Has Anyone had a Stretch and Sweep before 40 weeks?

[justlookatthatbooty]

e.g 39 weeks etc?

I didn't but I know someone who did - not sure why though.

yes, and it did not work either time.

Lulumama, for what reason would you have a sweep before 40 weeks? Just curious as my friend never explained why, and she had two before 40 weeks.

37 + 2 (consultant )
38 + 5
39 + 5
40
40 + 2

None worked

first time was I was being induced before term due to bleeding, so was given a stretch and sweep a few days before induction date to see if it got things going

second time was when i was planning my VBAC and at 39 weeks sobbed and sobbed and begged them to do something to get the baby out without another c.s i had a sweep, followed by a show, but no labour for another week

on balance they are better done at 41 weeks +

interesting, thanks. I'm preparing for a HBAC and my midwife and doula are keen for me not to go overdue. Anyone else?

do they mean not go overdue as in not go past 40 weeks, or not go past 42 weeks?

Not past 40 weeks though they'd prob go to 40+4 or something. Am already on herbs and acupunture and homeopathy to encourage cervix to thin etc and all with a "very gentle encouragement" rather than "come out now" attitude (my doula is my acup/reflex/herbalist) but they will prob step it up a bit as due date approaches.

can I hijack?

what happens during a stretch and sweep? i ask because when I had ds at 34+6, i was having regularish contractions, and a soctor gave me an internal examination that was v vigourous, thorough and v painful.

I did go into labour and delivered the next day.

I have wondered since if that exam didn't 'help things along' iyswim.

thanks!

had been wondering if I can request doula (who is also midwife in training and does sweeps for my midwife who is her colleague) to do a sweep at 39 weeks. She has said that it has worked that night (as in labour has begun) every time, in combination with the other treatments. Wonder about the tampering though. Very much in favour of allowing baby to come in own time, but also very much in favour of avoiding hospital if at all poss.

I had one with dd2 at 38 weeks and although I went into labour it all stopped till 2 days later when she arrived within 48 mins

Mine was due to SPD and heart problems. I would have been induced if reached 40 weeks.

39 weeks and 1 day, DD was born bang on her due date.
DD1 was 10 days overdue, I was induced and still had a CS so I don't know if it was coincidence but I'm glad they did it.

Yes at 37 weeks as I had a hindwater rupture and needed to start labour within 24 hours, it felt uncomfortable but did something as 14hrs later I was 4cm dilated, then they broke my waters and 4 hrs later ds1 arrived.

yes, that could certaily have stimulated the production of hormoned to get things moving, chibi BUT it would not have worked if you were not ready to labour anyway...

as a doula, i know that i am not allowed to do anything clinical, so for your doula who is also a MW in training, she is with you as a doula, not a MW, and therefore should be very careful not to do anything outside the scope of her role as a doula.

are you in the UK?

Thanks for your experiences ladies and your doula expertise LuluMama. My doula is in her final midwife training phase and attends births in tandem with my midwife, her mentor. At both the births and in her treatment room she has the go ahead from my midwife, who is a senior midwife of long time standing, head of her team and very very sensible, so can totally understand the concern re doula doing sweeps but it's not a usual situation and she is doing so only with permission and frequently with midwife present and always reporting to her. She's not doing any sweeps, breaking of waters or deliveries at births without having been asked to do so by my midwife.

Back to the VBAC issue.....Do you think then that if I have a sweep, although it's an intervention, it's not an agressive one and will not produce results unless baby is ready?

then that would be just fine !

re the sweep... the only proviso would be that it could potentially break your waters which puts you on standby for labour within 24 hours or induction which could make your HBAC less of a possibility.

i would wait until 41 + for a sweep, but of all the interventions, i would say it is the 'gentlest'

it can also trigger a show and contractions which tail off, leaving you tired and disheartend

thanks lulu, for your great advice. My evenings quiet reflective time tells me to leave well alone for now. I'll listen to her and be a quiet patient trusting witness for now! So easy to get anxious and neurotic at this stage. Thanks again. x

I agree re the VBAC, that baby will not come until ready (apart from accidental water rupture but if the baby's head is engaged and on cervix it is unlikely).

I had several in the desperate attempt to avoid another CS and DC was still over a week late

I would not recommend a stretch and sweep. It was really painful and I bleed so much that they asked me to go to hospital to be monitored. And guess what... it didn't work! Told my sister all this, she opted for one and guess what... it didn't work!

I had one at 39 weeks. I didnt need to really have it coz everything was as normal. I went to hospital for some funny lookin discharge which i think is some of the plug nw and the mw checked me & said oh ur 1cm i might as well do a sweep to hurry it up.
Which is funny really coz altho labour started literally a few hours later i went into very slow labour for nearly 3 days. But it was all good. so it totally worked for me.

I did at 38 weeks with ds1 but I'd been in early labour for a week already and had a dd (22 months old) and I was knackered with it all, hence why the consultant suggested it. I started having stronger contractions straight away. Had him at 12.08 the next afernoon after a 3ish hour labour. 2 hours of that were pushing! It was complicated at the end with his heard rate dipping and doctor came in to pull him out, but just before they could give me the needle I had another contraction and pushed him out. It was all hectic at the end, the cord was wrapped around his shoulders.

I had a sweep at 39 weeks because of having a VBAC and not wanting to go overdue, it did not work even tho i was favourable. I then had another one at 40+1 and was already 2cm dialated that one worked. I had it done at 2.30pm and by 6.30pm was having contractions had ds 1.48am next morning.

I'm due to have one at about 37.5 weeks, although I'm very sceptical about it.

DS1 was a planned homebirth, that ended up in an EMCS due to failure to progress beyond about 2.5cms, and failure of his head to engage, creating a risk of cord prolapse - this all despite SROM on EDD. I was in huge amounts of pain and the consultant I've seen in this pg has said that it could have been;

1. DS head was too big (unlikely with my broad frame / size 7 feet)
2. Partial separation of the placenta (evidence of a small bleed noted by the surgeon)
3. Stressed me (highly likely) - I was hyperventilating at one point as I couldn't get enough gas and air out!
4. Imcompetent and oversensitive uterus (not heard of this before)

So, currently reading all the childbirth threads (and crying) and trying to work out how to make it better this time around...

Not sure that a sweep is really going to help. They have said they'd be very reluctant to use a hormone to induce me because of the increase in contractions strength given the pain levels I experienced first time around.

She's also said that she's put in my notes that only either consultants or senior midwifes will be allowed to do internals on me - another area that I feel I was brutalised on last time around

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack. Probably should start a separate thread

I am planning on having acupuncture from 38 weeks onwards to achieve same (ie readiness for labour). Sweeps never worked for me even post-term. I think they only appear to work if you're about to go into labour anyway. As my midwife said this afternoon, nobody really knows what sets off labour.