What are your experiences of sweeps and being induced?

[Pigeoncat]

Painful? Uncomfortable? Would you do it again?

It wasn’t painful but it was uncomfortable. Bit like a smear test I suppose. I felt quite glum after mine as the midwife said it had failed and cervix was unfavourable. I took myself off for some shopping to cheer up and I did in fact go into labour the next day so maybe it wasn’t such a failure after all!

Certainly it’s no trip to the spa but I would have one again if I got to the same point.

(One other thing about mine that I didn’t like at the time was that the midwife got one of the GPs to come in and watch. I have no idea why but she just stood there right by my face and stared. I stupidly didn’t say anything at the time (why are you here, can you give me a little space) but she creeped me out and certainly didn’t improve the experience)

Good luck!

My experience of a sweep was a very forceful MW telling me to lay down so She could see how far gone I was (I didn't want any checks done fyi but she scared me) and next thing I know she done a sweep. For the next 3 hours I was in agony, contractions didn't let up at all and I was sick over and over again from the pain.

All of that happened on an open ward with women waiting for their C-Secs and inductions many with their male partners there too.

Nearly a day on, once I was finally moved into a private labour suite I was put on a drip to move things along. It didn't work for ages so they kept upping the dosage until it got to the point where again I had no rest from the contractions. I ended up being given an epidural, which partially failed...

Would I do either again? No. But then I'm not sure of what my choices would have been in my circumstances.

All I know is this time I'm not letting anyone do anything to me unless they explain every option and outcome

Just re read mine and realised I didn’t say - I just had the sweep and wasn’t induced.

At one point during my labour a doctor swept in and barked at the midwife to set up a drip to move things on. But luckily the midwife stood up for me and said we were doing fine and to give me a chance - that doctor I never saw again. And things progressed just fine without the drip!