What happens when you go over?

[Hobby2014]

Hi all
I'm due on Thursday.
What happens if I go over? Like, an idiots guide.
I read about sweeps and things but what actually are these and when do they do them? Do you go to hospital for them? How many times do they try?
Then if I'm induced what happens? I keep reading about gels/Drips etc, what usually happens?
I'm so willing this baby out now, any tips on how to get things moving by theirselves?
Thanks!

[YouveCatToBeKittenMe]

Nothing much until you approach 10 days over iirc and then induction is recommended. I think you can request the sweep to try to bring on labour.
It may have changed a bit now though. my youngest is nearly 13!

[Iggly]

Sweeps are when the midwife uses her fingers to sweep across your cervix and move the mucus plug.

You don't have to have a sweep. Or be induced. They may make it sound that way but you don't.

I went 8 days over. I know it feels an age but seriously you've waited 8 months - a few more days won't hurt. Just relax - your baby will know when they're ready.

[sanityawol]

I went 11 days over with DC1, and 14 with DC2.

DC1 turned up under her own steam, no sweeps or anything. I was induced with DC2.

As for what you do... whatever you can to get comfortable in this heat. DC1 was a summer baby. With both of them I reached the beached whale, 'just get it out stage'.

With DC2, I had a sweep at around 5 days overdue. Not the most pleasant or comfortable experience, but not terrible. Nothing happened with that. For my induction, I was given a pessary to soften my cervix, and that needed to stay in place for 24 hours before they would move onto the next stage - I have no idea what this would have actually involved as DC decided to turn up overnight before we got to that point.

Hope it all goes well for you.

[Hobby2014]

Thanks for the info everyone.
Fingers crossed baby arrives before that sort of stuff starts.
Last week I thought it was happening as had period cramping pains, lots of braxton hicks etc but then it all stopped :(

[cantmakecarrotcake]

An induction tends to follow this process (unless the early steps kick you off):

• Prostin pessary/gel (up to 3-5 times a min of 12 hours apart)
• Artificial membrane rupture (aka breaking waters)
• Syntocinon drip to make you contract (I recommend an epidural for this bit)
• Baby arrives (by whatever method suits you and your baby) :-)

[WaxyDaisy]

Nothing happens unless you want it to

I was once induced at T+10. Had a pessary and body did the rest. Before that I had 2 attempted (and failed) sweeps, and a successful sweep earlier in the day on the day I was induced.

With another DC I did nothing at all and went into labour spontaneously at T+9. I was offered a sweep and said no. I was offered an appointment at the hospital to discuss induction for a few days later, and said no thanks. Had I gone past T+14 I might have asked for daily monitoring, but suspect I would have then come under intense pressure to accept induction.

[Hobby2014]

I'm thinking I might aswell not bother with the sweeps and see if anything happens by itself then if not just be induced, if they don't seem to do much. Or should I have them done anyway? Agh I dunno.