Membrane sweep...

[Ilovemyboy]

When would a midwife generally offer to do a membrane sweep?

Would they ever do one before 40 weeks or do they tend to leave it until you a few days past your EDD?

Why would you want one before 40 wks?

they would do one at 39 weeks if you cry a lot when you see your obs but i didn;t have the baby until her due date....only works if you would naturally have gone into labour within 24 - 48 hours anyway. so too early is a bit pointless. as i now know!!

and your cervix may not be sweepable until then anyway!!

I don't but I read in another thread that someone had one at 39 weeks.

I hadn't heard of it before and was wondering if anyone else had been offered one.

Hi lulumama

It was because I read your post.

So it didn't work then? I really want to labour naturally but really don't want to go 2 weeks overdue as I will be fed up. Will probably give in and have one when they mention it...

take it this is your second..........

did you go over with the first, and was it an induction? some babies meant to cook for longer than 40 weeks

38 - 42 is normal range!!

No this is my first.

I'm 37 weeks and am dreading the thought of being pregnant for another 5 weeks. Hope he comes before or at 40 weeks so will most prob give in when offered a sweep when I pass my due date.

No patience or willpower whatsoever.

sorry.. thoguht your name meant you had a DS already

it is frustrating and uncomfortbale...having a sweep is not that pleasant either..and if you are not ready to go into labour..nothing will happen!!!!

try , when you are around 38 -39 weeks...

nipple stimulation

sex

and visualisation to help get body ready to labour

raspberry leaf tea good to tone the uterus and give good strong contractions ....

if you go at 39 weeks, could ask them to look at the cervix..if it is ripe...and at least then you know you are on the way.....

but if not , then you might be disheartened...

baby will come when it is ready.....if you want to labour naturally, best to leave well alone..until 40 weeks..then consider a sweep , but 42 weeks is the right time for some babies

take this time to put your feet up and relax and get ready to meet your little one,rather than wishing the time away

you have a long long time to be with your baby..so don;t wish this time away ....!

I don't know if this will help - I started having contractions but the labour was going extremely slowly, 2 days after it started I had a sweep and ds was born the next day. Like lulumama said, they don't tend to do a sweep unless something's happening and happening slowly in my experience.

Sorry, I also meant to add that I tried everything - spicy food, stimulation, raspberry leaf tea and ds was still a week late. They come when they're good and ready

Good luck with everything

stretch and sweeps are not easy to do and if your body is not already 'getting ready' they wont work.

The cervix needs to have moved forward a bit for the mw to be able to stretch it that helps release the hormones that encourage labour to start, generally it is easier to do on someone who has had a baby before because the cervix never goes back as tightly shut after you have had a baby.

Sex is good because semen contains the same hormones as are used in the gel/suppositeries that are used to induce labour, orgasm is good sorry for being crude but it can bump start labour

Thanks for the tips.

I have a long-list of self-induction techniques I am starting this week so am going to be quite busy.

DP is happy he will finally be getting some action too. LOL!