Oops: accidentally named everyone in that post! Have reported and will repost!
Well...mixed news from yesterday morning. Not sure how I feel about it.
I arrived at the hospital and was seen by the MW but as soon as I sat down I burst into tears! She asked what the problem was & I explained. DH did his 'grounding' and I did my relaxation and I felt loads better for the little weep.
BP was lovely and low, no protein in urine, baby still LOA and all going splendidly.
So up on the bed for the sweep. More relaxation/visualisation but I simply could not open my legs far enough because of the SPD, so had to lie on my side and lift leg up. She said I was very very swollen but this was just due to baby's weight & position & 'lots of women get haemorrhoids too'. Lovely.
The sweep: she started to investigate. She managed to reach the cervix, at which point I felt a shooting searing pain and she stopped. She said there was no point continuing with the sweep as cervix is thick and high, so not ready. It would be excessively painful and pretty pointless as I'm not dilated enough. (I'm 38+5 and DS1 was 9 days late so maybe not that surprising).
Then I really did sob. Felt like a big failure. She said I'd done really well and it was just that my body wasn't ready...not that I wasn't relaxed.
I now have stockings to stop blood clots so I can rest up, as the say my SPD is really bad. I also have been advised to buy a TENS machine and bounce on the ball to try and trigger labour naturally.
Another sweep in a week. This time by the community midwife.
Feeling a bit downhearted but trying to be circumspect.
Today I am mainly suffering with severe SPD - hips and thighs in agony. A quiet one, I think.