No more foot rests for pelvic exams

For a while, I was having women use the foot rests (foot stirrups) at the end of the exam table for pelvic exams.  I did it this way, because this is how my primary preceptor has done it.

Well, I have stopped doing it that.  And you know what?  I can find the cervix and do the pelvic/speculum exam just as well without the foot rests/foot pedals.

How?

Simply pulling out the bottom portion of the exam table, helping the woman rest her feet on the left and right sides that bottom portion, sliding down to the edge, and proceeding with the speculum exam.  No frog leg positioning.  Just gentle separation of the knees.  I also have been gaining more experience with speculum exams and finding that elusive cervix as well, which makes the exam much, much quicker and easier on the woman!

Several times, I have had a woman say to me, after I remove the speculum, "that's it?"

Yep, that's it.

Guess that's why I'm called...........drumroll..........AtYourCervix.

Self-examination

In the comments of a previous post asked where to find more info on gyn self-exam --- this is where I found that image in the post "speculums" -- http://www.fwhc.org/health/selfcare.htm

I highly encourage every woman to get in touch with what her body looks like, both outside and inside.  It's pretty cool (in my opinion) to see your own cervix.  Yes, I have seen my own cervix!  I actually watched on a camera screen when I had a colposcopy done many years ago, and looked at my cervix while at Clinical Bound for school (thank you pelvic partner for that opportunity to see my cervix!).

BTW, you can buy single plastic speculums for less than $15 each (as advertised on the link above).  On Amazon, for instance, you can buy them for less.  Heck, you can even buy a pack of 10 of them.  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=vaginal+speculum

All you really need is a speculum, a flashlight, and a mirror.

Speculums

So, what I thought was going to be hard for me to learn how to do, turns out to be much easier than expected: speculum exams.  Yep, that's right.  Those good old "duck bills" used to examine a cervix.  Our lovely, dreaded gyn exams.  (Actually, I dread the dentist much more than a GYN exam, but that's just me.)

I only have had difficulty in finding one cervix with a speculum exam thus far.  I think I'm up to about 6-7 spec exams now.  Definitely feeling my confidence level rise!