Bishops score of 3, I need encouragement!!

[Mrsambition]

Hi

So had my 40 week checkup this morning which included a stretch & sweep! My bishops score returned 3!! I know this isn't great but did anyone else find the sweep helped & did baby show up soon afterwards with such a low score?

After weeks & weeks of strong BH there's not a single indication that labour is imminent :( as all has stopped!

Feeling rather sad/annoyed at this as ive been told so many times i wouldnt go over. Booked for induction in 11 days.... something I'd rather avoid if possible.

I thought a bishops score of 3 was good?
Because of this ?

I think you get points for each category, so a 3 for anyone thing is good, a 3 overall is low.

Wikipedia says "A score of 5 or less suggests that labour is unlikely to start without induction. A score of 9 or more indicates that labour will most likely commence spontaneously. A low Bishop's score often indicates that induction is unlikely to be successful. Some sources indicate that only a score of 8 or greater is reliably predictive of a successful induction."

I have no first hand experience tough

Sorry for typos

I had a Bishop's Score of 4 at my first sweep. Baby born about 12 hours later.

I had a sweep at 7 last night and they didn't tell me a score? I asked what my cervix was like and she just told me it was 1cm dialated and quite far back?

Thanks stiffy that answers my question & gives me some hope :)

Joanna my score is recorded on my notes. I was much the same 1-2cm & cervix far back so u could be around the same. When are u due?

Lots of walking done yesterday, just made me tired :(

Don't despair! I had a sweep at 40+3 where the MW said my cervix was totally unfavourable for labour: really far back, she couldn't even really reach it, nad not dilated at all she had a bloody good firk around up there trying to reach it though which really hurt!

I left feling totally despondent and resigned myself to being induced.

However, contractions started at teatime on 40+6 and DS was born at 9am on 41+0 after a straightforward 12 hour labour with gas and air.

All is not lost! But I remember the hopeless feeling of being overdue and convinced I was never going to go into labour so you have my sympathy.

I did walk up and down the 5 flights of stairs ot my flat a few times every day after the sweep (very slowly, I was enormous!), not sure if that helped but it certainly didnt do any harm.

Good luck and update us when your LO is here, which is going to be v v soon, no matter how it happens.

Im 40+5 now, so if she's not here in 7 days induction here we come! Been getting more frequent Braxton hicks though since the sweep and im finally losing bits of my plug! I haven't had any signs before that.

Hi Bot, Ahh your post made me smile lots! That's a great story :) fingers crossed all the walking am doing is helping then. I'll keep you all updated for sure, hopefully good news soon!!

Joanna, sounds like things are happening for you... that's exciting! Hope all goes well for you :)

Still no signs yet in fact I don't even feel fed up today, think this baby is very content at the min. Plus it's so warm I hate the thought of lying in a stuffy hospital.

Feeling very spurred on by the comments thought so thanks for that as I've no one really to ask in RL.

But even if you don't go into labour, panic not! I was terrified of being induced but was nowhere near labour by 40+12... I just had pessaries to soften the cervix and, although the whole induction took two days, DD arrived after a good 9 hour labour with gas and air only and me mostly labouring in water (a hospital bath with lavender oil in...). Don't worry too much if it doesn't happen naturally, you may still get a great, natural-type birth.