Having a sweep tomorrow, chances of it working?

[AnathemaDevice]

First baby, I'm 40+6, and utterly fed up! I'm booked in for a sweep tomorrow afternoon, but I don't know how effective they are, and don't want to get my hopes up. I've been having lots of Braxton Hicks all week, baby was 3/5ths engaged last time I was seen, and the midwife said I looked 'ready to go', whatever that means. Should I be prepared for everything to get going straight away, or should I prepare for another week (at least) of lots of boredom and frustration?
I know that birth is different for everyone, but it would be nice to hear other people's experiences- particularly ones that involve sweep, straight into labour and a nice, relatively easy birth, please!

i had a sweep at midday on the wednesday, woke up about 5am thurdsay morning with pains, dd was born at 9.15 that morning (i was 40+10). dd was first baby. good luck.x

I'm exactly the same. 40+6, possible sweep tomorrow but I don't really want it. Only went 3 days over with DD so every day I'm getting more stressed about it. Didn't have a S&S with her so don't know how effective they are. Boo Hoo. Shall be thinking of you.

I want the sweep because I want to avoid any other form of induction. If I have to be induced I can't go to the birthing centre as planned, and i'm beginning to get a bit stressed about it all now. I've got until midnight on the 1st to start naturally, otherwise the birthing centre won't take me. I've not been for a look around the hospital as I refuse to think about the possiblity of going there, but I'm beginning to think that maybe I should have done.
Thanks for the reassurance, nancy75, that's what I'm hoping will happen with me.

Anathema, that's kind of my dilema as I'm planning a homebirth and every day I go over I'm getting more and more anxious. I agree with Starlight though that I just want to leave my body to get on with it but what if it doesn't........?

My midwife told me last week that that 50% of S and S work...

I was 40 + 12 when i have birth to my first, afetr a sweep and 3 days of induction (none of which seemed to work!). i personally think i could have saved myself alot of trauma and stress , and lots of invasive procedures if i had just waited for it to happen naturally. I kind of got carried away with all they were telling me, and i suppose u listen to the exprets, but my mum was saying no, just wait dont have it done...and i wished id listened to her.
I knwo how u feel, the last bit is miserable...but not long now! good luck

No personal experience, but my midwife swears by acupuncture to get labour going. Could be worth a try? Good luck.

I'm feeling more relaxed this evening, I think possibly because I've posted on here and got it out of my system! Possibly as a result I've had really strong Braxton Hicks all evening- I'm hoping that things maybe happening, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. I'm still undecided about any kind of medical intervention other than a sweep, but I think I'll avoid induction for as long as possible, and have faith that my body knows what it's doing. Mind you, I might not feel like that in another week...

I had a sweep 40+6 and DS arrived 40+14 so didn't work for me. Worked for a friend though. Definitely a 50/50 thing.

I'm off to the midwife shortly, wish me luck! Thought things were happening last night but no such luck, but I'm hoping that the fact that it felt like stuff was happening then it might happen soon, if that makes any sense?

I had a sweep in the morning only to discover I was 6 cm dialated Went off to school sports day and baby was born at 7.30 that night.

(Sits on hands so as not to type that OFFS was 40+13 and it was fifth sweep)

That baby will come whatever - so all the very best of luck

Had it yesterday, midwife said I'm already 1-2cm dialated and she thinks things could start at any time! Think I had a show this morning, I've got backache and the bump keeps cramping up. I'm still not getting my hopes up though!

Fingers crossed for you

That baby's a'comin' - hours or days, but very very soon! Let us know when it kicks off

I had a sweep with no.4 and doc accidentally broke my waters! Baby arrived 4 hours later.

Well, I'm still here, still loadsa BH but I'm beginning to think that the baby is never going to arrive! I can have another sweep tomorrow, but I'm hoping that things will start to happen overnight so I can avoid it.
Any advice for keeping my mind off things? The longer I have to wait the more tense I'm getting, which I'm sure must be stopping labour kicking off.

I wish I did have some advice, but IME naff all helped.

You just have to ride it out. LO is in there for the long-haul obviously!

But you will very probably almost definately be holding your baby this time next Saturday night.

success of sweep dependant on size of Midwife's hands

I had a sweep on my due date and she said I was already 2cm dilated but then I didnt go into labour until 40+13, the day before my induction was booked.

AnathemaDevice I know you really dont want to go to the hospital but please try to relax as much as you can as the baby will only come when it is ready and not before and you need to save all your energy for the birth of your baby. I spent 13 days waiting and worrying and it wasnt until I gave up hope of going into labour naturally that I did. . Good luck and fingers crossed you got into labour very soon.