How Dilated Am I? Estimating Dilation in Labor WITHOUT a Vaginal Exam

In 2008 I visited Israel and lectured to a wonderful group of doulas on the topic of alternatives to using vaginal exams (VEs) in labor, and that is when I met Sarah Vine.  Sarah later wrote a post about this topic on her blog, which I've reprinted below.  When I published my book, my favorite chapter was titled "Labor is Not About Dilation," where I explain that although vaginal exams in labor are widely and heavily used, scientific studies have not proven routine VEs in childbirth to be beneficial or medically necessary.  VEs have their downsides, including an increased risk of serious infection such as Group B Strep, as well as potentially disturbing a mother's comfort and concentration in labor (imagine how other mammals would respond to this intervention?).  Click here to visit Sarah Vine's blog, and continue reading below to see what she has written about estimating dilation without a VE.