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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Stretch & Sweep - tell me about it.

11 replies

CherryLips1980 · 31/10/2013 14:23

As title. I'm 39+5 today and at my midwife appointment was offered one but she was less than forthcoming when I asked her what it was, then backtracked saying there wasn't any evidence to prove it worked and I wasn't at my due date anyway. :-/

Does it hurt? Does it work?!

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NaughtyStep2 · 31/10/2013 14:27

I never had it myself but i have known many women who have and basically the midwife massages the cervix wall and this is meant to bring on labour due to hormones that get kick started in your body. When i was pregnant, they said they would do the stretch and sweep when i was 7 days overdue but i didn't get to that point so for them to say they would give you it before your due date is a bit odd.

cottoncandy · 31/10/2013 14:30

I had them with both my DCs. In my area they won't do them until 41 weeks. With DC1 it didn't work - he was born 4 days later. With DC2 it did and she was born the next day, less than 24 hours later. It didn't hurt particularly but in both cases I was already a bit dilated and thinned out. I think it can be painful if they try to do it when you are not ready.

Original poster

CherryLips1980 · 31/10/2013 14:42

I was quite shocked to be offered it - hence why I said no. It had been a fairly chaotic appointment anyway with the baby hiding away and them struggling to hear a heartbeat so I think we were all a bit ... distracted afterwards.

She's booked me in for one next Thursday if I haven't had the baby by then and then induction the week after if the S&S doesn't work but if there's no point then I don't want it. I appreciate I'm going to have to get over this PDQ but I'm not that keen on people rummaging about in my fanjo without good reason..

OP posts:

Nevercan · 31/10/2013 16:39

I think if you are almost ready to go into labour they probably help. I have two sweeps with both if mine at 41 weeks and it had no effect whatsoever

babynelly2010 · 31/10/2013 16:52

I did not have it with first but with second it worked with baby born after 30 hours or so. First time around I wanted everything to be natural so did not get one and dd was born was 1 week over due. This time around with ds I was so fed up and had a sweep at 40 weeks. I had BH for few weeks they just escalated into full blown labour. It did not hurt but was uncomfortable but I was excited for someone to tell me I was already 2 cm. I had spotting after wards and plug came away in pieces until baby was born.

eden263 · 31/10/2013 17:04

I had several with DD (hadn't been invented with my other DCs) and I don't know if they helped. I think it depends how forceful the midwife is. My midwife did it to me just before my due date, she said I could have one if I wanted, to see if it would start labour on time. The first 2 didn't hurt but it was uncomfortable as you're not really used to the sensation of someone shoving hard against the inside of your cervix! The third did hurt, it was in hospital when I was about a week overdue - by then I'd already had 3 lots of prostaglandin to try to induce me & as nothing was happening this tiny little no-nonsense Philippino midwife came in and did one and she really really did a good sweep, very high and very hard! I thought she was ripping my womb away from its moorings! But I did go into labour the following morning. BUT, as I say, I had already had lots of labour inducing drugs & I was overdue anyway. So I don't know if it worked or was coincidence. If I had had more children, I think I would have declined it. It's certainly not pleasant. HTH

GreenGiant3 · 31/10/2013 17:48

Hi OP

I am 39+5 today and had my MW appt today, I asked for and got my stretch and sweep today

Basically it will help labour progress if your ready to go, she was able to tell me I'm 2-3cm dilated and my cervix was favourable, so done a successful sweep, hopefully that gets the wheels in motion, in my eyes, they wouldn't offer them if they didn't have any evidence that they did or didn't work iyswim? Some midwives only offer them after 40 weeks, I asked to have mine, hopefully it works

CoconutRing · 31/10/2013 18:00

AFAIK, there is no hard evidence that sweeps work. At the surgery where I worked, the MWs would offer sweeps around 40 weeks just because they felt it gave some women the impression that the MWs were doing something. They would then take all the credit if it worked and blamed the woman for not being ready if it failed!

Frecklesandspecs · 01/11/2013 07:27

Ha coconut! I'm not surprised at that lol!
Got mine today so Will report back.
had one with dc2 which worked and went into labour same night.

princesscupcakemummyb · 01/11/2013 10:06

well i had mine on wednesday and it hasent worked im due tomorrow

elcranko · 01/11/2013 11:56

I had two failed sweeps with DC1. Both times though I was told my cervix wasn't favourable so not to expect much but I asked the MW to have a go anyway as I was desperate to get it over with after a difficult pregnancy. Nothing happened though and I ended up being induced in the end.

I do know people who have had sweeps and gone into labour later the same day but they were all told that they were much more favourable than I was, cervix thinning out and starting to dilate already etc.

So as others have said, a sweep may help push you into labour if you're almost ready to go anyway.

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