To sweep or not to sweep......

[SHHHH]

Thats the question..!!!

Im 38 +1 and fed up, like the majority of women at this stage of pregnancy. I have sciatica, spd and I am huge. Luckily dh's contract finshes in a weeks time so he can be on hand to help with dd (19 months) as atm he's out working 6am-7/8pm and I have struggled.......

Now dd was 9lb 4oz and I am sure ds2b is going to be bigger, mw's won't committ to a size but agree he probably will be big.

Aftre promises of growth scans and inductions etc when I got to 38+ weeks the mw is now changing how things go..not surprised really, its a bit like being a donkey and having a carrott dangled in front of you when you are pregnant..well imo anyway.

At my mw appointment this week my mw suggested I go back in 2 weeks time when I will be 39 + 6 and she will do a membrane sweep to see if anything will kick labour off. She will also refer me to the mat unit which will prob be for the following mon (40 +5) who will then book an induction date, so if labour isn't within this time I am looking as a possible induction date at 41+..following me still..??!!!

Now dd was bang on time and a text book labour and birth etc and we so wish/hope this is the same...neither dh or I want me to go over 40 weeks, mainly because it worries me baby is big enough at 38 weeks so god help me at 42 weeks..also not confident going over term is good for me or baby with regards to placenta functions iykwim...

Pheeeww............so.........would you opt for a sweep at 39 +6...??? Or would you just ask to be referred for an induction date...? I know a sweep will only work if your body is ready but would you do it..??? What does it involve...? is it uncomfortable/painful..?

Advice/experiences appreciated although I am sure I will regret asking .

Im bracing myself...............go on then..........

Shhhh.... has baby appeared? My mw attempted a sweep at 39+5 with DS. main reason was I was having frequent, painful BHs and hadn't really slept for a day or two. Anyway, she couldn't even reach my cervix. So couldn't do the sweep. however, DS still appeared 36 hours later . I would personally go for it again if in the same situation.

My daughter took raspberry leaf tablets the last two months of her pregnancy, when she was a week over due she had reflexology and within two days she started naturally and bounced on her ball while in early labour that morning. When she went to the Hospital after her waters broke that evening at 12 she had gas and air and gave birth at 3am, this was her first child. She will try all three again when she has another child for sure.

it is definitely the prostoglandins in semen, chocolatekimmy.....the gel you get in the hospital,prostin, is the synthetic equivalent !

Sex got me going with both. Couple of nights of sex and next day, waters broke and it all started! With DS I only took 2 tablets of raspberry leaf tea and I went into labour, so my mw told me not to take it with my dd. It took a touch longer for me to get started with dd, so I think if there will ever be a dc3, then I will go for the combination again: raspberry leaf tea and sex!
But it's definitely the prostoglandins in semen that work on the cervix, not the orgasm (as I rarely get one). They actually use a synthetic version of those prostoglandins when you go to be induced in hospital.

Hi all..still here along with a huge bump . Really fed up now as I am vvvvvvv uncomfortable,tired,in pain with one thing and another and generally feel like a weebel.. DH has now finsihed his contract as of friday so he's a sahd along with (well for the next 6 or so weeks..!) so hopefully this will give me some r&r.

Well tried rlt,pineapple,sex,the big O,a little walking (can't manage to far iykwim) and am currently sat on my birth ball......due wed 31/01 but thin I ay as well go for the sweep as offered on tue. Nowt to loose I suppose .

Get excited about ds2b arriving hopefully soon but ds2b is back to back and have just read other thread about type of births for back to back.... Quite worried now....I just want him out without me knowing..!!!

FF how are you..? I guess you may either be in labour eventually or due for induction as you must be around 13 days over...????

SHHHHHH..there are some really positive OP stories!! really...

just avoid lying on your back and be prepared for a slightly longer labour....nothing to be scared of...really...DD was OP..i didn;t even realise until afterwards...don;t fret...

Aren't there some things you can do t get them to turn (like crawling around on all fours)?

Sympathies Shhhh. My DD (first baby) was 16 days late... 16! Stubborn stubborn stubborn girl. She is still stubborn at almost 4 yrs old.

there are indeed.....

spinning babies

good stuff about OFP in here

lm, your posts have been brill on trying to turn baby but majority suggest sitting on all 4's and mw suggested that but I find it hard, Im only 4ft 11 and honestly carrying big and outfront iykwim. I have spd and sciatica so once down it takes me an age to get back up .

Theres no hope for me is there..???

Do you know...if dd was bang ontime then whats the chances of ds2b coming ontime..?? Does it make no difference..??? Uwila, and I thought it was boys who were lazy .

have you tried asking the baby to turn? anecdotally, it does work....OP is not the end of the world...truly..... if baby stays OP, then there are things you can do to prepare for labour...

erm....hard to say although there can be a pattern in families...of late/early/on time babies......

think me and my nsis were either on time or early....

So what can I do to prepare..? I would like to aim for a water birth so know staying mobile or upright is the best..what else..?

