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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Question about sweeps and inductions

22 replies

Twiga · 24/08/2005 16:40

Am due in a week (31st) and hoping things will happen by themselves - first time and not sure what to expect. MW has said if nothing has happened by next appt then she'd do a membrane sweep. Consultant has put me down for induction at 40+10 (10th). TBH don't fancy the idea of either.

What's a sweep like? Is it worth getting it done ie to hopefully avoid later induction?

If I have to be induced does this mean being in hospital for 1st stage or will I get to go home for a bit (not a big hos fan)? Is labour more painful if you're induced? Guessing induction would mean a water birth is out as an option? Does induction = more monitoring?

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beansprout · 24/08/2005 16:49

It's a bit early for the midwife to be talking about sweeps. They basically manually "sweep" the cervix and it is usually done when you want things to move along a bit, i.e, past your due date.

Induction in the first instance tends to involve a pessary. This can take a few hours to work (or in my case, not at all). You may be able to go home if you want to. I understand that induced labours are more painful (on the basis that your body wasn't quite ready and is being pushed along) and can be monitored more. The problem with this is that it increases the chance of a c-section. As far as I am aware, if you are labouring ok, you should be able to use the pool if you with.

Talk about this with your GP/midwife (whoever is monitoring you) and best of luck.

Rachey1969 · 24/08/2005 16:50

Twiga - there is a thread on this on the childbirth section of the site - lots of different opinions on how helpful it is and how much it hurts - to be honest, although I hated it I would do it again, much better than a prostin induction. I don't think they will let you home once you've been induced especially if you're overdue, although they can't stop you! With ds2 I was nearly two weeks over and it took 3 days and 9 pessaries - it means you are more tired with a lot of false, painful contractions and the whole thing seems to last forever. I don't see why a water birth would be out but they certainly do seem to monitor you more and then be very reluctant to take the monitor off.

Magscat · 24/08/2005 16:53

OK. This is my experience. Doesn't mean would be the same for you though and hopefully you'll get more posts and a varied response:

Baby 1:
-In hosp Fri pm at Term + 10 days. 1st dose of induction gel. Nothing

Sat a.m. more gel. Nothing but twinges
Sat evening - more gel. Nothing but twinges
Sun eve - 4th dose of gel. Nothing but twinges
Mon morn - managed to break my waters. Put on syntocin drip. Monitored fully. Straps & wires all over the place. Labour starts but got to 2.5 cm and baby's heart rate dipped. Emergency section. All well in the end. Not sure if baby's heart rate dipped in reactoin to syntocin. No way could I have had water birth.

Baby 2:

No attempt at induction as 1st one was such a failure.
Stretch & sweep at 40 weeks. No reaction whatsoever
Planned section at 41 weeks

The sweep felt like a smear test. Not painful, just a bit uncomfortable. No metal thingy to crank you open while they do it - just fingers (sorry if you're squeamish). Really didn't hurt though.

I think the idea is a sweep might just stimulate things so you go into labour and induction obviously wouldn't be needed.

My induction experience is NOT typical. Most of my
friends that have had one only needed one dose of gel and all worked out fine.

Fingers crossed for you anyway.
If you really don't want an induction they can't make you have one. You would probably be asked to go for check up at the hospital more often - maybe even daily if you went more than 2 weeks over but you coudl choose to if you wanted.

Original poster

Twiga · 24/08/2005 16:55

cheers beansprout - will be 40+2 by next appt so I guess that's why she's thinking about it. Need to avoid a c-scetion if at all poss (mw has emphasised this) due to already having weaker stomach muscles due to exomphlus as a baby myself (?sp) - last thing I need is to have muscles cut again, have a really obvious midline weakness and can really see the muscles have spearated already due to bump.

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Twiga · 24/08/2005 17:00

Rachey do you have a link for the thread - didn't think to look over in that section, brain slightly addled at mo

Magscat, good to know the sweep isn't sore. Not the most dignified though but I guess child birth isn't. A lot of what I've heard seems to indicate that sweeps don't actually work unless your body was about to go into labour anyway,which kinda got me thinking a long the "what's the point" kinda lines IYSWIM.

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beansprout · 24/08/2005 17:01

Twiga - by all accounts the best thing is to go into labour naturally so it is then a case of how long you (and the medics) are happy to hang on for. They usually allow a week or perhaps ten days. I waited two weeks but they were getting very jittery by then.

CarolinaMoon · 24/08/2005 17:31

Twiga, could you put the induction off a bit longer if you are concerned about it? I was offered one at 40+14 (having had a "biophysical profile" scan at 9 days overdue to check there was plenty of amniotic fluid etc), and there are people on MN who've got their doctors to agree a longer wait.

A c-section doesn't involve cutting your abdominal muscles, btw. They cut through your skin, pull your abs apart and then cut through your womb. It does take a while for your abs to have any sort of useful function afterwards though - it took a couple of weeks I think before I could get from lying down to sitting up in bed without pulling myself up with my arms.

