Stretching of Cervix

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

We have a few docs' that will stretch an 8-centimeter cervix to complete. Besides the obvious risks of tearing or swelling a cervix I wonder if this can cause problems with incompetent cervix during the next pregnancy. It certainly looks barbaric and I hate it.

Also some nurses where I work will stretch a cervix on an induction to get things moving. I personally will only gently open my fingers and see if the cervix stretches easily but some nurses get fairly aggressive.

Does anyone have a study or some information on this? Does this cause damage?

I also wonder about people who have had LEEP or cryo. I have had patents come in with FT/100/+1 in hard labor. After getting them an epidural if I put my finger threw and break the scar tissue they go to 5 or sometimes complete. Is there a contraindication to this?

Any information would be great

Specializes in Perinatal, Education.
is what a first step?

stretching cervices to "get things moving" or advance labor?

NO! Not commonly.

She meant position changes or getting the pt vertical--not the stretching!

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Yanno, I'm soooooo glad I didn't know all this stuff back when I was 'birthin' babies'.......I have had so many painful and dangerous things done to me it's not even funny, but luckily I didn't KNOW they were dangerous or I would've had a fit!! During the transition phase with my fourth child, the doctor stretched my cervix from 7-8cm to 10, and I can tell you it hurt like a b****......he did it because there was meconium staining and the baby needed to get out of there fast. It did the trick though.......only a few pushes later I was holding my newborn son in my arms, and because I had a totally unmedicated labor and birth, he was wide-eyed alert and looking around the delivery room :)

I delivered my fifth and last child by C-section, so I suppose I'll never know if there was any damage done to my cervix.......although I suspect it's fine, as I carried him to term and he weighed over 10 1/2 pounds. :chuckle

I actually was one of those moms that had scar tissue from a LEEP. When I was a primip (and a nursing student). I went in to early labor Sat morning, went to the hosp. Sun for labor check was FT/70/0, they sent me home. Had the worst labor of my life, UCs q 5 min during the night, but of course the nurses told me to return when my contractions were 3 minutes apart. They never were. At around 2 am I fell asleep ( I assume my contractions stopped) because I woke up at 6am then had UC's q 20 min. Went to the Dr at 8am, he checked me and told me that I was like a peice of paper. Thin with no opening and to walk the mall and meet him at the hospital. I went to the mall (Dec 22nd). Laboring at the mall during the christmas rush was no fun. Got to the hospital at 2:45, Doc was there at 3pm, checked me, went from FT to 6cm, uc's q 6-8, delivered at 6:10pm, no IV, no meds, no lac. I've been a labor nurse for 7 years and have never felt one of those cervixes. And actually it was a very seasoned RN who noticed it first at the hospital.

We have a few docs' that will stretch an 8-centimeter cervix to complete.

Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Specializes in ER.

At another hospital we had a mom that had scar tissue and had been laboring for a day without dilating. One of out docs suggested he could make a small cut on the cervix and then it would "open right up" with the next contraction. No doubt it would, but how he would get it closed again was left to the imagination.

It was about 1am with me as the only labor nurse, the OR team on call at home, no type and cross done, nothing. I nearly peed my pants when the doc said to get a scalpel to show her what he would use. Luckily the mom elected a Csection for failure to progress. I often wonder if he would have really done it or not if she had agreed.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
At another hospital we had a mom that had scar tissue and had been laboring for a day without dilating. One of out docs suggested he could make a small cut on the cervix and then it would "open right up" with the next contraction. No doubt it would, but how he would get it closed again was left to the imagination.

It was about 1am with me as the only labor nurse, the OR team on call at home, no type and cross done, nothing. I nearly peed my pants when the doc said to get a scalpel to show her what he would use. Luckily the mom elected a Csection for failure to progress. I often wonder if he would have really done it or not if she had agreed.

oh my gawd! :uhoh21:
Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
At another hospital we had a mom that had scar tissue and had been laboring for a day without dilating. One of out docs suggested he could make a small cut on the cervix and then it would "open right up" with the next contraction. No doubt it would, but how he would get it closed again was left to the imagination.

It was about 1am with me as the only labor nurse, the OR team on call at home, no type and cross done, nothing. I nearly peed my pants when the doc said to get a scalpel to show her what he would use. Luckily the mom elected a Csection for failure to progress. I often wonder if he would have really done it or not if she had agreed.

How barbaric, I have never heard of such a thing :uhoh21:

:o I work with a female doc that does this quite often. If she has a mulitip mom who's kind of stuck and has a mushy cervix she will have them push with a contraction. I've seen a woman go from 5 to delivery in 10 minutes with her doing this. I've seen her do it in emergant situations, prolonged decel and it has avoided a sections but I've also seen her do it when not warrented. It really irritates me when she does it and I am not set up!!

I feel she's going to rip a cervix or worse some day!

What do you think?

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