Pelvic Exams.

I'm close to delivery, and my doctor said I will have a pelvic exam the next time I come to the office. Why now, when I haven't had one for so long?
A pelvic exam is needed late in pregnancy because it tells us a lot of things:

presentation of the baby: whether the baby is head first or in a breech position
dilatation of the cervix: how much the cervix has opened
effacement: how much the cervix has thinned shape and size of your birth canal or pelvic bones
station: how low the baby is in your birth canal

After my pelvic exam, my obstetrician said I was "2 and 50%." Why did he tell me this?
This information is important for two reasons. First, it tells you your cervix is open 2cm and thinned out 50%, or halfway. Second, this information is helpful if you go to the hospital thinking you're in labor. At the hospital, you'll be checked again. Knowing what you were at your last pelvic exam can help determine if you are in labor.

I had a pelvic exam today and I was not dilated and my cervix had not thinned out. Does that mean I have a lot longer to go?
No. The pelvic exam tells you where you were at that time. Labor may begin at any time.

When my obstetrician does a pelvic exam, does that tell him when I will go into labor?
No. At this point in your pregnancy, labor might start at any time, no matter what condition your cervix is in.

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