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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask for your experiences with stretch and sweep?

67 replies

Februaryblooms · 25/04/2019 18:35

Can I be cheeky and ask for your experiences with cervical sweeps? I know it's a bit 'personal!'

Ive just had a sweep at 39+3, it was completely different to what I was expecting and was told beforehand that it would likely be very uncomfortable. It wasn't.

I barely felt anything. The doctor said this was because my cervix was already open about 1 - 1/2cm and mentioned that she could feel babies head.

Did you find your sweep painful and did it work?

I'm wondering whether she wasn't vigorous enough..i'm desperate to avoid induction which is on the cards due to reduced movements!

OP posts:

Sexnotgender · 25/04/2019 18:39

Mine was uncomfortable but not excessively painful.
I’d only accept one as a last resort though. I don’t believe in trying to hurry things along.

I had one at 41+6 as a last ditch attempt before induction at 42 weeks. I went into established labour that night but I was already 2-3cm when I had the sweep.
Sweep at 11am
Twinges 7pm
Contractions 8/9pm
Baby at midnight

MitziK · 25/04/2019 18:41

I didn't even realised they'd started doing anything until just as she finished it. Was at 3cm, apparently. Had a show 6 hrs later, then went into full labour about 12 hours after that. I was at 41 weeks.

WeeDangerousSpike · 25/04/2019 18:41

Absolute fucking agony. Felt like I'd been assaulted. Struggled not to cry tbh.
Will never have another.

Was not dilated at all, at 41wks. Went into labour 14hrs later.

Found out since that there is an increased risk of complications and interventions in birth if you have a sweep. DD was b2b and I ended up with forceps & ventouse when she got stuck. Was prepped for emcs but they got her out at the last minute. I wonder if I'd let her come in her own time if she'd have been in a better position.

Original poster

Februaryblooms · 25/04/2019 19:33

I wasn't aware that there was a link between sweeps and complications / further intervention needed. I will do some research and bare that in mind if I'm offered another.

Perhaps I'm being naive but I'm wondering whether the effectiveness of the sweep depends on how 'thorough' they are with it.

Obviously dilation and effacement will play a huge part in the effectiveness, but I'm intrigued to see that some people find it extremely painful and some not whatsoever.

OP posts:

Saltandpepperpringles · 25/04/2019 19:40

They say the more it hurts the better the sweep... and for me that was true. First sweep with sd1 didn't hurt or work... my sweep with ds2 was so frickin painful! I was in agony, midwife offered to stop but I asked her to keep going as knew pain was a good sign... and I left the surgery having contractions! Ds was born 6 hours later :)

Good luck OP! I know it feels like forever when your waiting! But it wont be long! :)

crispysausagerolls · 25/04/2019 19:41

Similar to you OP, I had one at 39 weeks, was already 1-2cm and it was not very painful at all. I was told that they were fairly confident it would work due to the “favourable” nature of my cervix. Cue much excitement from me...was induced a few days later as still no baby! Hopefully yours actually works - can be hard when your hopes are up and there’s nothing!

ChocolateChipMuffin2016 · 25/04/2019 19:42

I had one at 38 weeks (was being induced) it didn’t hurt at all, and I was prepared for it to due to everything I’d read online, but like PP I was already 2cm dilated. Had my waters broken about 15 minutes after that and DD was born 4 hours later! She’s now 3 weeks old

ZippyBungleandGeorge · 25/04/2019 19:44

I wasn't told she was doing one, just doing a check, hurt like fuck and I nearly kicked her in the face. My waters had gone really early and I wasn't dilating though. They put me on the induction drip a few hours later after I was still only at 2cm and my waters had been broken for about 36 hours by that point.

NoClueAnymore · 25/04/2019 19:44

Mine hurt like a mofo. Climbing-the-walls levels of pain. Never again!

Drogosnextwife · 25/04/2019 19:46

I refused one with my second because Im pretty sure the first one brought on my contractions far too early. 40 hour labour and started having contractions in the car park of the clinic, he was 8 days over when I had the sweep and born 10 days late. Second was a 5 hour labour with intense contractions from the beginning and he was 12 days over. Second labour was much easier and didn't need any drugs or gas and air. The first I was bloody knocked and had an epidural, it didn't bother me having the epidural, I was just worried about the side effects but it was fine. Although I do still suffer terrible back pain and sometimes wonder if that could be partly why.
I think sweeps are pointless if I'm honest.

