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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

A Sweep. Who had one and how long after did you go into labour.

55 replies

ja9 · 25/02/2007 22:10

Despite the fact that i have given up hope of this baby ever coming out, i am due for a sweep tomorrow and have a flicker of hope that this will set me off. However i've also heard that for many it does nothing....

how hopeful should i be?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

BigHotMama · 26/02/2007 10:08

I had a sweep at 7 days overdue but it didnt work for me I'm afraid. (However, she did tell me I was 1cm dilated though which I thought was great at the time.) I ended up being induced at 12 days overdue then had ds on the 14th day by emergency CS after not dilating further than 7cm.

Do what you feel is best for you. and best of luck, your lo will soon be in your arms x

MrsJohnCusack · 26/02/2007 10:12

theBlonde - I have - but my DH won't even contemplate obliging me by having sex (to be fair it was 32 degrees or something today and I am probably being quite scary becasue I am so hot)
so the chances of him doing anything so complicated are pretty slim

TheBlonde · 26/02/2007 10:14

I assume you have tried reminding him it may be his last shag for a while!

Have you tried reflexology?

aardvarktwo · 26/02/2007 11:03

I had a sweep at midday and contractions started properly about 9 hours later. I was 10 days overdue though so would quite possibly have happened anyway.

A friend had a sweep at her midwife's office and immediately started strong contractions and went straight to hospital!

BandofMothers · 26/02/2007 11:12

Think it depends.
I had a sweep at 1 week overdue, that was a tue.
Lost a little mucus.
Had another sweep on friday, then vigourously vaccuumed my whole house, lost huge amount of mucus plug!!
Contractions kept stopping and starting for days. In the end I walked and walked cos it caused contractions and kept them up. If I stopped they stopped.
DD2 was born 8 hrs before I was booked in for induction.
I would say the sweep was unsuccesful, as it was the other things that got it going.
So, MrsJC, and all you others Clean your house, even under the beds(I was manic), and WALK, WALK,WALK.
And Good Luck.

MrsJohnCusack · 26/02/2007 11:17

Yes I have tried that theBlonde - he appears not to care
am considering reflexology - may look it up tomorrow
am cleaning house & walking where poss BUT it was so hot today that I could only lie about quietly gasping.

have a week til induction booked providing BP behaves so maybe it will be OK.....(was induced last time, really REALLY keen to avoid it this time - main reason why I'm so fed up, am only 3 days over so far)

BandofMothers · 26/02/2007 11:22

Mrs JC, I found the sex didn't work any way(fun tho)
And you don't need to tell me about the heat. DD2 was born aug 7th. Thought I was going to DIE. I was just so sick of being pg, and induction meant that I had to go to city, rather than lovely natural birthing centre right round the corner from my house. Was determined, so waddled into town armed with big bottle of water and a fan!!!
By the time she came out my feet were bloody killing me. Couldn't even sit in established labour as contractions slowed so much and got shorter so weren't effective.

MrsJohnCusack · 26/02/2007 11:26

I'm going to try going to bed now anyway. Every time I wake up to wee I get out of bed and wish my waters would go....

is going to be cooler tomorrow so I will get walking (sitting down is so damn uncomfortable anyway it's not a great option!)

will be back to moan again tomorrow no doubt...

LadyTophamHatt · 26/02/2007 11:29

I had 3, well 3 attempts anyway. 2 by the consultant and 1 by Mw

Each time my cervix was still posteior, 1st and 3rd one was done by consultant and he said on the 3rd go it was slightl;y more favourable than the 1st attemptbut still posterior.
I went into labour that night.

I did find the consultants comments amusing, the 2 sweeps he did were 2 weeks apart and he remembered my fandango!! I obviously have a very special one

oopsiedoopsie · 26/02/2007 11:42

Sweep was on a Saturday morning, went into labour on the Sunday night and daughter was born 5 hours later.

twoplusone · 26/02/2007 12:47

Had a sweep on due date at 1pm (Thursday).. had show next morning.. Ds was born 4.24 sat morning..

detoxdiva · 26/02/2007 12:51

Sweep at 2pm, period type pains at 7pm, dd born at 5.20am.

