Your views on 'sweeps'

[Podmog]

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I had a sweep with ds2 as was 10 days o/due. I took the view that it has to be better than full blown induction. It worked for me - vigorous bout of shopping afterwards and had babba 24 hrs later.

Doesn't hurt - more just uncomfortable, like a smear. I hadn't heard about the strep B thing or that it was considered 'barbaric'. I'd go for it again.....

I had sweeps with both children to get them started. Agree with lazyeye - they were no more than mildly uncomfortable. Not sure about the Group B strep implications but you could talk to the midwife about that.

I would certainly say that as a means to get an overdue baby on the way, my experience was that this was a much better route than full blown induction might have been. ON the other hand if you are happy to wait and don't have an induction threat hanging over you then don't have one.

I think Mears once said that they can make your contractions a bit errtic??? Mears? If you're around!
I did have a sweep a week overdue (without being told!), my waters started a couple of hours later. It slowed down though and 3/4 days later had to be induced anyway, which I add was absolutely fine and labour was quick and over with in about 3 hours for me. I was tested for strepB and all was fine. Think barbaric is a strong word though!

Sweeps can be very painful (I had one myself which worked) but they are a recognised way of getting labour started. I think that when they work it is because you were ready to go into labour anyway. Where they seem to be a problem is when labour is not started but irregular painful tighteneing are triggered that can go on for days.
Group B infection is only increased when waters break. There is a possiblity that a sweep can cause the membranes to rupture earlier than they would have had you been left alone. It is not the first time that an internal has accidentally resulted in the waters breaking.
For women who come in niggling in labour but not getting very far, I will offer a sweep because it certainly can get the show on the road.
I have a foot in both camps here really

Gosh Mears, just as I posted!! It's so good to have you here! Saw you in the book BTW

Was just having a quick peek before going to bed after a night shift. Was I more attractive in the book than you imagined

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Who knows Pregnancy is not an exact science with so many variables to take into account. No-one actually knows what makes labour start in the first place. It is all so fascinating.

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Mears - LOL

That's commitment after a night shift!

I had a sweep with ds and found it no more than mildly uncomfortable. Unfortunately it didn't work but neither did the two lots of Prostaglandin pessaries I was given three days later to try to induce me. Hospital decided to leave me after that and ds was born, of his own accord, eight days later.
My view was that it was worth a try but I don't think I would do it again except as possibly an alternative to full-blown induction, which I would also be against unless there was a valid medical reason for it......or I was really fed up waiting

Podmog - why did you have your waters broken? That is a procedure that is more unnecessary than a sweep.

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Sorry Pog - misread your earlier post that you were induced. When you ar einduced your membranes usually get ruptured to get labour going. Must go to bed now that I can't read straight

I've had sweeps twice, when I've been 40+ wks. Both times the cervix was 'ripe' but I ended up being induced with prostaglandin. It was momentarily uncomfy but not painful or barbaric - ime, that's a bit strong a term to use.

I had a sweep which I found very painful and upsetting. The distressing part was that I hadn't agreed to it and wasn't aware that was what the midwife was about to do. I was only a week over and there was no concern about the baby so it was also completely unnecessary. Am thinking of complaining so the community midwife realises that what she did to me was unacceptable. But interested to see other people have had sweeps that aren't so painful.

I had a sweep when I was a week late. I am a COMPLETE WIMP so dithered about it and eventually screwed up my courage and said the midwife could do it. Didn't hurt but was just about as uncomfortable as a smear. Thought it would be worse than it was. Didn't help though - baby took another week to arrive!

I was under impression that there is virtually no risk of Strep B being passed to your baby until your waters broke, so the idea that having a sweep increases the risk makes sense to me... am I right to think Mears hasn't commented on that question, though?

I had sweeps with both dds - 9 days and 7 days late respectively. They were mildly uncomfortable but worked a treat - went into labour that night both times. Certainly didn't consider it barbaric or unnecessary - was sick of being huge and heartburn-y!

I had one (without warning). Just thought I was going to be given a normal internal.

It hurt like hell, so much so that I made me petrified of labour (which I had not been before).

Had DS a few days later after little 'shows' over those days.

I must admit, I would refuse if it was offered to me next time, but I am curious if it hurt so much because I was 1cm dialated already????? (So I was told by the doctor after she had carried out the sweep).

I had sweeps with all 3 of mine, but it only worked once! DS1 came on his own eventually, DS2 was induced (definitely would have prefered the sweep to have worked) and DD was the one the one who was out less than 24 hrs after sweep. Strangely DD was also the only one where my waters broke by themselves.

LadyP, I was dilated when I had DDs sweep and it still just felt like a smear. I had a very nice trainee MW do it, and the main MW started doing the teaching bit whilst she was fiddling around up there. Because she was concentrating on what the other MW was telling her, she stood there for 5 minutes with her hand lodged in my unmentionables. It was possibly the strangest conversation I've ever had.

I had a sweep with dd when I she was 10 days overdue, which as most have said was not too bad. My conrtactions started about 12 hours later and dd born 24 hours after that. Having my waters broken is what I regret. Ds was early so no need for a sweep and absolutly refused to have my waters broken.

I had a sweep with my dd. I was at my overdue appointment, I was 4 days overdue and the midwife said that the consultant would come in and see me. He told me he was going to have a look and see if I had dialated, nobody mentioned the word sweep or what it actually was or would do. I actually found it quite painful, worse than a smear, and I felt quite ill afterwards. The dr then told me that I'd probably deliver within 24-48 hours as I was 2 cm dialated. I walked home feeling very crampy and sick and then spent the next 4 days with niggly crampy pains and finally went into labour 10 days after my original due date.

This time if I go overdue I'm not letting them anywhere near me, I'd rather wait. I've read about how it worked for other people but my experience really put me off.

Linnet, I asked to have a sweep when I was 5 days overdue (really really did not want to be induced) and I was refused. Our MWs would not agree to it until I was 10 days over.