membrane/ stretch and sweep did it work for you? how did you feel after??

[Donna1989]

just wondering what everyones views/ opinions are on stretch and sweep how many did you have? did they work with you? how did you feel after one or the next day?? don't hold back on too much infomation....

[MrsMuskett]

Bump. I'm due to have one fri and really want to know x

[quoteunquote]

magic fingers,

well you know your worst period pain ever, that.

[quoteunquote]

Friday? not a friday, as you then spend the weekend if it goes slow, without anyone who can make reasonable decisions available.

[MrsMuskett]

Only apps my midwife does are fri mornings,so no choice. Got a good hospital tho,I'll go in if we start again. I've had 2 bouts of labour that stalled after 4-5 hours,so we're hoping that a sweep will get me going properly x

[AnythingNotEverything]

Our NCT facilitator told us that there is no evidence they speed things up, as your cervix has to be favourable anyway for them to work.

That makes sense to me, and there's no control group - you can't see what would have happened otherwise.

Anecdotally, they do seem to get some people contracting quite quickly, but this could be coincidence.

[Ginfox]

I went in for a sweep at 41+wks, but midwife couldn't reach my cervix to sweep properly as I'm tall and she has short fingers FFS, but she did what she could, gave it a prod.

3hrs later started with vaguely crampy feeling, 24hrs later had DD. Contractions were strong and close together (2mins) right from the off, which they say happens after a sweep or if induced. But who knows, might've happened anyway.

[Trampoline]

I went overdue with both of my pregnancies and had sweeps both times. For me, it was no worse than a smear test in terms of discomfort. With first baby, I went into labour the day after a sweep (sweep at 8 days overdue). With second baby I went into labour the same day as the sweep (at 1 day overdue) but I was already 3cm dilated when she did it.... So who knows whether the sweeps had any impact or whether it was just coincidence!

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

I had three attempted sweeps, as did my sister. Nothing for either of us.

I had contractions on and off for the last month of pregnancy, so felt no different at all after any of them

[timeforgin]

I had three after 40 weeks with #2, barely noticed them being done, and I am phobic about smear tests. However I was 2cm at the first one (which was just an exam but he discovered was already dilated) and 3-4cm when he did the last one with membranes bulging (!!).

Went into labour at 40+5 the day after (3am) the last sweep. Could easily just be coincidence though. After the first sweep I was really crampy and was sure something was going to kick off but it didn't...

Good luck!

[NoIHaventHadTheBabyYet]

Had one at 12.30, baby at 3.30!

[dontyouknow]

I had one about 5 days after my due date with both of mine. Went into labour that evening with DD and the day after with DS.

I think the discomfort is the same as a smear, but it takes longer to do.

Obviously no-one can tell if the smear brought on the labour or whether it would have happened anyway.

I would say that if there is a chance it will bring it on then have it - I was so sick of being pregnant each time and just wanted to have the baby!

[Spamfrit]

yes it did. Though I was 12 days overdue and was in the induction unit at hospital. The nurse was rather brutal but luckily nothing else was required. s and s at 10.30 am...labour started at 10.30 pm baby born 2 am!

2nd baby.

[fishandlilacs]

No on both occasions. Induction followed by EMCS-she never would have come out naturally anyway.

It hurts and is unpleasant.

[callamia]

The second one worked - my waters broke a few hours afterwards.

They didn't hurt at all, just felt slightly odd, and I was pleased to feel like we were doing something proactive about getting this overdue baby out before resorting to induction.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I had one with DC1 (at 10 days overdue, though think that could have been a couple of days overestimated) and found it worse than uncomfortable - really unpleasant.
In fact I wish they made it clearer that it might hurt and if you wanted them to stop "procedure" at any time just to say so.
I wouldn't have one again without having that discussion first.
And in fact declined a sweep when offered one with DC2. But went into labour next day anyway at 8 days overdue.
With DC1 I did go into labour the next day after sweep (but could have happened anyway ?)
Afterwards and nature of contractions etc was not an issue for me.
I just found it strongly unpleasant at the time.
Would have been better with better communication from midwife

[lollypopsicle]

worked both times for me. Not a very pleasant experience but I was getting desperate by that point on both occasions and have no regrets.