(I was 41 weeks so the cynic in me thinks it was bound to happen sooner or later anyway )

fuzzyduck · 26/02/2007 13:21

I had a sweep at 40+4 with DS2, she came to my house about 3pm, had a show that night, went into labour about 5am next morning, DS2 born 10.35am.. don't lose faith I am a bit believer for them.

bigcar · 26/02/2007 14:22

I had 4 sweeps, by the consultant and different mw, what a wonderful experience!. In the end dd3 was 3 weeks overdue so it didnt work for me. In our area a sweep is the first step of an induction, so its worth giving it a go.

incy · 26/02/2007 15:20

Had a sweep at 7 days overdue, midwife said she was certain she would see me in the next couple of days. Nothing. Ended being induced at 40 +11.

However, as others have mentioned it did give me a bit of hope at a bleak time.....

itwasbanou · 26/02/2007 19:00

I had a sweep on my due date- when the mw did it she found I was "3-4cm dilated, 50% effaced and membranes bulging" (just dug out the photocopy of my green notes) She was confident I'd be back later that day. Ended up being 6 days overdue.

cjs76 · 26/02/2007 19:08

I had 2 nothing happened was induced at 42 weeks with ds2 - sorry to be the bearer of not so good news

mumtogusnalbie · 26/02/2007 19:16

I had a sweep with DS2 but he still didn't actually arrive until he was 17 days over due! Do you normally have a 28 day cycle because my cycle was always 34 days and this just wasn't taken into account when calculating the due date. I was induced with DS1 at 10 days overdue according to MW dates and it still took 3 attempts and 2 days to get him out so I took a week off my dates with DS2 to give me extra time at the end of the pregnancy to avoid being induced again. DS2 was born the day before I was due to go in for induction and I was really lucky because it was a Bank Holiday weekend otherwise I would have been induced on the day he came anyway. Good Luck xxx

micra · 26/02/2007 21:46

I had sweep in morning at 40+5, woke up with labour pains 5am next morning, DS2 born 11.30am.

WindUpBird · 27/02/2007 10:31

I had a sweep on the Wednesday at 7 days overdue, had a show on Thursday evening followed by 'contractions' until dd born on the Saturday at 2pm...I don't know if the sweep helped, apparently I was 1cm dilated when it was done. Hope it works for you, I remember going out of my mind waiting for THE BABY!

jdd0709 · 27/02/2007 11:02

I had a sweep on the Friday and was already 1 cm dilated apparently and gave birth the following Tuesday 8 days overdue. Hard to say whether it made any difference or would have happenned anyway but I'd certainly give it a go again to avoid being induced - I was about to be forced to be induced on the Wednesday if I hadn't gone into labour which I really didn't want. Hope he/she comes out soon!

katylou25 · 27/02/2007 12:03

I had a sweep on my due date with ds2 after not even being offered one with ds1 even though he was 9 days late - wish i had refused - sent me into FALSE labour where i was having really painful contractions every 15 mins or so for a whole week without actually dilating at all!!!! NEVER NEVER AGAIN!!!!

Haribosmum · 27/02/2007 17:30

Had a sweep with ds2 when 10 days overdue. Sent me also into false labour. Absolutely agonising and a real kick in the teeth when you go through all that pain with no change to your cervix!

Having said that, when he did decide to arrive I was only in labour for 3 1/2 hrs and second stage took just 8 mins. So I suppose you can't have it all!

BoolieTC · 27/02/2007 17:32

An hour! Went for a cuppa at a friends opposite the hospital and it all kicked off there.

danceswithnewboots · 27/02/2007 17:34

My friend's waters broke all over the midwife during the sweep

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