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Pregnancy

If sweep doesn't work what happens next?

21 replies

LoveActually · 16/01/2009 17:05

Am 41 weeks tomorrow, am scheduled to ring m/w first thing tomorrow; that's if baby doesn't decide to arrive between now 5pm and then). She will come round to my house and give me a membrane sweep to get things going (am still not sure exactly how this works BTW).
How long should I wait to know whether it's been successful or not? And if it isn't what tends to happen next.
My sister's first pregnancy was fine like mine, baby okay etc, then at 42 weeks she ended up having her DD1 by CS. Apparently baby's head was too big for her hips (hip problems, mainly congenital hip dislocation run in our family).
Am so hoping that is not what will happen to me, as I'\ve only started getting hip pain in the last three weeks.

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LoveActually · 16/01/2009 17:07

I don't have congenital hip dislocation but I do have very stiff muscles in that area (which years of yoga have helped but not totally). x

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Lulumama · 16/01/2009 17:07

if the sweep works, you will labour within 24 - 48 hours, but a sweep works if you are ready pretty much to labour anyway

is your baby engaged at all?

if your sweep is not succesful, you might well be offered another one, or an induction date within the next few days

or you can wait until 42 + weeks with extra monitoring etc and wait for spontaneous labour

LoveActually · 16/01/2009 17:09

I don't know if baby is engagted lulamama she was 4/5th (on my notes) week ago on Tuesday. That was the last time I saw the m/w.

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BabyStarlightsMum · 16/01/2009 17:10

You're not overdue yet! Try to relax. Relaxing helps release the right hormones to get labour started, but stressing does the opposite.

Good luck!

LoveActually · 16/01/2009 17:14

Hi babystarlightsmum I am trying not to stress so much but am really, really, really not wanting a CS. Has been my greatest fear all along. I want the baby to come out when she wants to come out! Worried about implications for bonding/breastfeeding/PND etc. x

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BabyStarlightsMum · 16/01/2009 17:19

Is this your first?

solidgoldsoddingjanuaryagain · 16/01/2009 17:21

Curry
Sex
Sex
Curry
Or a ride over cobblestones in a motorbike sidecar.

BabyStarlightsMum · 16/01/2009 17:23

Have you got your notes? What does it say about the position of the baby?

Have lots of loooong bubble baths, and lots of sleep, dabble in anything sexy or that makes you feel sexy (I realise when you feel like a small mountain tisn't easy), eat chocolate, watch a comedy or anything that gets you relaxed, happy, laughing.

Do anything it takes to get the 'happy' or 'good' hormones going.

BonzoDoodah · 16/01/2009 17:31

Hey LoveActually - you don't have to have a c-section. Just tell your midwives or consultants you don't want one! Really it is your choice. You have the say over what they do to your body. I was most adamant I didn't want one with my DD. So the consultant said"well lets see at 16 days overdue how they are doing" ... and let me come in for monitoring every few days. He said as long as the baby wasn't distressed then it was fine. I was quite assertive that I didn't want the C-section though as the baby would come when it was ready. As it was the contractions started on their own and baby was born at 42 weeks - ver y healthy.

((My story ended up being a bit different as she was brow-presenting and couldn't get out - but we didn't know that until she was born (C-section after all....) but they delayed the C-section right up until the last minute and tried every other option until it was clear baby wasn't coming out. ))

Baby was completely happy all along - right up until the C-section (which I cried about but was a complete necessity and a very unusual circumstance).

So what I am saying is ... the hospital can't force treatment on you. You have to give written consent to a c-section.
And you can refuse any treatment even if it will harm you or your baby (though you wouldn't want to do that). They can strongly recommend you have one but not force you - but you should ask:

what are the consequences if I don't have one?
Am I or the baby at risk right now?
What are the signs I need to know that mean things have changed and I need to have a section rather than it be a precaution?

Also you could ask for prostoglandin - or any other alternatives in addition to the sweep that are non-interventional - but I wouldn't have your memberanes broken as if this doesn't trigger contractions then they have to intervene within a certain time-frame to prevent infection.

