Successful sweep stories please!

[Nov19]

I’m 38+1 and had a sweep today in an attempt to avoid an induction. I’ll be having another on Thursday. I wasn’t expecting my cervix to be favourable as they said at 38 weeks it tends not to be anyway and they’d usually wait til nearer 40 weeks but agreed it as I’d need inducing with my high bp.

When the midwife had a feel she was surprised at how favourable my cervix was. She could fit two fingers in and said If she was allowed she could have broke my waters. She could also feel baby’s head.

I’m hoping that if this doesn’t work potentially the next one might although I’m trying not to get my hopes up. I’ve had some brown bleeding when I wipe and that’s about it. The odd little pain but nothing significant (have been quite busy since the sweep so not noticed much).
Just wondering what happened to other people after a sweep? Did pains start straight away or some time later?

Thanks !

No positive stories unfortunately but I have begged my midwife for a sweep to avoid another induction and she is adamant I can't have it until after 40 weeks.. can I ask if there is any medical reason you have been allowed earlier or have I just got a strict midwife?!

I have had a sweep at 40+2 with my first and 40+3 with my second. I went in to labour the next day with both of them. My midwife told me my cervix wasn't favourable either time and she didn't think it would work. Well it did.

Having said that I had a sweep prior to the successful one at 39 weeks with my first, but he wasn't budging. In my totally uneducated opinion, sweeps will work if you were ready to go anyway. Which it actually sounds a lot like you are.

Best of luck!

Oh meant to say, I had no painsstraightaway, but some bleeding and show. Proper pains started the next day - maybe 36 hours after the sweep. Given my experience I swear by a well-timed sweep Fingers crossed for you

My first sweep did nothing. My second sweep at 41+1 caused spotting and I'd gone into labour within 24 hours. However being 41+1 weeks I'd potentially have gone into labour then anyway.

Interesting about her not being allowed to break your waters. Mine offered the second time around but I declined. Sending you good luck vibes!

First sweep at 40+3 did nothing, second sweep at 40+10 started labour pains right there during the appt. Baby born 6 hours later.

I had a sweep at 41 weeks and gave birth the next day! Pretty much started when we let hospital! This was only 3 weeks ago! Good luck 😘

Thanks everyone!
@imiss I have high blood pressure and the consultant said he wouldn’t induce me before 40 weeks but also wouldn’t let me go over, despite me constantly going in with reduced movements. I asked if I can have sweeps instead to speed it up and he agreed, although because of the anxiety of reduced movements I was desperate to be induced at 39 weeks to save a week of anxiety but he’s not budging as growth scans show baby is growing even though I have no pattern of movement any more. It’s really getting me down and the midwife who was very sympathetic managed to get him to be swayed on the sweeps. I’m keeping everything crossed they work, I have another on Thursday!

@TheVeryHungryTortoise my sister in law was told if they could have reached hers they would have broken them for her and that was at 38 weeks! Not sure if it’s because she’d need permission off the consultant maybe? I’d have jumped at the chance to have them broken!
I have the midwife coming out today, not sure if she’d be able to do a sweep so soon after having one yesterday but I’m so desperate at the moment.

Since I’ve been on bp medication fetal movements are very few and far between, I have no pattern and am constantly anxious. I go in 2/3 times a week for bp monitoring and they monitor baby who seems fine it’s just I don’t really feel the movements. They just keep saying to go in when I’m worried but I explained I don’t have a pattern where I can definitely say today is less than yesterday because every day is barely anything , any small movements I do feel don’t fall in a particular pattern. Before I was 34 weeks I felt movements so much, I knew what to eat to get baby moving and I knew which times it would be active. Can’t enjoy the last of the pregnancy and was praying things could be sped up even by a week. Really hoping things happen soon!!

Thank you for your success stories though I’m hoping after the 2nd sweep that might just do the trick!

Dc4 born within 24 hours of first sweep
Dc5 born within 48 hours of first sweep

With DD2 I was in for daily monitoring as she stopped moving (confirmed by scan and the monitoring) but they stood firm about not inducing until I happened to see another consultant instead of my usual one. It's so stressful isn't it and I don't understand how some women are offered induction on a plate whilst other are just left to worry whilst also dealing with other health issues.
If I was you I'd focus on being as relaxed as you possibly can because the stress can't be conducive for going into labour naturally.

@ruralcat I was supposed to see a different one tomorrow, a midwife who’d been seeing to me when I had my monitoring was really sympathetic and said she wouldn’t usually do this but she’d try and get me in with a different consultant. Unfortunately the same consultant has agreed to see me on Thursday, I imagine to say no to moving it forward. My SIL had a baby in the same hospital last month. Healthy pregnancy, couple of episodes of reduced movement but felt fed up and was offered an induction at 38 weeks. even the midwife who looked after me yesterday said it seems unfair. But either way two weeks from now and this baby will be here so ill keep going, hopefully something happens naturally!