ‘if the OB didn’t say ‘anything,’ the mother would then assume the OB didn’t care’ is ridiculous, because what the OB is complaining about is ridiculous. This isn’t one of those ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ scenarios!
[Reply]
THe “banging on the cervix” comment is what was inappropriate. It is a crass and unprofessional phrase that should not be said by a Doctor. This obviously offended the OP. What is so hard about saying “You need to abstain from intercourse for three weeks (continues ot explain concerns)”?
[Reply]
Help me out here. If the yolk sac isn’t perfectly round (should it be?) then wouldn’t that mean the baby wasn’t developing properly, most likely due to a genetic problem? In which case, there’s nothing the mother could do to dislodge it *or* to keep it there. Am I wrong?
My understanding is that pelvic rest is useful in cases where the placenta covers the mouth of the cervix or the mother is experiencing spotting or early dilation. Not if the baby isn’t developing properly.
I dislike the doctor’s implication that the mother can cause a miscarriage. A healthy mother won’t miscarry a healthy baby because she has sex, and most likely she and her partner have had intercourse prior to now anyhow, so if the baby does miscarry, she’ll feel she’s to blame. That’s sad. 
[Reply]
Safiyah Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 11:53 am (Quote)
You put into words exactly what I was feeling!
[Reply]
Nica Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 12:04 pm (Quote)
Agree with Jane. A yolk sac (at least in my 2 pregnancies worth of experience) is not perfectly round. I was on pelvic rest for 20 weeks during my first pregnancy because of unexplained bleeding and a low-lying placenta, both of which resolved themselves. Basically, my doc said to abstain from sex to be on the safe side. There was no discussion of “banging my cervix”, which sounds rather painful anyway!
[Reply]
Kasondra Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 1:00 pm (Quote)
Sometimes if the yolk sac isn’t round it’s because it’s splitting into twins right?
I know a girl (military healthcare) that went in for her first u/s and was told “Hmm…normally it’s round but yours is peanut shaped.” He then walked out and left her wondering if something was wrong…
[Reply]
Sodayah Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 3:03 pm (Quote)
Actually when we got pregnant this time the dr suggested that we abstain from having sex to help prevent a m/c again. It’s a common suggestion.
[Reply]
Jane Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 3:26 pm (Quote)
Is there any proof that abstaining from sex after a positive pregnancy test fixes the baby’s chromosomes?
In fact, are there any studies at all that show abstaining from sex prevents miscarriage?
[Reply]
Sodayah Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 5:42 pm (Quote)
As far as I know reading the quote the dr said nothing about it being a chromosomal issue just an odd shape.
And as for studies after 2 m/c in 6 months if the dr had told me standing on my head would help prevent my loosing this pregnancy I would have done it. They told me no sex until the first trimester was over (this was at 5 weeks) and I didn’t question it, at 26+2 I’m glad we obtained. If we hadn’t and we lost the pregnancy I don’t know if I wouldn’t feel incredibly guilty that I may have caused it, turns out we have a history of incompetent cervixs in my family and I didn’t need to give mine any other excuse.
[Reply]
Silja Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 3:26 pm (Quote)
I always had tear shaped yolk sacs, and perfect, uneventful pregnancies (twins, then a singleton). Nothing was ever said to me about the shape being an issue, or abstaining from sex/ pelvic rest.
[Reply]
Mama Wrench Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 5:32 pm (Quote)
Not to mention the use of “that” instead of “your” cervix. As though it’s not an actual part of a whole woman, — a woman who may have feelings, needs and desires at odds with the doctor’s “advice” — that he can control and dictate at will.
[Reply]
Maybe I’m weird, but I don’t like the ‘ownership’ doc seems to be taking of ‘that’ cervix. This sounds like he feels it is his property to protect *against* me and hubby… instead of *mine* to get doc’s *input* on keeping healthy and safe for *my* little one.
[Reply]
jaed Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 3:40 pm (Quote)
Yes… when doctors say things in terms of “I don’t want…” or “I like to see…” or “My preference is…” then I get nervous.
