Midwife did a sweep last night without asking

[Katnisnevergreen]

Hi all, I’m just after some advice. I went to the maternity unit last night with bad contractions (am 39 weeks) which had been building over the past few days to every 3.5 mins.
When the midwife was checking to see how dilated I was, it was really painful, like trying to get away painful, and I could really feel her moving around.
When she finished she said ‘I’ve done you a sweep too...’
is this out of order as I didn’t ask or want one?

That's not trivial at all, @storynanny, not even slightly. It would be even more out of line these days, but I think in 1982 babies were still routinely taken away from mums and put in a nursery room. There is a reason why that isn't done any more.

It is also very clear what the rights and wrongs are with regard to consent for a sweep, and a complaint is a reasonable response.

I consented to a sweep and still felt violated afterwards. It was the most uncomfortable and painful thing I've ever experienced MW 100% should have gotten consent, I'm so sorry you had to experience this.
While it's still fresh in your mind jot down points you want to raise or any details you think are relevant because as soon as you have that baby in your arms you will have forgotten!! It's not that the joy of having your baby will erase what has happened it's more that you will have 6 million other things flying around your head. Best of luck with your labor

1. she should have asked first.
2. sounds like you're in early Labour so it most likely worked.

Personally it really wouldn't bother me, by 39 weeks I wanted my babies out so I would be absolutely fine with this but it's down to the person.

If you are unhappy I would recommend putting it in writing to the unit manager because regardless of personal preference, consent is key.

Or she was going to be in early labour anyway. Impossible to tell.

She should definitely ask first.

When I went into hospital in labour the first woman I met rammed her fingers up me so fast and hard I screamed out and it made me cry. Then said something horrible like ‘next time it will really hurt’. just one of many indignities suffered through the whole process.

You should be allowed to have the birth you want and baring an emergency they should always ask for consent for a procedure

My foster daughter is a sexual abuse survivor. She is pregnant and has asked me to be her birth partner. She is in a right mess with the pregnancy because she cannot cope with the amount of people poking at her "down there" after all she's been through. I have promised that I will not allow anyone to touch her unnecessarily during labour (or before or after either) but this thread has got me worried now, she is not going to cope if something like this happens and she is already stressed and sick with worry about things.

She's got 5 months to go but I will be throwing my weight around if anything like this happens to her.

Hope you're doing OK OP.

The stories on this thread make me so angry and sad.

Things need to change.

@festivenut I don't know if it is too late or not - less than 4 years? I should look into it but it still frightens me that it happened

And to everyone suggesting that the end justifies the means, do you say that about other scenarios where a woman's right to consent is forcibly removed?

I bet she did this because she wanted you to go into labor and be out of hospital before Xmas. She should have asked you though. Next time you go make it clear you do not want another one before given an internal.

Stories like this are so awful, this is why I refused all internals.

Student midwife here. To those saying a sweep is basically the same as/indistinguishable from a VE, that’s horseshit. They are very different. A VE involves using fingers - gently - to assess how dilated, soft, thick and forward the cervix is. A sweep involves moving those fingers through the cervix, and sliding them around the edge to separate the membranes from the cervix. That is not gentle, and comes with increased risks. “Poking and prodding” the cervix is not a sweep! And absolutely no one should be trying to do a sweep on a closed cervix - to the PP who experienced that, I’m not surprised that was agony.

A midwife’s job is to advocate for the woman. Gain her informed consent for everything. Support her if she declines anything. Not just “do a sweep” while you’re there without her express permission.

DuggeeHugs your notes are kept for 25 years - you can complain about your care at any point up until that time. 4 years is not too long at all. I’m sorry that happened to you....it sickens me that some HCPs treat pregnant women like this.

When I went I to hospital in labour with my first, I was examined and she said after that she had done a sweep while she was there. My birth plan was for no intervention and it was not needed. I wasn't very happy about it but didn't say anything

That’s not only not ok that’s assault

She absolutely should have asked and especially as a first time mother, explained to you what it is, what will happen, how long etc.
This is unacceptable behaviour from her OP. You are not past your due date either.
I had a sweep with my first two children. My first I had an appointment on my due date and when she examined me, I was 3-4cm dilated (thought I felt a bit heavy down there!) so she offered a sweep. I was a bit naive to be honest but I said yes and it was very uncomfortable. With my second, knowing how effective they were, I asked for one 2 days before my due date (as it was getting close to Christmas :))
What I can tell you is that after the sweep, it usually takes 2 -3 days and most often the 'show' will be what you see first, followed maybe a day later by waters breaking / contractions.
Don't let it spoil it for you OP, she's so blase about it but it's all new to you - enjoy, it's a lovely time of the year to be cuddling up to a baby.

I'm horrified by both the number of women this has happened to and the number who never complained. I'm an ornery b1tch at the best of times but even I found it difficult to say what I felt during the childbirth process. (I did, but not as strongly as I ordinarily would). I wonder what it says about society's expectation that pregnant and birthing women submit, put up and shut up?

@duggeehugs apparently (PP said this but didn't use the @symbol so thought I'd repeat it to make sure you got the message) your notes are kept for 25 years so you are well within your window for complaint. I think as many people as possible need to complain to stop this happening.

This thread has been hugely eye-opening.

Another one horrified by this. ALthough sadly not that surprised having read it many times on here.

Wish that a friendly journalist would read this thread and turn it into an article - wouldn't need to be for the daily mail, just for whatever medical publications midwives, obstetricians and gynaes read! Oh and med students and other students that might be involved in similar situations too.

I think this thread would make useful reading for healthcare staff working in maternity care.

Especially the posts about women experiencing ptsd, suffering and bothered by the experience years later and declining their cervical smear appointments as a direct result. Just goes to show how important consent and respect is.

Thank you @WhichEndIsUp and @FestiveNut - judging from this thread it is time to start speaking up

OP I hope you're ok

@rosablue there are a lot of people shouting about this from the inside - AIMS being the most high profile, and the advent calendar someone mentioned upthread. I’ll try to pin this thread on my twitter page too, the more we can speak up about what is still happening despite everyone knowing the rules on consent etc the better. The few who still treat women like this give the rest of the profession a bad name. And, to answer another question above, I think many make women feel disempowered and unable to speak up without realising it; I am doing a dissertation at the moment on the effect of the words we use, and I think there’s a big subliminal (and sometimes supraliminal!) message that we give to women about being compliant and medicalised.

@tynext I totally agree.

I’m going to read this thread properly when I have a moment as this subject feels very emotional to me but am commenting quickly so I don’t loose it. OP I am very sorry this happened to you. It isn’t right - we need to challenge the attitude around pregnant women’s bodies. You should be entitled to information and to consent OR NOT to things that happen to your body. I felt bullied into having a sweep (sort of schedule for me above my head by two midwives and when I tried to question them and my gp about how necessary it was they wouldn’t give me any information and just relied on hinting that my baby might die if I didn’t consent.) I found it incredibly invasive and very painful and it triggered a flash back to a historic sexual assault I thought i was free from. I hope you have the courage to complain.

I think many make women feel disempowered and unable to speak up without realising it; I am doing a dissertation at the moment on the effect of the words we use, and I think there’s a big subliminal (and sometimes supraliminal!) message that we give to women about being compliant and medicalised

I agree. You can see just from this thread that the words used make people think they don’t have any choice in the matter. You do.
There’s also the guilt involved. Mothers are feeling like they’re putting their baby at risk by refusing certain procedures because of the language and demeanour used by the midwives, when in the vast majority of cases that’s not true.

This happened to me too and it was awful. The Dr even told me off for crying. I hope you are ok OP.