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?

I had a sweep with my first, utterly pointless as it started my labour but took forever and was agony to have done. They told me I needed it, i was quite young so went along with it. With my second son I refused yo have one. He came a couple of days later with no problems. She was completely out of order.

Is basic consent so difficult for people.

Apparently, yes.

Am always amazed, and saddened, by how much women seem to hate other women.* So many women here don't think that another woman deserves to be treated with even the minimum of courtesy and respect by medical professionals.

Where does this hatred come from?

• Am assuming posters are female. They could be male trolls, I guess.

I was having an internal examination by a Dr with my first. When he finished, he said I was 1-2 cm and that he'd stretched me to 3. My waters broke immediately afterwards. I honestly did not think to be concerned, took it as being all part of the induction process.

I'm a GP and find this quite alarming - it takes seconds surely to ask 'shall I do a sweep while I'm here'.
But... I'm not a midwife and I was also wondering along the lines of what theydoitonpurposelynne said - that she meant 'in the process of the examination it has an effect the same as a sweep' but didn't explain it like that.

Every midwife I saw asked for my consent before they even felt my stomach!

I'm not sure what she did was right or wrong as not medically trained but if it has upset you then speak to someone, please don't however stop other midwifes doing their job and check you over for the safety of you and your baby.
Don't let this get you down and make you experience of childbirth anything other than the magical time that it is ('im not saying it doesn't hurt and its all unicorns and fairies LOL).
Try to relax and take in the experience that you are going to have, the more relaxed you are the better.

Good luck with it all x

It is assault if an HCP does not seek approval for a medical procedure:
www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/ethics/medical-students-ethics-toolkit/6-consent-to-treatment-capacity

I am sorry this happened to you, OP.

Best of luck

I had a Registrar do this to me the day before my elected cesearean many years ago. The nurse came running out after and told me to come back immediately if I started Labour. He didn’t tell me what he was doing and I wouldn’t have consented. I don’t know what his motive was but I was informed I would always need a cesearean after a crash emergency one five years before. Shocking to think it is still going on.

I did start labour and still had the elected cesearean. The pompous ass

I definitely thought that the exam they do on the cervix is effectively a sweep - the test for size is how many fingers, then feeling for baby's head and waters. So actually having a sweep is more them doing all that to stimulate things rather than because the exam was clinically required.

My view with my second (induced so about a zillion exams) was that the worst bit was the fingers going in, not what they did once in, but that might have been due to scarring from previous year.

And, to add, the NMC Conduct and Competence Committee is full of cases where a midwife was found in breach of conduct for not seeking consent of medical procedures. Agreeing to an internal exam is not permission to perform a sweep.

I remember I had a midwife appointment about 9 days past my due date with my first. I was in the depths of despair because nothing was happening. No show, nothing. The appointment was on the Tuesday and I was booked in for induction on the Friday. I really really did not want to be induced.

Midwife had a feel and said “everything is totally closed off. No dilation at all” and asked if she could do a sweep. I said yes and OMG it was AGONY. I remember practically crawling backwards up the bed instinctively to get away from her. I got home with DH and wept buckets because I felt so violated.

However, I had my show that afternoon and went into labour that night so I do believe it worked.

OP, YADNBU!

I had a wonderful pregnancy and even though it ended in a painful labour, nothing was more painful than the sweep a midwife did near my due date. I screamed the unit down!

It was discussed as a potential to encourage labour a couple of times around a fortnight before. I did some research of my own and when it happened, it was after the midwife explained/requested and I consented.

There is no way it should happen as part of a general exam without discussion. Most midwives are brillant professionals. Please, please say something to avoid it happening to someone else with this particular individual.

Ps the sweep did not start labour - I gave birth about nine days later.

DontWannaBeObamasElf Mon 17-Dec-18 12:45:20
Every midwife I saw asked for my consent before they even felt my stomach! Andrew

^This, with bells on.

OP can you get someone to make a complaint on your behalf ( with you standing beside the phone) or by email with your imput because this needs to be done urgently to ensure you don’t get this treatment during your labour and birth.
If the hospital knows you are prepared to complain they should bend over backwards to treat you well and to not permit this midwife to treat you.
A proper formal complaint can follow later when you feel stronger.
Good luck

It was assault. You may decline care from her should you see her again. The head of midwifery needs to be informed and plans put in place for compassionate care.

Have your birth partner call delivery suite and ask for the head of midwifery or a matron to give them a call back.

Sweeps 'work' for about 1 in 8 women.

Examinations don't involve a midwife sticking her fingers through the neck of the womb and trying to stretch it open.

This happened to me too - I wish I'd had the courage to complain but I didn't.

YANBU.

Disgraceful of the midwife not to get your consent first. Sweeps never worked for me either, wholly unnecessary so I refused on my last baby and still the midwife tried to talk me round at just 39 weeks luckily it wasn’t my first rodeo so I was confident enough to refuse, it’s myxh harder when you’re a first time mum, sorry you feel violated OP I would definitely make a complaint.

To the posters who think midwifes should apparently do whatever they want to their patients...well... there are no words!

Not all midwives are great at their job - some are pretty damn terrible in my experience so the idea of giving them carte blanche is appalling to me.

Completely out of order!! I refused one as I was group b strep and although the jury is out on the risk of introducing bacteria I didn't wasn't to risk it, god I would have hit the fucking roof!

I'd complain at the highest level. I decided not to have a sweep because of the increased risk of infection and the risk of breaking your waters, leading to induction and the intervention cascade. I'd have been livid.

Is your baby engaged? sweeps without an engaged baby can cause cord prolapse and some HCP ignore this! I had sweeps in my first pregnancy from different people and never should have had them as she wasn't engaged

Exams are a necessity but performed In The right way, using tact!

Slightly worried that a gp thinks it's ok to ask for consent when you've got your fingers inside a woman's vagina.....