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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Very painful sweep - am I a wimp?

17 replies

BakingBunty · 25/08/2011 18:14

I'm 40+5 with my first DC, and had a sweep today. I expected it to be uncomfortable, but I found it excruciating. I'm sure the fact that my cervix is still posterior didn't help. However, I was still taken aback by my reaction. I know that labour itself is going to be on a whole other level in terms of pain, so this morning's experience has really shaken me. Is it just stupid to assume that coping badly with a sweep will mean that I'll find labour harder than most? Are the two experiences too different to compare? Am I being silly for contemplating changing my birth plan (currently hoping for midwife led unit if I can avoid induction...)

I'd be really grateful for any sage words from those who've been there. Thank you!

OP posts:

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Bitdifferent · 25/08/2011 19:21

Hi, I had sweeps with my 2 natural births. They did hurt...a lot but so different to labour you shouldn't worry. I remember being very upset after the first one because I was so desperate to have her and the mw didn't seem hopeful it would work so you are probably just a bit hormonal! Be assured they both worked for me within 48 & 24 hrs so good luck!

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 25/08/2011 19:23

Having a sweep is a totally different pain to being in labour, you will be ok :)

Flisspaps · 25/08/2011 19:29

Sweeps are bloody horrible.

liquoriceandtomatoes · 25/08/2011 19:39

My sweep was really painful and I felt VERY strange afterwards, horrible!!!!!! It didn't work either, I went into labour 2 weeks later. Like they say very different pain in labour, I only had gas and air and didn't want anything else.

chocolateyclur · 25/08/2011 19:40

Sweeps are awful - though a lot of it depends on the midwife. My first one was a bit "oooh" and not nice. The second one (with a different MW) had the MW admitting she was known to be quite rough, but that as I'd had a show and really didn't want to be induced 3 days later that it would be best. I felt like she was going to claw out my cervix - I wouldn't have been surprised if it had dilated submissively!

I then had a 3rd in labour, as labour was very, very slow and going nowhere. I still felt the bloody sweep through contractions.

nannyl · 25/08/2011 20:52

our NCT teacher made a big "thing" about telling them to stop if it really hurts.

she said if it really hurts baby is no where near ready yet, so therefor as well as painful its also pointless.

Firawla · 25/08/2011 21:01

no don't worry, you're not a wimp just sweeps can be really horrible. personally i found some of mine worse than labour and giving birth!! if your cervix is still posterior it reallyyy hurts, and also some midwives give more painful sweeps than others so possibly you got one of those...hopefully atleast it will work or have some effect for you
btw maybe a bit late to mention now, but you can ask for gas and air while you have the sweep which should definitely help but atleast can keep it in mind if you ever have to have another one or if they want to do a 'vigorous' sweep or anything

Original poster

BakingBunty · 25/08/2011 22:02

Thank you so much everyone. Going to bed feeling much more confident about labour, and hopeful that the sweep will have at least helped to nudge me in the right direction.

OP posts:

hellymelly · 25/08/2011 22:18

I was very shocked by mine (I didn't know she was going to do one) and the pain was hideous.I started to cry and DH had to tell the mw to stop as she was just rummaging away saying "oh sometimes it is hard being a woman"
I was in pain for hours afterwards and I got so stressed and upset by it that it lead directly to my c-section. I really think sweeps are pointless,if your cervix is ready then you will go into labour soonish anyway,and if it isn't it will hurt like hell and achieve nothing.
tbh I felt that I had been assaulted after mine.

lindy100 · 26/08/2011 03:19

I think it might depend on how your cervix is'how ready you are - I had one on Tuesday, was already 3-4cms dilated and soft cervix - hardly felt it - presumably because I was really ready.

And I would have expected to find it horrible, due to past 'issues' with that part of my body - not a willing or relaxed candidate at all.

Re labour, am in labour now and, as with DD, it is nothing like a sweep.

spiderslegs · 26/08/2011 03:29

Baking, I never had a sweep, I had two births at home - both fine - all births are different.

Do.

Not

Fear.

Some lovely, some less.

spiderslegs · 26/08/2011 03:32

Lindy - are you doing a birth?

With Baking?

?????

spiderslegs · 26/08/2011 03:36

Right - I presume it can be vile or not.

I have popped out two,

I have lost two.

My births were lovely.

My miscarriages - less so.

first1 · 26/08/2011 04:37

I had one which had me in tears. The mw was unbelievably rough I was crying my eyes out, dh told her to stop, she didn't she just yanked harder

Boosaphena · 26/08/2011 08:37

I took paracetamol an hr before mine to try and help. My first wasn't painful at the time but bloody sore after. My 2nd ok, and my 3rd was bloody sore but I had ds at home just in water 8 hrs later. I have a v low pain threshold but found labour more bearable!

Anchorwoman · 26/08/2011 14:13

You can ask for gas and air before you let them go there. My first sweep was very painful and I felt very upset and angry afterwards, partly because MW didn't tell me what she was doing (I assume it was MW as she didn't introduce herself!) and because I yelled out and she didn't stop or acknowledge that she had hurt me. Next MW gave me G&A and let me have a good toke on it before she started - totally different experience. She advised me to ask for G&A before any internal, as I was a shivering nervous wreck, so I did!

Firawla · 26/08/2011 19:26

soo out of order the midwives not even introducing or explaining themselves before just going in for the sweep! they are not allowed to do that, should complain!

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