Anyone had a successful sweep at 38+ weeks?

[Dogsmom]

My midwife gave me a sweep this morning at my routine appointment, I'm 38+4 and have been having irregular mildly uncomfortable cramps since yesterday evening. (dd1 was 2 days early)

She said I'm 1cm dilated and could easily get 1 finger in and feel the babies head but my cervix is still about 1 inch thick although nice and spongy/soft.

It's been about 4 hours since having it done and the cramps are more frequent although not painful so I know they're not proper contractions yet, she said if it works it'll be within 48 hours.

I've had a quick Google and have found loads of posts about them not working and not so many about them being successful but maybe the successful women were busy looking after their babies and not passing time on the internet while they waited. I'm clutching at straws

With dd1 I was 39+4 when I was given a sweep, had already lost my plug, my cervix was much thinner and was having the same mild cramps, dd arrived the following lunchtime and I don't know if she was going to arrive anyway or whether the sweep helped.

It's unusual for them to do them so early, my midwives won't do it until 40 weeks and some won't until 41 weeks. I had one at 40 weeks exactly and it didn't work. Went into labour 6 days later.

She said she could do one because my symptoms were suggesting I was in early labour, I'd been having pains and tightenings for 14 hours (enough to stop me sleeping) plus a headache, teary and had a light trickle of water in the middle of the night.

It's now been 7 hours and the cramps are regular plus I've lost a little bit of mucus so I'm getting excited

Good luck!