Sweep and induction - feel so silly!

[Thingiebob]

I'm 40 weeks today and despite having perfect blood pressure all through pregnancy discovered today at my Antenatal clinic that my bp is raised to 150 over 100.

I was given a sweep by the doctor to encourage things along. Never had one of these before and was quite shocked at how painful it was. I've had smears and internals before and not had a problem so I wasn't expecting it. I felt a strong physical sensation as if I was going to be sick when she reached the cervix but then the doctor stopped in the end saying that she had failed to sweep. She said the cervix was closed and quite far back so not sure if this means she failed for these reasons or if it was because of the way I reacted. I felt quite shaky afterwards and have had a bit of bleeding.

They have decided to send me in tomorrow for induction. I am now really worried about all cervical examinations and have gone from being pretty confident to feeling scared and anxious. I don't think I can face another one which makes me think, if I can't cope with the internals, what makes me think I can cope with actual childbirth! I feel so silly to be worried about the internals when I should imagine that birthing will be far more painful.

Now I am cacking myself. I'm so surprised at how sick and shaky I felt afterwards. Has anyone else felt like this? Is this normal?
Is there any chance I felt like this because my cervix wasn't favourable or she was quite rough?

Help!

Internal examinations can be very upsetting for many reasons. You feel exposed, vulnerable, unsure of what is happening and they can also be painful if if is a first baby and labour is not imminent as the cervix is very far behind baby's head. I sometimes think a cervix is so high up I describe it as being 'somewhere up around her tonsils' to colleagues! perfectly normal place for it to be though. Those none labour vaginal examinations can be the worst because the midwife or doctor has to really reach to find the cervix. Sometimes a sweep 'fails' because the cervix is too far back and not open enough for the midwife/doctor to put their finger into the cervix (sweeping around the membranes can release prostaglandins which may help labour to start).
You may also have had a vasovagal reaction, where a large blood vessel was occluded making your blood pressure drop and making you feel sick. Very common with a big baby bump pressing on the blood vessels running down your back but not serious.
Please don't let it shake your confidence, make sure they explain everything to you before & after they do it, because we sometimes wrongly assume a level of knowledge or that someone has understood when they haven't taken it in.
However, I am surprised they are inducing you on one blood pressure reading! Did they do a BP profile at all? Any protein in your urine, headaches, visual disturbances? Any reduction in baby's movements? So many questions

Oh Thingiebob, Im sorry you had a bad experience today.

I have never had a sweep and dont think I would after reading your post and what other women have said.

When I was in labour with dd I didnt notice them examining me because I had gas and air - I wonder if you could request it for examinations no matter how early on you are??

Also, I agree with reikizen - One high reading surely isnt enough to induce on. If you dont want to be induced tomorrow I would refuse and ask for my blood pressure to be checked again first.

Good luck if you do go in tomorrow, I will look out for the birth announcement

Agree with the others

I would want another BP reading (when you are feeling more relaxed) before I would agree to induction - if this is their sole reason

Oh you poor thing!

Sounds like she wasnt' particularly good at sweeps.

I've only had one sweep, and my midwife promised me she wouldn't hurt me (she didn't), but I guess she was quite practiced.

You don't have to have any internal examinations if you don't want to - just politely decline. Internals are useful for the staff to know how dilated you are, but in my experiece being told "you are only 3cm dilated" when you are having full on contractions, isn't at all helpful anyway.

Don't be scared...internals are vety different to childbirth. Two totally different things.

Sorry you had a bad experience. I had a sweep that wasn't painful, and gave birth the following day (1week early) but then I was already 3 cm dilated & effaced and had been having contractions for a week. I thnk from the posts Ive read they are more painful when you cervix isn't ready for it. Have a good chat to MIDWIFE discuss your dates, at 40 weeks you can't be too far off. Good suggestion to have BP done again.

When you're ready to give birth you do open up so the examinations dont seem so intrusive and contractions take your mind off most of that sort of thing.

Bleeding after a sweep I think is normal but Im not a midwife - I was told to expect bleeding after mine. I suppose the nausea could be a bit of shock if you weren't expecting it. How are you feeling now

I was like henrietta and was already 3cm. Mine was not painful but my consultant made me fully aware that they can be before hand. I'm supprised that you weren't given some warning of how it could be. Mine told me to yell if it hurt and that she would stop straight away.

I agree with what everyone else has said, once you start to have contractions and dilate the examinations don't seem so bad. Please try not to worry about it. It sounds like you had a bad experience today but that doesn't mean you will have a bad labour.

Good luck x

Thank you all for your responses. I feel a bit more confident now about talking to the midwives about cervical examinations.

I have to admit I was surprised they are sending me in but I do have an underlying health condition which hasn't been a problem at all throughout the pregnancy so wonder if they are being cautious.

Ironically I am now having consistent backpains which are getting more intense in waves and not going away when I walk around. I'm very crampy and wondering if I might be in early labour anyway despite the doctor saying to me that my cervix was tightly closed and nothing seemed to be happening.

Thanks again everyone.

Hi everyone,im due to see the midwife on the 22nd of this month & will be 39 weeks pregnant. I have been suffering quite badly with SPD so ideally would like to have the baby sooner rather than later. If i request a membrane sweep how likely is it that the midwife will oblige? This is my 2nd baby.

Thingiebob How are things now?

Manda23 It depends on the mw you see I think. I am 38 weeks now and have been having all sorts of cramps/contractions for days now. I am seeing my mw on Tuesday and am going to ask for a sweep (a nice sweep!) to see if it gets things going. I am doubtful she will do it though.

Hi I was very scared of internals as i had a very bad experience.

I went into labour and went to hospital and this midwife wanted to check my cervix to see how far i was dilated, she hurt me so much, my partner said she was punching me!

not good, i was crying and everything, awfull experience.
she said are you happy to go home and i said yes i want to go home anyway about an hour later i was having bad contractions but i was petrified to go to hospital!

my partner rung up and explained this situation and i went back to hospital and i got a different midwife and she was lovely, she didnt examine me as she understood my fear.

I no how you feel!

I did have a sweep and i did bleed aswell so i dont think that is anything to worry about but if your worried then look into it.
I had high blood pressure towards the end of my pregnancy but i do agree with the others, one high reading just is not enough to induce you. i would suggest you have a few more readings about 30 minuites apart. this is how they monitered by BP!

good luck!

Mandy 23 - It depends on your midwife - a friend had same as you but her MW refused to sweep her even though her SPD was really bad.
Mine did my sweep at 39 wks but I was having contractions and 3cm dilated so just see - if you start a new thread you may get more peoples experiences on this

Thingybob - hope everything goes ok for you, rremember you have a right to refuse medical intervention and ask for a diff MW if you feel the need but also remember they do have some experience. Actually MW prob do more sweeps than Docs? so have more practice...