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Childbirth

Too soon for stretch and sweep?

6 replies

Lovage · 15/10/2008 10:33

I went 13 days overdue with DS and had 2 stretch and sweeps, one at about 10 days over and one at about 12. I'm currently 4 days overdue and my midwife wants to do a stretch and sweep tomorrow. Not, I think, because she particularly thinks it needs doing now but because of the way it falls with her days off and the weekend.

I'm not sure whether I want to go ahead with it or not. I don't mind the actual process - didn't find it painful last time (although have cystocele and slightly painful episiotomy scar this time which obv weren't there before). But I'm a bit worried that it'll cause my waters to break but labour not to start, which could destroy my chances of a homebirth, which I really really want. But on the other hand, I'd like to have this baby sooner than later. I thought I was going into labour on Sun morning - a few hours of crampy pains - so I may be nearly there anyway, in which case it might have a higher chance of success.

Does anyone know the guidance on how many days over to wait? And the chances of it causing your waters to break but not starting off labour?

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Quadrophenia · 15/10/2008 10:34

was it sucessful in the past?

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Lovage · 15/10/2008 10:37

Who can tell?! I had DS one day after the second stretch and sweep last time, but you can't know whether that was because of the s&s or just because he was ready then.

I think the evidence is that if you're not nearly ready they don't work, but if you are they can speed things up a bit. It's just that it also carries the risk of rupturing your membranes.

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littlelamb · 15/10/2008 10:38

I had a sweep at 4 days over, because by that stage I ws fed up and thought that ds would never come I had one with dd at 8 days over but that didn't work. This time, I was already 3cm when she did it and I had ds less than 3 days later after a 3 and a half hour labour. I think it did do something, as I had crampy pains on and off until my waters broke. Was very uncomfortable though

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Quadrophenia · 15/10/2008 10:39

I would leave alone I think.

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ruddynorah · 15/10/2008 10:50

my midwife wanted to do one on my due date, because she had just been qualified to do them in people's homes so i'd be her first 'victim.'

i said no.

she said she'd pop round anyway in case i changed my mind.

i went out for the day.

dd was born 8 days overdue.

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Lovage · 16/10/2008 19:11

Well that answered that - I decided to go for it but she couldn't reach my cervix because it was too far back. So yes, it was far too soon, but no harm done and at least I know now labour's not imminent (damn). I also now know that vaginal examinations really hurt with my cystocele (not at the time, but afterwards). Another reason to try and minimise them in labour...