stretch and sweep?

[OnlyWantsOne]

why so bad?

I didnt have one with DD, have been offered one if I would like it with this baby... but lots of people telling me how evil they are?

Why so? What is it that makes them bad? DO they hurt when they do it? is it the getting naked (bottom half) infront of a MW when your not in labour (by then I didnt care last time and would have walked into tesco naked if it would have helped get DD out)
Does it hurt while they do it, why so??
After? and some evil shit friend told me its because the MW has to insert her whole hand (she emphasised this bit) right up there to do it, unlike when they examine you in labour...

HI OWO, just wanted to say I am 40+5 now and have had 3 sweeps
the first was a failure as MW couldn't reach my cervix (too posterior) - this was @ 39+5 so my body just wasn't ready
it was quite uncomfortable as she had a good few thrusts to try and reach round baby's head to try to get to cervix

the second was on weds (40+3) and didn't hurt at all, a teeny bit uncomfortable when she got to the cervix but nothing a bit of breathing didn't solve

had my 3rd one this morning which again was a bit uncomfortable but not painful. think this time my cervix was shorter so easier to reach.

IMO, they are worth a go as lost my mucus plug after the one on weds and cervix has changed a lot in the 2 days since.

Nevertheless I have been booked in for induction on weds - hth this doesn't not happen

thrusts???

I had one... the day before ds was born! She couldn't actually do the sweep, so just a stretch i guess, said i was effaced but not dilated. That was at about 3 in afternoon, went into labour at 2 the next morning. Didn't hurt at all, but i'm pretty relaxed about things like smears so maybe I didn't tense up? Or maybe its the sweep thing that hurts. Either way labour hurts a lot more [evil grin]

OWO - didn't meant to alarm you with my over exuberant use of the word 'thrust' what I meant was as my cervix was not favourable (ie still too posterior) she couldn't reach it with her hand so she did erm force the issue (ie put a lot of effort in to it)
with the 2 that were done this week it was very gentle

Do bear in mind, that if at any point it hurts and you want to stop, just say the word and they'll stop. You don't have to suffer if you hate it!

how long does it take?

its not so much the sweep or the pain, its the laying there being totally exposed etc

(had bleeding at 26 weeks followed by 2 drs and midwife doing exam and having good old look with speculum and a flipping torch!!!!)

less than a minute, and IME it feels less exposing than a normal vaginal exam as they are not looking, just using their hands to do the stretch and sweep

I had examination a couple of weeks ago with speculum, Dr and midwife having a good old peek and it is very exposing

certainly no torches were used- reminds me of visits to sexual health clinic DR with head torch

Like pootles said if it hurts or you want to stop just say - my MW even told me to say if it got too painful

The sweep itself was OK - slightly uncomfortable but it didn't hurt. Mine was done by a doctor at the hospital.

It was later on that I felt sore and a bit bruised and delicate. Had some light spotting for two days and my mucous plug came away less than 48 hours later so I think it did something.

Still waiting for labour to kick off though.

They do not try to insert their whole hand though! Just a couple of fingers.