Sweep or wait?

[PurpleTurtleMoose]

I'm almost 40 weeks, and my midwife has said their current guidance is to suggest induction at 40+5, or at the very least a membrane sweep.

I'm torn: I've heard the placenta can fail if you go overdue, and there's an increased risk of stillbirth. On the other hand, I really wanted to avoid interventions where possible, and so far the pregnancy has all been low risk.

The baby is also smallish, about 20th percentile, so it's not as if they'll get too large by waiting. I kind of feel they might just not be ready to come out yet, but I really don't want to increase my risk of stillbirth.

I appreciate nobody can tell me what to do, but I wondered if anyone had any experiences or input they can share.

Thanks so much

I think I am someone who has long pregnancies as I went overdue by 11 days with both of mine.

I had a sweep first baby at 40 weeks. It was horrible, didn't work either. Looking back, I think it was too early and my body wasn't ready.

2nd baby, I refused the sweep at 40 weeks, but I did get one at 41 weeks which worked and sent me into early labour for 3 days (not too painful on and off contractions). A few days later went in for an appointment to register my induction and they offered me another sweep (I accepted and contractions started on the drive home from that appointment and I went into proper labour, and it was a positive birth for me).

After 2 babies my view on sweeps is that they're quite aggressive for a cervix that isn't ready for it (whether that be because it's your first baby and everything is tight, or whether it's just too early).

But I think they can be really useful if your body is ready, and the longer you leave it, the more ready you will be I imagine.

Currently pregnant with third and will wait until 41 weeks to get a sweep again this time because I think I'm just someone who has long pregnancies.

Thanks so much for sharing your insights, that's super helpful. It does make sense that it comes down to whether your body is ready.

In my case I do think with the baby being small, I might try to put it off just a bit longer, in case she just needs a bit more growing time!

It is a very personal decision and also your instinct is very strong at this stage of pregnancy so do listen to your body and what you want to do. With DC1 I has one sweep just before 41 weeks and I had to stop her as it was so painful and I was just not ready, mentally or physically, to have a baby. I had a second one, willingly at 41+5 and it sent me into labour the next day. I was so much more relaxed for the second one and in my heart I knew I was ready to give birth. Sometimes the mind and the body need to be joined up for these things to work!

A sweep is an intervention. That you don’t NEED. I absolutely wouldn’t.

Definitely wait. Doesn't sound like your body or baby are ready and a sweep IS a form of induction.
The placenta evidence is widely overblown.

Have a good read of this - she's a retired midwife and did her PHD in inductions.

www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/induction-of-labour/