CarolinaMoon · 24/08/2005 17:33

meant to add, I went into labour spontaneously at 13 days overdue - the cs was for failure to progress/arrest of descent. And I'd had a sweep at 41 weeks that didn't produce any contractions at all.

Original poster

Twiga · 24/08/2005 17:39

Carolinamoon, was thinking about asking for the induction to be delayed if it looks like I'm going to need it. Always thought they let you go 14 days over before any interference so was suprised to see 40+10 on my notes. Should really have known better about the c-section thing - dh is a doc himself (but unfortuanately other areas are his specialty so hasn't been able to tell me much about the whole obs/gynea things) - still doesn't sound like it would be a great thing for me though.

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CarolinaMoon · 24/08/2005 17:44

didn't the consultant discuss the induction date with you first?

Original poster

Twiga · 24/08/2005 17:46

No he didn't - I had gone to see him as mw wanted me followed up after I had renal colic at just over 34 weeks - agreed at that time that as he'd seen me I wouldn't need to go back at 39 weeks. I assumed it was just him wrapping things up when I read my notes later.

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CarolinaMoon · 24/08/2005 17:59

sounds like it's worth discussing it with someone - will you get a consultant appt at 41 weeks anyway? (that was the standard practice where I had ds, but don't know if that's usual everywhere)

Original poster

Twiga · 24/08/2005 18:02

Not sure, will ask my mw when I see her on the 2nd. Didn't sound like consultant expected to see me again from chat at last appt.

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tassis · 24/08/2005 18:18

I think at ARI 40+10 is the normal. I had a HUGE strop with my consultant to get it to be +14 and then ended up being 4 days early. Like you I was seeing consultant earlier for another reason but it seemed sensible to discuss induction seeing as I was there rather than make another appt. Guess that's the downside of having these conversations early - it may never happen.

The day ds was born I went into hosp with bleeding and was checked over and given an internal. My membranes were sweeped at that point and I didn't even know it was happening so it may not be a big deal. Mind you I'd had a lot of internals by then (none v pleasant) and was already 4cms dilated. Ds born about 5 hours later.

Getting exciting...

I'm hoping to be in Aberdeen next weekend so see if you can fit LO's arrival around my schedule

Cadmum · 24/08/2005 19:29

Twiga: Praying that you go into labour all by yourself long before you need to cosider induction. Never had a sweep so I can't offer any helpful advice. Induction with DS was a nightmare but I think I am in the minority...

Really looking forward to your birth announcement in the coming week. (How's that for positive thinking?)

Original poster

Twiga · 24/08/2005 19:48

Tassis, I'll try but no promises! Don't forget to pop in if you've got time anyway, even if LO has stayed put .

Thanks Cadmum! Coming weeks sounds just fab ! Hope you're keeping well still - will get an email sent sometime tonight/tomorrow.

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Magscat · 24/08/2005 20:27

Twiga - I think the term + 10 idea is usually to make sure the baby is born before term +14 - i.e. gives them a couple of days at least to get things going with induction. Agree with what others have said though that you should be able to delay it a few days if you want to.

Have you looked up all the old wives tales about how to get labour going naturally ? E.g. Sex, curry, walking. And rasberry leaf tea to strengthen your uterus so contractions are more effective (not to be taken before the last few weeks though). I'm sure some of these work (e.g. sex because sperm contains a hormone that can stimulate labour. Can't say any of them worked for me though & I tried them all .

Good luck !

Original poster

Twiga · 24/08/2005 20:42

Magscat, have been on the rasberry leaf tea for a couple of weeks all be it half heartedly - keep forgetting about it - down to my last couple of bags so will have to re-stock fri once dh is off nights and able to run me into town. Haven't tried others yet - love curry but doesn't go well with heartburn however will have to be done at some point over the next few days I think. As for sex, might take a bit of persuading, dh looking decidely worried at the suggestion .

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Magscat · 24/08/2005 20:45

Tell him it'll be a good while till he gets it again and he might change his mind

Original poster

Twiga · 24/08/2005 21:42

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hannahsaunt · 25/08/2005 11:52

Hi there - hope things are still going well. Apparently I had a sweep with ds2 (at ARI) - can't say that I noticed (went in in early labour as didn't want a car park birth, another story, things slowed when I went in, m/w did a sweep, went for a walk to the canteen so dh could have some lunch and things kicked off massively - lots of worried m/ws pretending that there wasn't a labouring woman trying to pretend that everything was normal trying to let dh finish his lunch before I had a baby). Think I had a consultant appt booked in for 40 weeks both times but both were early so automatically cancelled. M/ws were v good at active labour - very encouraging of SPVs so things should be on your side. Looking forward to your news.

Original poster

Twiga · 25/08/2005 20:54

Thanks for your post Hannahsaunt it's good to hear from folk that have expericed the Matty up here. Amused by the pic of you guys in the canteen trying to have a normal lunch ! Think most of my worrying is just nerves, have felt very relaxed about it all until now! Hope everything is going well in Townsville!

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