[CoffeeChocolateWine]

First pregnancy, I had a sweep at 40+6 and DS was born two days later. They told me that if the sweep had worked something should happen within 48 hours so the sweep probably helped move things along, but I was 8 days overdue so can't really say whether the sweep 'worked'.

Second pregnancy, I had a sweep at 40+4 but she said my cervix was barely open so couldn't do it properly. Nothing happened. Had a second sweep a week later and waters broke that night.

They didn't hurt me. The first one I barely felt anything...I thought I was still waiting for her to do her stuff when she said she'd finished! The second sweep (so 1st sweep in my second pregnancy) was a bit uncomfortable...but tbh the midwife didn't really make me feel very relaxed...something about her manner that I didn't warm to...and then she couldn't reach... It was still probably no worse than a smear test though. Third sweep didn't hurt and wasn't uncomfortable at all.

Good luck!

[Bumblequeen]

I had a sweep with dc1 as well as my waters being broken with a plastic looking object and being induced It did not hurt as such, just felt strange.

Perhaps my midwife was gentle.

[Plonkysaurus]

I had one two days over due - well, she tried but couldn't reach my cervix. Then at nine days over a different midwife tried and said the same. Three hours later I started having contracting and ds was here by tea time the following day!

[merrymouse]

Not really, but it's difficult to tell as by the time you have it done you are already overdue therefore likely to go into labour anyway.

[Donna1989]

thanks ladies I had one on Monday night didn't work went back had another yestwrday this one was quite painful had a bit of blood but its common woke up rhis morn havin pains lik 30x period cramps crippling when they come and had my show so now is the waiting game xxx

[nickstmoritz]

I had one with my first child, done in hospital by a doctor. It was one of the worst things ever and I have flashbacks. It did not speed up my 2 day labour which ended in suction, forceps and botched episiotomy. I was induced a week early due to slightly high blood pressure and went to a large teaching hospital where they seemed to want to try everything out on me with inexperienced people. I break into a sweat thinking of that sweep and my DD is now 16!

btw I am not squeamish, have a high pain threshold but that birth made me decide to never use that hospital again! Second baby came quickly, third I had an amazing home birth (planned!). Luckily for these two we had moved to another area.

[Sammie101]

I had one on my due date and went into labour that afternoon, baby was born the next morning!
Pretty much straight away I started getting cramp like pains, from half 10. By half 4 I was having contractions.

Good luck for yours ladies

[ringaringarosy]

i had one with dc4,4 days overdue,didnt work but had braxton hicks after for an hour or two,knew it wasnt contractions though as id had them before.

then had a second one at 4pm,had first contraction at 6,called midwife at 8,dc4 was born at 10pm.i think i was 12 days over then.

it didnt hurt me one bit,i didnt even know she had done it,but i was 4cm when she did the first one and 5 with the second one.

[ilikemysleep]

I had one at 37 weeks with DD (had cholestasis so she had to come out). I had her the following day. However the midwife said my cervix was already soft and she thought I would have gone 'within the week' anyway. With DS I had one at 40 weeks but went 8 days over. I suspect they move things along if you are almost ready anyway. I absolutely certainly react to internal exams during labour - my labour pattern is, slow and steady until someone examines me, then all hell breaks lose. Patterns:
DS - 5cm on entry - 8 hours later examined at 7cm - DS born 1.5 hrs later
DS - 2cm on entry - 15 hours later examined at 5cm - DS born 45 min later
DD - 3cm on entry - 12 hours later examined, still 3cm - DD born 20 mins later

So there can definitely be some impact of internal exams on how things progress. With DD because of the previous pattern I begged them not to examine me until I was on labour ward, but they wouldn't let me go to labour ward until examined - result, DD born on antenatal ward....never made it to delivery suite!