Anyone else's OB *not* checking dilation?

Your OB sounds very wise!! My midwife practice won't do internal exams at all unless there is some need. Last time the most "medical" of all the midwives was my last appt ... she knew I'd gone into labor at 39 weeks with my 1st and that my midwife (who was out of town only this one weekend) would be gone and I hadn't met the one midwife who would be on call. So she did want to check me - not for dilation but for position of cervix - to see if I was even beginning to show signs of impending labor. As it turns out my cervix had shifted quite a bit, so she ran and got the other midwife just so I could say hi to her and shake her hand. Anyway, sure enough I went into labor 2-3 days later at exactly 39 weeks. And the midwife with whom I'd never had an appt ended up delivering me (she was great though). My midwife - whom I loved dearly - was gone only 2 days and missed my birth. Now she's retired so she won't deliver this baby either. I see a new midwife in the practice now, but we don't have any special bond. She won't come deliver me if she's not on call (which my last midwife would have done except that she was out of town). I actually kind of hope that the midwife on call when I go into labor is the same one who delivered me last baby. I did like her a lot and I've already been through labor with her. I'd have chosen her for my prenatal care but she couldn't get me in until 14 weeks and this new midwife had an opening when I was just 8 weeks (and being over 35 and planning a trip at 9 weeks pregnancy I really, really wanted to see someone earlier than 14 weeks).

Anyway, I think many OBs do typically check, but she's right that it doesn't matter all that much. You'll labor when you labor :-)