5 sweeps and still not in labour...desperate to avoid another c sec. :(

[blushingbaby]

just whinging really. DS went 16 days over with not a sniff of a contraction. 4 pesaries and a full drip later i got to 10cm only for it all to end in emcs (ds was back to back and got stuck and distressed)

so this time unless it happens 'natuarally' (without drugs i mean as i know sweeps are a form of induction) i'll be having another c sec.

I've had my 5th this morning and been told i'm at exactly the same point as i was last wednesday. (cervix 3-4cm, stretchy, anterior but baby only 4/5th engaged)

I nearly cried when mw asked if i'd tried bouncing on a birthing ball - its all i've done since 30 weeks on advice from consultant on avoiding another back to back.

I'm beginning to think that natural labour is actually impossible for my body??

Hello just want to say good luck.
I have had 2 emcs,I did go into spontaneous labour but I just don't dilate!
I think you have a good chance of a vbac if you go into labour naturally given that you got to 10cm.
Like another poster my 2nd c section was the most amazing experience ever,even though I wanted a vbac the section was very much like an ELCS and made me see what a wonderful experience it could be. The staff lowered the curtain and they let us see the sex for ourselves which was lovely.

Hoping you go into labour soon.

I can't work out how far overdue you are, blushing

My MW said that it doesn't matter how high the baby is, it's the contractions that push it down.

hi, by my dates i was due yesterday, by scan tomorrow but because of ds, induction, emcs etc i've been having sweeps since 38 weeks and i'm not going to be able to go too far over (hence all the effort with the early sweeps) I've got a consultant app on monday where i'll either have a final go at sweep or my waters broken then given 48hrs. Then it'll be c sec or low level drip induction (followed by c sec if that doesn't work)
Time just not really on my side!

Why are they doing it before 42 weeks? I had induction/ emcs with no 1 and desperately want to vbac but I have a consultant appointment for 41 + a few days so that at 42 weeks I would have c sec or drip for a while.

I haven't had a sweep yet (40+5) should I have?!

Well my consultant was very keen on this course of action - i thought it was normal for vbac tbh but ds was very difficult and to get me to labour took full drip, not sure if that's got anything to do with it as i know the most they could do is use a low drip form of induction this time.

IMO you should have been offered a sweep by now. Give you the best chance of having a 'natural' start to labour.

I don't understand why they're doing sweeps so early, though.
i got he impression they weren't effective unless something's ready to happen.
:(

pseudonym - thy usually ask you if you want one. I was offered one at my 40+5 appointment and I turned it down.
it does depend on the the Health Authority, though. My area seems to be quite laid back about it, but some areas seem to push this stuff on (obviously, a lot of it depends on cricumstances, like blushing )

Just shows different trusts do different things I guess. Sounds like our first labours were similar :-( there's some debate about induction on a vbac so we get the choice but noone has suggested anything before 42 weeks here. I'm still scared of repeating last time or a section! I'm suspected to be quite big and they've not mentioned doing anything early.

I think we get offered a sweep at 41 weeks and after looking at the notes.

I've had a show and backache but for several days! Nothing progressing yet. Wishing you good birthing vibes! Let's get there babies out !

41 weeks sounds about average, i think.
maybe yours is trying to be more cautious.

(different schools of thought as well - some want to get things started early to give more time if something has the chance of going wrong, and some like to wait and see - both are fine, and I'm sure both work :) )

As a sucessful vbacer may I suggest Pukka Natural/organic castor oil. It is a lot milder in its effects than normal castor oil but I'm pretty certain it had some effect. But I also did acupuncture (from forty weeks, two sessions) reflexology and falling down some steps in the snow. Something worked anyway.
Will try to do a link but on the device so probably will not work.

www.planetorganic.com/pukka-organic-castor-oil.html

Two shots of that followed by a glass of something strong tasting, (I used lemonade) it does taste totally foul!

Try squats, deep Hindi style squats, but only if you're sure baby is some form of OA. Keep a straight back and get your bum as close to your heels as possible to tuck the baby into your pelvis.

I've been told I'll be offered sweeps from 38 weeks too blushing, but I was a bit as I also thought it was a bit pointless unless you were near being ready to give birth.

I did go into labour spontaneously last time when a week overdue however, so will probably wait and see what happens.

Good luck and hope all goes well.

I'm not due till end of April which seems a while away... :)

Just a quickie - to say that my baby Benjamin finally swam into this world at 14 days overdue, avoiding his scheduled induction by a matter of hours! Good lad! This meant I ended up with pretty much exactly the plan in my head - waterbirth & gas & air in the lovely midwife led unit 2 streets away, rather than on a ward in the city hospital 10 miles away. And husband could stay with me rather than being sent home.

I wish I could tell you what actually kicked things off - but we all know I can't, otherwise no-one would go past their due dates!

All the very best to all those still waiting and really hope your babies manage to throw last minute all-nighters like mine did!

Hi blushing - how are you getting on?! I can't find your other thread that we were posting on together. Sorry I haven't been around...

believe it or not I'm actually sitting here feeding my gorgeous little man!!!!

The birth was horrendous. I went to the midwife for my sweep on Monday morning but she sent me to the Day Assessment unit becuase I was feeling headachey and puffy. I also commented that he'd been pretty quiet the last 12 hours.
They hooked me up to the CTG monitor and he didn't meet the criteria after and hour . They then made the decision to induce me right away and told me to call my husband as they were taking me to the labour ward!
I had the pessary insterted at about 4pm and started having painful contractions about an hour later.
My waters broke and all hell broke loose. Within an hour I was having VERY painful and intense contractions but was only 3cm dilated. By the early hours of the morning I was literally screaming and crying for an epidural. The pain was out of this world and unlike anything I experienced during my labour with the twins.
Anyway, they did the epidural and straight away alarms started going off, people rushing around and the room filled with doctors.
One of the doctors said to me in a very grave voice "The CTG's not good, we need to get your baby out now" Then the anaesthetist asked me if I'd ever had a general anaesthetic before...

I've never been so scared in my life as when I was waiting for them to put me under, not knowing whether my baby would be alive when I woke up, it was horrible. Thankfully at 5am on the 6th December Joseph Lyle was born safe and sound weighing 7lb13ozs. He's doing brilliantly despite a very shakey start.

I can now TOTALLY understand why you want to avoid a c-section. (i understood before but now I can empathise too!)

I hope everything's going ok for you - I'm desperate for news!!!

Ok silly question but i see in almost every post 'DD' 'DS' 'DH' can someone please tell me what they stsnd for its driving me crazy lol

DD is darling/dear daughter, DS is darling/dear son and darling/dear husband!

Omg ok so that makes it seem so obvious thankyou!