Have you *not* had a sweep & regretted it?

[Shellywelly1973]

I'm on dc6 but only ever had 2 sweeps. Both times I was in established labour.

I've only once got to due date with Dc5.

I'm currently 39+5. I was offered a sweep last week at my mw appointment & at the MDU. Im 40 so extra monitoring etc from 37 weeks. My hospital has a policy of induction on due date for mothers of 40 & over. At my last appointment the Dr made a mistake regarding my due date & I didn't correct her.

Now I'm getting worried that i won't go into labour & will need to be induced! Any one else turn down a sweep & regretted it?

Ironically another part of me doesn't want to go into labour as I've still stuff to do!

I've decided not to accept a sweep until after 41 weeks if needed. Also, I want to use the birth centre and have been told that you can't go there if you've had a sweep. (I think we are at the same hospital)

I had an appointment on Wednesday with my mw & was at the MDU on Friday & they didn't say I couldn't use the birth centre if I had a sweep... Only if I'm induced.

I should be induced (according to hospital policy) on Tuesday. I've got an appointment at the MDU & with the consultant.

What I'm concerned about is, if I go on Tuesday they will want me in asap. Whereas if I don't go on Tuesday & just turn up at the birth centre once I'm in labour- there won't be much anyone can do about it!

Maybe just double check with them first? That's definitely what I was told in the antenatal class last week - the midwife said a sweep was considered the first step in induction, and that even if you went into labour naturally after a certain amount of time (I think 41+3 or 5) you couldn't use the birth centre as you were then considered overdue. I'd be interested t know how you get on Shelly - good luck!

I'm not sure if a birth centre is that same, but at my MLU they do sweeps and follow up with reflexology to try and get things going so you can use the unit.

Worth checking though.

I will check but they know well i will be having this baby at home if I'm not at the birth centre!

The home birth team were so relieved when I agree to use the birth centre.

I will only go to labour ward if the baby has a medical need most certainly not due to hospital policy!

I will check but they know well i will be having this baby at home if I'm not at the birth centre!

The home birth team were so relieved when I agree to use the birth centre.

I will only go to labour ward if the baby has a medical need most certainly not due to hospital policy!

Oh and they also offer three free acupuncture sessions to get things going. Might be less painful than a sweep.

Cariad. No one has mentioned acupuncture or that sweeps would prevent me from using the birth centre. I dont we are booked into the same hospital!

The acupuncture sounds great. I won't have time for that now as I'm 39 +5. Hospital will want to induce from Tuesday.

I had loads of sweeps from 38w and went to 40+6, so I wish I hadn't bothered. Unless you're about to go I genuinely don't think they achieve much part from discomfort and the feeling you are trying something, which I suppose helps). I also had regular acupuncture and all the other stuff they tell you to do. (I had gest diabetes so they were trying to stop me going overdue, hence all the sweep activity from 38w).

Sorry Shelly, I thought I rememberd you saying a while ago that you were at he Whittington but I must've been mistaken.

Yes I am at the Whittington Cariad. No one's mentioned anything to me about the sweep policy or acupuncture!

I will give my community midwife a call tomorrow & ask her. She said last Wednesday i wouldn't go much longer as the baby is so low- maybe that's why she didn't mention anything.

Seriously though, I will have this baby at home if they tell me I can't use the birth centre. The Whittington is ok but they are so policy driven- i wouldn't have booked in had I known what an issue my age was going to be.

Surely you'd be offered another sweep before they'd proceed to induction?
Hospital policy is a guideline - you do not have to consent to an induction, you can ask for a sweep at a later date, you can have your baby wherever you want (but may have to be quite strident about that, sadly).

Fwiw, my sweeps 'worked' although I needed more than 1 with each DC, 3 of which were overdue and DS2 was forcefully evicted due to PP at 31 weeks, so I don't 'count' his gestation - I think I just cook them longer. So may you... Acupuncture did nothing. I had my last 2 aged 42 and 44 btw - lovely Vbacs both .

Good luck to you .

The acupuncture service is really good - they do five sessions for pain relief (it's helped my back pain) and 3 for "birth prep." All free too. Do let me know what your midwife says - if I was overdue I'd consent to a sweep if I could still use the birth centre but would be reluctant if it meant I had to go to labour ward as it doesn't sound like it's that great there.

I've been pretty impressed with the care I've received so far (bar one rather horrendous antenatal class where they showed us forceps, though I guess it's good to be prepared!) but I've had a low risk pregnancy and am under 40, which I guess makes a difference to how I'm treated. But I shall reserve final judgement until I'm home with my baby after the birth!

My mw has been ok. I've seen her at every appointment but i do feel i have to 'pull' information from her. I don't meet the criteria for the birth centre. The consultant didn't object but the mw was being, in my opinion a bit prodantic. I called the birth centre & arranged everything quite easily.

I will come back & let you know the situation Cariad. Thank you for the information on acupuncture. :-)

Shelly, I'm just wondering if you spoke to your mw and what she said re their policy about using the birth centre after a sweep?