Good luck and I hope things start naturally.

LoveActually · 16/01/2009 17:32

Hi BSM, this is my first baby. I am playing Lego Star Wars on the XBox with DP, tried the sex thing earlier. We are going for a curry later. I have been sleeping for England.
Baby's presentation on 6 Jan was Ceph - which I assume is the optimium position (and she has been each week since early December). The 'Relation to brim' is 3/5, was 4/5 previous 2 weeks.
Have to say our heating and hot water haven't been working last three days which did stress me out. Thankfully plumber started them up half an hour ago. Have to say I am quite a highly-strung person and I have found being on maternity leave a bit boring, and boring to me is stressful. I love having stuff to do, still I'm sure I will have soon! x

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BonzoDoodah · 16/01/2009 17:33

sorry to rabbit on - but I read your further comment - even thought I did have the C-section in the end - there was no problem at all with bonding with baby - she went straight on my chest - and was breastfeeding within half an hour. It wasn't nice having the operation / scar thingie - but it wasn't as hidoues as I'd imagined it (with all my dreams of a water birth).
Let us know how it goes!

Lulumama · 16/01/2009 17:34

ceph means head down.

which is indeed good!

if baby is 4./5 means that she is 1/5 the pelvis which is starting to engage

Lulumama · 16/01/2009 17:35

no need to panic yet, wait and see what tomorow and the MW appointment brings

LoveActually · 16/01/2009 17:35

Thanks BD. Hospital I am booked in to give birth, has a 33 per cent CS rate but like you say it is my choice. If the baby is at risk I will have to have one. Thanks for mentioning the membrane breaking issue.
Who knows maybe, just maybe the baby will sense our heating is working again and decide now's the time! xx

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LoveActually · 16/01/2009 17:38

Thanks Lulumama, I'm going to try not to panic!! I'm going to put aside that highly strung/neurotic control freak in me and chill out. x

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BabyStarlightsMum · 16/01/2009 17:43

Do you have any strategies for dealing with early labour when it starts? i.e. relaxation, breathing etc.

If you do, take time out a couple of times in the day and practise them. If not, think of some and practise.

Sounds like baby is moving down so it is only a matter of time.

A c/section is not usually given for an overdue baby, but sometimes intervention to try and move the baby along can lead to more and more intervention that then requires a c/setion (Lulumama knows more than me about this), so do make sure that you questions anything that is 'done' to you and make sure you know the reasons and the possible consequences of not doing whatever it is.

You might feel like you are in the hands of the medical profession but really you are not. They will take over if you seem to have no preference and no idea, but usually if you show that you know a thing or two and you question them, they can be quite accommodating.

Good luck!

Lulumama · 16/01/2009 17:49

that is correct to a certain extent

for example, an induciton of labour with an unripe cervix is more likely to be a long drawn out process and once you start with intervention, it can become a cascade, and you end up with a v v medicalised birth or even a c.s

being 41 weeks in itself is not enough of a reason for induction

definitely ask questions and if you feel you are being bulldozed into something, you can ask for time to discuss things

BikeRunSki · 16/01/2009 23:07

I was like BonzoDoodha.

I really wanted a water birth and really didn't want a CS.

Ended up with an emergency CS (undiagnosed footling breech). Not as awful as I'd imagined, but had some bonding and feeding problems, which I attribute to DS not being given to me right away. If you end up with a CS I'd INSIST on them handing you your DC straight away, unless it needs medical treatment. But the problems were not long lived.

LoveActually · 17/01/2009 10:38

Hi guys,
Looks like I might not even be able to get a sweep done, because we straddle three counties (and three health authorities) my Herts-based midwife can't come out and see me! So am now waiting to see if the Essex service is any better. x

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StarlightMcKenzie · 17/01/2009 14:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

BonzoDoodah · 27/01/2009 11:01

Hey LoveActually ... any sign of anything now? how did it go?

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