What is the point of having a sweep?

[Baretoes]

Please can someone explain all the pros and cons of having a sweep. My understanding is that it only works if you are 24-48 hrs away from labour anyway.

That's right. They can tip you over but you have to be on the edge already (as it were).

They also enable you to be able to come on to all the sweep threads on MN and talk about how they didn't actually trigger labour!!

so why not just wait for a day or two? I'm confused

I really didnt like that experience...It felt odd and painful and I had the shakes afterwards and then scoffed loads of food...

why not wait?

well, because when you get to 40 + weeks, you are most likely desperate to have the baby...and a sweep might just help ..! and if you are really over, a sweep might help push you into a natural rather than induced labour

i;ve had two - neither worked!! well, one was 3 days before i was being induced, and the other was at 39 weeks, as i cried so much at the appointment !! . DD born 1 week later, on her due date !

cons- they can break your waters (rare, but happens), which can mean a whole host of new protocols coming in to play, they can be uncomfortable, they don;t always work!

pros- might stop you having to have a full medical induction, and it makes you feel like you are doing something to help,

pro / con - midwife has to give you an internal first, before actually knowing if she can sweep you and can tell you about the state of your cervix, whether dilated, soft etc. or not...which can be a pro or a con , depending !

I was 40 + 14 when I had my sweep and anything that might trigger labour was very, very welcome!

I had one at 41+1 last time. It really hurt and was no help as my body/baby weren't ready yet.
I'm pg again and won't be having one unless I get to the day before induction is threatened

imho no point at all. it can cause infection, rupture of membranes, swelling of the cervix etc etc. i said no to my midwife's offer of one. she came round my house to do it anyway 'in case i'd changed my mind' silly moo. baby arrived 8 days after EDD.

I had a sweep two evenings before I was due to go into hospital, when they wanted to induce me at just 6 days overdue. The sweep immediatly caused mild contractions, and my dd was born 36 hours later, a home birth like I wanted. IMO it was well worth it to avoid the possibility of induction.