Requesting a sweep?

[TheSubtleKnifeAndFork]

Anyone have any experience with requesting a sweep "early". I'll be 39+5 at my next midwife appointment, and I would really like a sweep, or at the very least for the midwife to take a look/feel of cervix and let me know what's going on in there and then sweep if she can. I have been having sporadic pains on and off for quite a while now, would be good to know if anything is happening.

I didn't have any of this with my first baby as had PROM well before due date, so it was all a bit different last time.

In my trust it appears with second baby they offer a sweep from 41 weeks only, so would be early by their rules. Just wondering what the likelihood is that midwife will agree!?

I had a sweep at 38+4 with my first due to anxiety about movements. I'd been in to be monitored several times (no problems ever found).

This time round I'm not anxious, but I've asked my midwife about it, and she said they would usually do sweeps from due date for second baby, but she's happy to do them from 39 weeks. I asked as I was under the impression it was 41 weeks for second baby too, so definitely ask your midwife.

What do want to achieve by having a sweep? It has been shown over and over again that they do not kick start labour unless labour is ready to start...in which case labour will begin without one anyway? There is a very small risk associated with having a sweep...so I would be having one early, and definitely not unless I have no other choice. My doctor says they will do one with me if I am 41+3 and will only have it to avoid a medication induction...

Just to add following the pp, my labour started 24 hours after my sweep.

@Lookingforadvice123 - thanks, good to know your midwife is flexible about it. I'll speak to mine next week and see what she says. At the very least I'd just really like to know how my cervix is looking! I'm beyond ready to have this baby now TBH, although I know realistically it's going to come when it's ready. Even considering allowing my husband to couple with me this weekend.

No sweep for me! As I thought they don't do them for subsequent pregnancies until 41 weeks here... so booked next app for 41 weeks exactly so I can have one, if I make it to then.

I only had a sweep when I was in early labour to try and speed things up a bit.

I had reflexology to try and bring on labour too. No idea if it does anything but it was a blissful way to spend an hour before the exhaustion of looking after a newborn!