Does a sweep hurt?

[Genevieve1976]

What does a sweep entail, and does it hurt?

I've had a few and usually no. It really depends on how sensitive your cervix is and if you've had any contractions.

It can be uncomfortable and not great but it's not as bad as it could be.

Hi, mine were uncomfortable but definitely didn't hurt, mind you they didn't work either!

It felt scratchy/pinchy to me. Definitely not too bad and I'd been told it really hurt.

It resulted in 0 cm to 10 cm in a couple of hours though ... now that did hurt lol!! And scared the poor taxi driver on the way to hospital!

Mine really hurt
So did my induction - having pessary in and when they checked I cried.
But it's unusual I think.

Mine didn't, was a bit like a smear test sensation wise. But you may well get a ramp up of contractions, and that will hurt, so prepare to ask for any pain relief to be available if you want it.

Ok I'm going to be honest.

Yes mine really hurt though more so with my first dc.

It felt like the midwife had the longest fingernails in the world and was attempting to pull my tonsils out my fanjo. I bled a lot afterwards whereas I didn't with the next one (in a different pregnancy)

That said, I find smears almost unbearable too.

Mine didn't hurt and wasn't uncomfortable at all, I was overdue with first baby and was 2cm dilated when she did it. Don't panic and try to stay relaxed - good luck.

Thanks everyone, suppose as usual all depends on individual. My smears horrid as cervix is dropped back due to previous surgeries so I will expect it will hurt whatever, at least have baby to look forwards to at the end of it all! Xxx

Mine did hurt but not too badly.

Didn't work at all though!

Yeah they are pretty uncomfortable but they do say if it's not then it won't work. I had 2 and they were a lot more comfortable than being induced.
Giving birth isn't exactly pain free so I wouldn't be worrying about sweeps, if they help things along it's all good!

Mine really did, I had two, the first nearly lifted me off the table. I wasn't favourable though so I don't know why they even tried. I wouldn't have one again unless I was advised that there were other signs that things were happening.

Yes - it hurts a lot. You will probably bleed afterwards and suffer from cramping. There is no evidence that they work.

I had one with my second dc, and it hurt like hell and I would never have one again. Not that I'd ever be offered one as I ended up with a Cs after that sweep, and I'd already had one emcs prior to that. I'd been having mild contractions for a week before the sweep, and she reckoned I was only 2cm dilated, and cervix quite high so whether that's why it hurt so much I don't know but was agony and I bled from then until the cs.

Mine weren't painful, just slightly uncomfortable. Remember they aren't compulsory and you can always ask them to stop.

One of mine worked, 2 didn't.

Really bloody awful. And fwiw I find smears piss easy.

My smear was awful but my sweep was easy. Didn't hurt at all. And I wanted labour to hurry up so I was happy to have it done! I had already been having mild contractions all day though so labour had started, don't know if that made a difference.

Depends on who does it and what state you are in.

Birthing should be a reasonably pleasant experience. You can, allegedly have a calm, natural, process. It's tiring, embarrassing, and messy.

" Oh, hello random medic I've never met and random three colleagues, who all want to examine, yes that's fine, crack on. " . That's what I thought first time round, how naive was I?

Actually, that's not how it goes. " No, I am not comfortable, the pain relief isn't working. This had been going on for 36 hours, call someone more senior in please", never occurred to me to say this. By heavens I was stupid.

Took me three months of hard slog,(2 hourly feeds, that took 30 mins ie 1hr 30 mins sleep then feed for 30mins for 12 weeks, so tired, to get my premature DC to his birth weight.!, 'twas grim) .

Ask for help when you need it. Ask sooner rather than later. You aren't making a fuss.

I found sweeps awful and why on earth I agreed to two more after the first, I do not know. Probably because I was overdue and looking at induction, which I ended up with anyway.

I fund smears painful and bleed after fwiw. And mine did trigger labour - as I mentioned before, suddenly and dramatically.

Though end result healthy baby, so all came good.

Best of luck.

Forgot to add, sweep was grim. I had contractions and burst hindwaters (no one mentions those) at 36 weeks. I had a "non compliant cervix and failure to progress" emergency csection. Given an epidural block, then wheeled out for a case more serious. Then back in for emergency c section.

I was in the 2% underachiever bracket. 98% achieve a normal delivery (caveat within the normal range), you will be fine, if you remember you can say " Actually, I am not fine, please check" . Good luck

Mihe was uncomfortable, but not painful. I had three bad none of them worked, but still!

Bad= and

Yes, a bit. Not really painful when compared to actual childbirth though! I had 2 - first one not really painful and had no effect, asked for another 3 days later as desperate to avoid induction, and asked MW to be as vigorous as poss. That one did hurt but it worked.