JudgeRindersMinder · 25/04/2019 19:48

Mine was a bit uncomfortable but not painful, which may correlate with those saying if it’s painful it’s more likely to be effective. I think I had it at 41 weeks. I was induced at 41+3 with gel, then had waters broken for me.
Good luck, whatever happens, I’m sure it’ll be soon (I didn’t find induction any worse than going into labour myself )

Drogosnextwife · 25/04/2019 19:48

Mine was extremely painfull, but then so we're my internal examinations and was begging the midwife's not to do them, and I'm usually really good at dealing with pain, I'm basically silent while in labour and giving birth 😂

harrypotterfan1604 · 25/04/2019 19:48

Hurt like hell! Had it at exactly 40 weeks and it didn’t achieve anything. Ended up being induced at 42 weeks which resulted in emcs.

Dottysmum18 · 25/04/2019 19:49

I had 7 between 39 to 41 1/2 weeks none of them worked was induced and had a c section

harrypotterfan1604 · 25/04/2019 19:51

@Drogosnextwife I’m with you on the pain of internal examinations. I have a high pain threshold but I was checked so often after being induced that I started to refuse them without having gas and air because I was sick of all the pain ontop of the contractions too

Bethanyg25 · 25/04/2019 19:52

I had one at just over 38 weeks and it was uncomfortable made me bleed and I felt a bit violated after wards. It did nothing though, didn’t go into labour until 39+6

Goodenough06 · 25/04/2019 19:53

I had one at 39 weeks too and like you didn't really "feel" much. Midwife said I was already dilated. Went for a massive dog walk, ate a super spicy stir fry and went into labour the same day. Good luck!

reluctantbrit · 25/04/2019 19:54

I had one at 40+6. In my opinion it was similar to a smear test. But as I had enough examinations down below when I lived in Germany (you have bi annual checks and smear tests when you are on the pill) I personally didn’t think it was bad.

Went I to labour the next night. DD turned back to front during labour but I don’t think that was because of the sweep.

SlB09 · 25/04/2019 19:56

Definitely felt the 'stretch' part! and it didn't work, was induced but that was fine in the grand scheme of things x

Mumof1andacat · 25/04/2019 19:56

Had one at 40+3 and 41+0. Felt a little uncomfortable. Not successful as was induced at 41+5 and 17 hours later ds arrived via forceps :(

DeadDoorpost · 25/04/2019 19:57

40+3 had a sweep. Was a little uncomfortable but also not dilated at all. Failed. Had some show 2 days later but most of my show came away at 40+5 and 41+2. Gave birth at 41+2

mrsm12 · 25/04/2019 19:57

On my dc2 36+3 it didn't hurt, got a show after and when they went to induce me the next day they could just break my waters so it helped a bit in that respect.
Dc 4 had one at 38+2, extremely painful, contractions for the afternoon and show for a few days but nothing then until I was induced at 39 weeks, again were just able to break my waters. (Both inductions for pre eclampsia)

Heartlake · 25/04/2019 19:57

Had two at 40+ weeks, nothing happened.

Had a third at 40+14 whilst on the sintocin drip... it was er messy and got things going!

Original poster

Februaryblooms · 25/04/2019 20:06

A little disheartened to hear that they failed for so many of you.. silly me thinking it was more or less guaranteed to work

I've been keeping active, walking and cleaning in the hopes that if it's going to work I can help myself along but I won't get my hopes up.

Desperate to avoid induction purely because I have my heart set on having DD in the MLU with the pool and the Russian swing. I'll be gutted if I miss out but so long as she arrives safely that's all that really matters.

OP posts:

ParmaHamAndMozzarella · 25/04/2019 20:08

I had one with each of my children, I was having regular contractions close together for hours with both and went to hospital thinking I was about to give birth, but nothing was actually happening either time! I was 1cm first time and was sent home after the sweep, returned after 2 hours 7cm but then had another 12 hours labour as she was back to back, she was eventually born in the back to back position.

Second time I was 2cm had a sweep and they let me stay as it wasn't busy, had my baby 6 hours later. Seemed to work with me both times but I was already on my way so my body would have probably done it itself if I'd waited a bit longer. I found them uncomfortable but not painful, I'd been having contractions for hours though each time so my tolerance was probably higher.

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