Mumsnet Talk

After a fairly good appointment with my named midwife last week, and a sweep which resulted in a show on Monday (but nothing else).
Midwife came out to see me this afternoon to perform another sweep says that she couldnt actually do one because my cervix is so posterior (which it always is), and is showing no signs of being ready, its long and babys head although engaged has not come down enough to apply any pressure to it
She said she thinks its highly unlikely that I will go into labour between now and next appointment on tuesday (will be 41 wks then). She has said I can ask to be booked in for an induction at this appointment.

Im so gutted, I just wanted it to happen naturally, Ive tried everything (apart from sex), i didnt want to be induced again, I dont want to be consultant led and I dont want to keep waiting and nothing happening.

Does anyone have any good stories they can tell me that are similar, has anyone been told their cervix isnt ready only to start a few days later? Failing that I'll have a large dose of sympathy please

hi mosschops, i have good news!

exactly the same happened to me

40+6 on the friday, mw came round to do a sweep, couldn't do it due to unfavourable cervix

she booked me in for induction the following thursday, told me in no uncertain terms that i should expect to need to attend that appt

i requested a second sweep on the monday

ctx started on the sunday

dd2 born on the monday evening, 3 days after unsuccessful sweep

good luck <opening cervix vibes>

I think she had really really short fingers. That's why she couldn't reach. In reality you're probably about 3cm and about ready to pop at any time.

Now. Visualise opening petals, bounce on a ball, walk upstairs sideways and get shagging.

my prediction is sunday evening.

oh tigerfeet your post is making me want to cry Im so upset by it all (I know that sounds stupid) and reading that is just great.
Its so hard to know what to think, last week cervix was 1-2cm and midwife said shed done a sweep. This week, no change to cervix and no sweep as couldnt do it
Its soul destroying

Thanks so much for you post though. Did you do anything to help things along (am just thinking about tempting dh into a bit this weekend)

lol thanks I love the power of MN to make me smile just when you feel like sobbing!
Am ball bouncing as I type, curry and sex tonight then!

Your MW had no business telling you that you won't go into labour and will be talking about induction next week. Cervixes can go from not ready at all to completely ready very quickly. And you can be 4cm dilated for weeks if it is your second baby! So it means nothing. You will go into labour when you are good and ready and even if you passed the time when your PCT would normally invite you for induction, you can ask for expectant management.

I went from the consultant being unable to do a sweep at 42+1, to going into labour spotaneously a couple of days later.

i did ball bouncing, pineapple, curry, poor dh pressed into service for a mercy shag (much hilarity ensued )

i feel for you, i remember it well (dd2 is only 7wo), when the midwife left after the failed sweep i was in floods, rang dh at work in a proper state

i was convinced i would still be up the duff at christmas!

the mw actually turned up at mine on the monday to do the second sweep and i was already on the labour ward, she never bothered to check whether i had gone into labour first, so convinced was she that i would still be hanging on.

it is horrible, this time, but you'll have your baby soon

My friend saw mw at 9 am and was told no way was her cervix ready. Ds was born 6 hours later!! It is possible!
Hope this cheers you up on Friday 13 th.
Good luck here s to curry and sex!!
Keep us posted!

if i say not long now will you hit me

I had a sweep with ds at 41 weeks and cervix was still right up, thick, no dilation. MW had a fiddle but basically there was nothing happening. I went into labour perfectly naturally at 42 weeks though.

No tips or stories to offer, but have an enormous dose of sympathy, mosschops. You must be so fed up. Big hugs darling x

This brings back memories. I had a hospital appointment when pregnant 6 years ago with my DS. The midwife said the exact same words to me - 'high cervix, bla, bla, no contractions, bla, bla, didn't see anything happening over the next few days (this was a Saturday afternoon) and that I would probably have to be induced on the Wednesday. Feeling very dispondant and huge I left the hospital with my husband and walked the streets of Paris (where we lived) went up and down the steps in the metro stations.... that very afternoon I started having contractions and my DS was born very quickly in the early hours of the Sunday morning.

My advice (for what it's worth) is walk, walk (aka waddle) and find a few flights of stairs to go up and down.

Good luck and keep us posted!

My tip would be to get some reflexology - I was overdue with my DD, MW couldn't find my cervix to do a sweep (they couldn't even find it when I was in labour either) so had a session of reflexology and DD arrived within 12 hrs after a nice, easy 2hr labour.

Thoroughly recommend it and will be doing it again this time round - if nothing else, it will help relax you and afterwards I was actually having the best nights sleep I'd had for months until the cx woke me up

thank you all so much for some great posts

Curry is in the oven and dh is under instruction for later.

Keep your fingers crossed for me

Crossing everything for you! ( maybe not the legs as also have dh under orders!)

Had lovely curry, followed by the most un-romantic sex ever with me ordeing dh 'oh fgs just put it in and get on with it'

Same again tonight, dh is quite excited given that I read prostaglandin in semen is better absorbed through the gut than the cervix not sure how reputable the site was though so am choosing to ignore

lol mosschops....

I've been badgering DH too and got my way earlier, followed by more raspberry tea, a good hour or so walking around sainsburys, half a pineapple, bouncing on ball and currently cooking a curry!

been so busy not noticed peanut much so hopefully all is well and fingers crossed for an appearance later!

fingers crossed for you!

Can I just ask, following bitter personal experience, are you certain this baby is not posterior?

I went to 43 weeks btw.

waddle good luck to you to, when was your due date? We managed 'it' again last night, its really is an unattractive sight, poor dh he really doesnt enjoy it

hobb baby is still swinging back and forth, he has been posterior but for last couple of weeks has gone from anterior to lateral and so on. His back was at my right side on friday.

I am prpearing myself for the worst and having the induction, its breaking my heart as stupid as that sounds and I am insanely jealous of those who are managing to have their ideal labours

I had a similar situation and was facing c section if labour didn't start spontaneously, as was going for vbac and they won't induce with a drip for fear of scat rupture. Furious shagging and/or the vindaloo did the trick in the nick of time. Lots of sympathy and lots of good luck- I remember how gutted I felt at the prospect of not going into labour. You WILL get through this either way. I know, but definitely don't lose hope- lots of people do go into spontaneous labour after waiting for a while. Lots have reasonable births with induction too.

scat rupture?! scar, I meant

Both of mine were reluctant to make an appearance. DD was induced but only after my waters had broken & I still hadn't started contractions 24 hours later.

Ds was 11 days over - labour was spontaneous and he was born less than 4 hours after I had been in Tescos. I had been due to go in the next day for an induction.

well so far have managed a spontaneous labour at 4 days late with dd, and an induced labour at T+15 with ds.

TBH the induced labour was a much better experience than the spontaneous labour so im not to worried about the induction itself.

I had just hoped to go to the brand new MLU, with birth pool and private rooms with double beds, rather than being in old crappy consultant led unit which is in complete disarray due to ongoing contruction work and where you have to take your baby and your handbag to the toilet with you

Been there. Both mine were two weeks late and both were induced. It's horrible waiting for it to happen and I really wanted to experience the feeling of labour coming on naturally for my second (and last) child. There are advantages to it being really late of course - baby usually much more alert, usually a good size - but that's not much consolation. Good luck. P.S. My recovery was so much quicker second time round and all a I needed was a few paracetamol the next day after the birth.

thanks effjay I know exactly what you mean about just wanting your body to do it naturally. I feel a bit let down by it as stupid as that sounds given that its just managed to grow and sustain a life

I know I should be grateful that my pregnancy has been ok, my baby is fine and that Im fine too. Its so easy to lose perspective.

Im gonna add to my birth plan later 'in the event of an induction'