sweep - is it the more "harmless" way to be induced and still hope for a natural delivery?

[tostaky]

im 38 weeks and i am planning for a second vbac this time around.
with dc2 i went 7 days overdue (no sweep/induction)
for childcare reasons, it would be much better if DC3 arrived before my due date.
however i am really keen to avoid any induction because this is how i ended up having a csection with DC1.
but a sweep? thats pretty harmless isnt'it? it's not like breaking the waters or having the gel (or worse, the drip), is it?
if it does fail, they wont start me on something more powerful? i will be able to ask for another one or not without the consultant going "insisting" on a more aggressive induction method?

plus a few days ago i was assessed as being 2cm and a ripe cervix. the consultant was like "should i do a sweep while im in there?" but i declined.
i am now thinking if by 39 +1 weeks (next appt) nothing has happened, i might ask for one... but i really want to avoid the escalation towards more and more medicalised labour.
so doyou think it is a good idea? (along with using DP for sex, eating pineapple and going or long walks)

Most units won't offer induction if you're vbac. But it sounds like it would have been possible to break your waters, so if you don't go into labour by yourself, they would break waters and start syntocinon, usually when you're about 10 days over. Having a sweep doesn't commit you to anything. It's in the same league as having sex/ curry to get you into labour!

It doesn't mean you have to do anything else Often they're done at home or in a MW clinic so it's not the first step of the induction process and you can have several if you agree!

They only work if you're going to go into labour anyway, and none of the other stuff works (sex, pineapple, curry etc) -if it did you'd be told not to do it in pregnancy!

Hi there

If you search on some of my other posts, there's quite a big thread on sweeps.

I had one with dc3 on the Tuesday and went into labour on the Thursday, but I was 4 days over and ready IYKWIM.

I had my waters broken as they too were ready, but no gel or drip and I had a 4 hour labour, gas and air, and no stitches or anything else, definitely the best experience of my 3!

I had gel with dc1 and drip with dc2 - dc2 was worst labour and delivery by far and both 1&2 over 12 hours.

Good luck, and I'd say go for a sweep. If you're ready it'll perhaps help things along xx

thank you :)
i think i'll go for a sweep then...
if i was already favorable last week, i am bound to be even more favourable next week!!!
just to be on the safe side, i'll book an ocado delivery and a nice restaurant for the day after my sweep

Yeah sweeps don't mean induction at all. Cos I want a hb I asked mw what they would do if I went overdue as really want hb and obviously not poss if you are induced. She said I could have a sweep everyday if I wanted to, to try and kick off labour. Not sure if I would as I don't know what they are like as ds was born at 38+3. Good luck and hope lo makes an appearance soon!