I haven't asked baby BUT will give it a go now..! Will try anything..!!
Thing is I read in the book by leslie regan that although 13% of babies are back2back, 65% turn, those that don't get assistance by mw of forceps etc and if still no change then it results in an ecs... Worries me slightly and makes me think well why not do a cs initially..?? surely its not worth the risk....I know cs are major surgery but.............

am surprised by that.....plenty op babies born without forceps..i think a lot depends on the confidence of the mother and midwife then.....also, 65 % turn..that is good odds!

water birth is fab all round....supports you beautifully, allows you to get pain relief, whilst still being able to listen to your body, so you can adopt whatever position feels right..also supports the perineum and makes for a more hands off birth. you should try to avoid getting in the pool before you are 5 cm..then Michel Odent, who pioneered water birth, says you will deliver within a couple of hours...yay!

staying upright, and mobile before you get in the pool is really good..and your body will move to try and shift baby into the best position

really important you trust your body to birth this baby...whether OP or not......

have you read the ina may gaskin books

spiritual midwifery and guide to childbirth

they should be compulsory reading IMO!! hippy-ish,but inspiring stories of vaginal birth, by all sorts of women!

got to 10cm with dd in water then got out as contractions went...enjoyed it although worried if pool in use as no other birth exp iykwim....

faith in myself............thats hard atm....quite scared .

thing is lm, i find reading birth stories worrying iykwim...would rather go into battle blind. .

((((hugs)))

we all get that fear, as birth becomes imminent...

don;t worry..easier said than done , i know

what sort of birth do you want? really good idea to write a birth plan, can be really detailed , or a few jotted notes, help you get your head around it

you KNOW your body can do this....

the pause you had at 10cm is called 'rest and be thankful', often a woman;s labour pauses for a little while, to get the energy back for pushing..it is perfectly ok and normal...however it can make the hospital nervous !

is there a particular thing worrying you, or just a general scaredness?

yeah I had heard the rest was your bodys way of gaining energy..likenyou bsaid, mw's do panic although I am glad they gave me a helping hand iykwim as I just wanted it over with.

My birth with dd was problem free so no bad experiences iykwim BUT I am scared of the pain and also............................bad things happening iykwim??......God I have said it now . Last year 2 women were lost to childbirth but as dh said this was due to previous medical issues etc..still worries me. BUT I can remember while in late stages of labour with dd that I didn't give a shit what happened to me I just wanted dd born.

I have written a birth plan as requested in my maternity notes and have told them I have sciatica and spd. Want a wb and to remain as active as possible with intervention when necessary. DH is quite well up (as he can be on births) and knows what I do and don;t want as I tell him daily . Think I am just fearing what millions of other women fear.

I just wish I could fastforward to me sat here holding my baby.

Thanks for the hugs btw. xx

you are so welcome...
it is every womans; most deep , primal and worst fear...and we have all , if not said it aloud, then thought it......the odds of something terrible happening are very very small.....but it is natural to think of it.....try saying it out loud or even writing it down, it makes it less powerful somehow.... you;ll have baby in your arms very soon......xxxxxxxx

dh says the same thing. Bless him he keeps telling me that I am his number 1 priority and that he would never allow anything to happen to me.

I remember with dd's birth he was making sure the mw's kept to their words and when they set a timescale for something he would pull 'em up if they didn't keep their promise . BUT so glad he did as he honestly was my eyes, voice and my ears.

LM, you are brill and I so hope things work out as you say they will.xxx

welcome

shhhh - if it helps DS was OP when I went into labour. He turned at some point because he came out the right way. I was trying to keep active and was on all fours in the birth pool so I assume he swung round then. I did have a 'back' labour but since I have nothing to compare it to I can't say it was that bad.

thanks for the positve post suzi,just hope things go right for me and ds2b..!!

Acupuncture!!!!
I was desperate not to have another c section with my second. I had already been told that an induction was unlikely to work - I had already gone one week over. I had 3 sessions which I am sure helped. During each session, my baby became very active. By the second time, I was sure that this was not just coincidence. I went into labour the day before I was due to be induced, and it was a fab labour. I would recommend acupuncture to anyone who wanted to bring on labour.

How are you now SHHH?

Hi uwila, been to mw today who tried (and was successful) to put me off a sweep.... Advised me it is best to wait till next tue when I will be nearly 41 weeks (if no sign nof baby) and then an induction can be booked for around 41 + 5 which really is later than dh & I wanted to wait iykwim.(placenta concerns)...Annnoyed me slightly as I feel like a donkey with a carrott in front of me.

BUT my main concern is the fact that they are now taking me seriously about the size of ds2b (I will start a new post in a mo) and basically after guessing ds2b's size she feels its around 8lb 7ozs ISH plus.. so afterall mw doesn't seem as keen for me to go over term. I have told this all along. dd was 9lb 4 and on time and all along they have said: well you managed with that size...BUT I HAD NO CHOICE.!!!! So basically I am booked to see a consultant tomorrow to discuss a possible induction and if they feel its necessary.
Im scared and worried........not sure what option to take. Keep going in the hope ds2b will arrive on time and an acceptable size or may be late but deal with a possible heavy weight at the time OR go for an induction.....