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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Stretch and sweep - will it hurt? will it work?

18 replies

shoppingtrolley · 09/10/2012 15:17

Hello - I want to find out more about this before I go in. Will it hurt me, and is it likely to set of labour straight away? Thanks.

OP posts:

Original poster

shoppingtrolley · 09/10/2012 15:18

Set off labour, I meant.

OP posts:

Superslinger · 09/10/2012 16:10

Yes and yes in my case!

Youshouldbedancing · 09/10/2012 16:12

No and yes in my case, little but uncomfortable but after waddling around for weeks I was quite glad of it as did start me off

Olympicrock · 09/10/2012 16:12

Not much more than a bit of a heavy handed smear, you may well bleed afterwards so take a sanitary towel - no one warned me about that! Worked a treat. I had 'I don't want to be induced' all over my notes, so she asked if I wanted it done 'like she meant it' which clearly did the job as I went into labour the next morning!

whatsoever · 09/10/2012 17:17

I had one yesterday. It didn't hurt, despite the MW telling me it was a particular tricky one as the baby head was right on my cervix so she had to really dig around it. I've had smear tests that made me gasp & made my eyes water, this was honestly nothing in comparison.

Her hand (in glove) came out covered in bloody goo and she warned me a show was likely to be imminent but despite a tiny bit of brown discharge, I've had no show 36 hours later. And no contractions or baby yet either .

Sophiathesnowfairy · 09/10/2012 17:39

Yes uncomfortable, but yes has worked for me twice!

SunnyUpNorth · 09/10/2012 18:49

Didn't work for me (I had 5!) but they were useful for at least knowing that labour wasn't imminent as cervix was unfavourable.

First was very uncomfortable, like a super thorough smear plus there is the weird embarrassment factor plus the not knowing what it will entail. All the rest were fine as I knew what to expect so was less tense.

In my opinion they only work if your cervix is favourable (ie soft and not posterior) in which case it is likely you would go into labour without the sweep. But as I said they are useful for a progress report even if thu don't work.

TransatlanticCityGirl · 09/10/2012 22:58

A bit uncomfortable but I am convinced these don't really work. I did it just to appease my midwife and make her feel like we were "doing something". Statistically speaking if you are very near or past your due date, something will happen in the next few days anyway so it's easy to think the sweep caused labour.
In my case, I had 3 sweeps. One at 40wks, one at 40+1, and another at 41wks.
Baby was induced at 42wks. Born by EMCS at 42+3.
Baby will come in his/her own time, unless forcibly evicted.

I wish I hadn't let them convince me to induce.

Mikyahrose · 10/10/2012 05:58

I didn't find them too bad. She 'didn't go in' as far as I expected, Even though she said she could feel babies head. Nor put as much hand in, just 2 fingers. What actually was more uncomfortable was her knuckle digging in me on the outside.
I think mine may have helped. The first at 40+8 I was no where near labour. But the second at 40+11 she said I was all ready to go. Labour started the next day about 32 hours later.

TantrumsandBananas · 10/10/2012 06:42

I agree with poster above, if you are overdue, something is going to happen anyway.

I had two. Uncomfy, but not unreasonably so! Would I do them again. No, I would refuse, complete waste of my time - personally. I felt like it prolonged everything - long story.

I wish I had been more assertive, my advice would be to think about what YOU want.

Good Luck and you will have a lovely baby v soon no matter what you decide - jealous ? me?

cupcake78 · 10/10/2012 06:49

A bit uncomfortable but didn't hurt. Was very quick as well. Latent labour started 6 hrs afterwards.

pumpkinsweetie · 10/10/2012 06:51

Ive had 4dc, with dd1 & dd2 i had 2 sweeps, they didn't work, hurt and made me bleed. Completely pointless especially i your cervix is posterior, don't bother.
When your body is ready it is ready, if it never gets ready induction is the only way to go.
Refuse to have one if it's not what you want.

systemsaddict · 10/10/2012 06:56

I had one which didn't work at all, cervix hadn't started ripening, and one which took me from 2 cm to 4 and had baby 6h later. So ime they have sped up what was already starting, but not been able to start it from scratch.

PetiteRaleuse · 10/10/2012 07:02

It hurts, but only for as long as it lasts which is less than a minute. Once it's done it's done.

It didn't work or me. Was induced a few days later then had emcs when that failed too.

shittingit · 10/10/2012 19:40

I found it painful, I've had smears and although uncomfortable have never been painful. My most recent sweep was painful but mw said cervix was posterior and too high up so not sure it makes a difference how ready you are/close you are to labour starting.

Had them with dc1 too but from 37 weeks due pre e, again it was painful. Maybe some MW 's are a bit more rough and ready?

mizzshahi · 09/12/2019 14:10

I tried pineapple juice freshly squeezed and contractions kicked in... baby came the next day....

Will try it again this time round

Bxy123 · 09/12/2019 16:57

I had a sweep at 38 weeks and must admit I did find it painful. My cervix was very very posterior which made it worse, so the midwife told me. It did make me loose my plug but did nothing for labour, I was induced a week later!

samks · 09/12/2019 19:55

Uncomfortable but not painful. I had a third one this morning, anterior cervix, soft, 2cm dilated and short. Don’t know if it’ll work or not. Fed up and had enough now!

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