They may have completely valid medical reasons for the recommendation and the recommendation may be a good one, but language like that is a strong indication of a problematic attitude.
[Reply]
Maybe I’m horrifically naive, but wouldn’t a penis have to be SUPER DUPER long in order to “bang” against the cervix? Oh, and Doc, go back to grammar school and improve that vocabulary! There are so many words you could have used…like pelvic rest…
And what does the cervix have to do with the yolk sac being misshapen?
[Reply]
abba12 Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 1:43 pm (Quote)
It can generally be reached with fingers, thats what a VE does. Most penises are longer than 2 inches of finger. Try finding your own, it lowers when squatting to make it easier. Doctors make it seem like no one but them can know anything about but actually you can check your own dilation during labour if you wanted to.
So yes, if a 2 inch finger can reach it on many women, a 4 inch penis can probably bang against it fairly well, even if only 3 inches are inserted which is more usual. An inch would provide enough force needed to ‘bang’ it.
[Reply]
Mama Wrench Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 5:34 pm (Quote)
I’ve never been able to reach mine, at any point in my cycle or pregnancy. I’ve gotten myself into some strange yogic positions trying but never quite made it. I don’t know if I have freakishly small fingers or just a really deep vagina.
[Reply]
Michelle of The Crunchy Infertile Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 9:44 pm (Quote)
I can’t reach mine either, at any point in my cycle. When I asked my RE about it, asking if that would be an indicator into why we are battling infertility, he told me that not as many women can touch their cervix as think they can. I kind of accepted it then but afterwards got to wondering if that was true then how do women use diaphragms for birth control and the cup type menstrual products? (Which was when it hit home to me that it was so far up, I tried a Diva Cup and then couldn’t reach to get the damn thing out ugh.)
[Reply]
Holly Reply:
November 27th, 2011 at 5:53 pm (Quote)
Yikes on the Diva Cup!! I have never put mine in quite so high… I can feel my cervix some times and not other times depending on where I am in my cycle… and sometimes sex is so uncomfortable with him “banging” my cervix that I can’t take it and have to stop him. Other times I am fine and actually beg him to go deeper. Again, depends on the time in my cycle. 
[Reply]
jaed Reply:
November 18th, 2011 at 3:49 pm (Quote)
Not necessarily. It can happen *cough* *whistle* *stare at ceiling* in some cases. Particularly with some positions.
But it’s uncomfortable and possibly downright painful when it does happen, so it’s not likely it would be allowed to continue for long at all, which is another reason this comment is weird. I mean, if a single bump to the cervix is enough to cause miscarriage, you’d think doctors would be a little more cautious about breaking out the speculum.
I can make no sense of this comment. Late in pregnancy, sex can bring on contractions, but that’s not going to be a concern this early.
[Reply]
Sara Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 12:42 am (Quote)
Depending on position during sex, position of the cervix during the cycle, yes, it’s fairly easy to “bang” against it. And it’s very painful.
[Reply]
Jade Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 1:08 am (Quote)
MIne can be banged against fairly easily and like the other girls ahve said, it HURTS, not the kind of thing you would let continue for very long.
As for being able to reach my own, I don’t even have to use the full length of my fingers, I can reach mine in just about any position.
[Reply]
So….there’s not much of a story behind this. My OB just spewed out these two seeming non-sequitors during an ultrasound. She later claimed that a mis-shaped yolk sack indicated impending miscarriage, but somehow abstinence from sex could stop that from happening. Yea. I was confused, too.
The command, along with the time-frame, seemed absurd and arbitrary to me. I never did find a study to back her claim, but I did find that according to the American Pregnancy Association and the Mayo Clinic, sex is not a proven cause of miscarriage. I went on to have a healthy, singleton (!!) baby girl….with a midwife. (I fired this OB for a variety of other reasons…)
[Reply]
Add Your Comment.
At least the doc is concerned for her pregnancy.
[Reply]