Unsuccessful Membrane Sweep

[Vixx3n]

I had a membrane sweep on Tuesday and 72 hours later I've still not had any signs of going into labour.

I'm seeing the midwife again this coming Tuesday where they've said they'll do another sweep and book a date for an induction.

How soon did you go into labour after a sweep? Anyone else had unsuccessful sweeps and had to be induced?

This is my first pregnancy so I really don't know what to expect.

I had a sweep on Monday and another yesterday and still nothing. I'm 41 + 4 today and am booked in to be induced on Sunday which I really don't want so I'm hoping I go into labour before then 🤞🏻

What was your score at your first sweep?

Try not to worry, most first pregnancies are late and the sweep is just trying to get you going a bit earlier. I had 2 unsuccessful sweeps and thankfully went into labour the day before I was booked for induction, so all hope is not lost.

@kittycat01 They didn't mention a score? The midwife did confirm the babies head was engaged and the lining was thinned so she'd managed to do a good sweep but that was it.

@BlackBlueBell Fingers crossed. I've heard induction is really painful

@Vixx3n oh in my maternity notes there is a section on membrane sweeps and my midwife completed it for sweep 1 and sweep 2 and gave me a 'bishops score'. My score for my sweep on Monday was 4 and sweep yesterday was 5. She said she could feel the baby's head during my sweep yesterday.

I've heard induction is painful too but only if they have to give you the drip (if your waters don't break). Fingers crossed we don't need to be induced!

@kittycat01 I was induced with the drip because pessaries didn't work and obviously I don't have anything to compare it to. But it honestly wasn't as bad as what people make it out to be. X

@Natmac190715 that's really good to know- thank you for sharing. What pain relief did you have?

I had 2 unsuccessful sweeps and thankfully went into labour the day before I was booked for induction, so all hope is not lost.

Same for me! Went to 42 weeks, went into labour the night before induction. I think the sweep maybe helped, but I did also go for long walks/curry/sex/reflexology, so who knows!

Can you do something to get your oxytocin going? A cosy night in, romantic/mushy film, cuddle a loved one, bath with candles. In the end it was cuddling and reading a bedtime story to my eldest and getting all emotional when it all (quietly) kicked off 😄

I had three sweeps and none of them did anything. One at 40+1, the next at 40+3 and the third at 41+1. I went in to be induced at 41+5 and my little girl was born at 42 weeks.

My induction experience was fine, I had the drip but managed on gas and air so the pain can’t have been too bad. :) Best of luck to you!

@kittycat01 I just had gas and air, in the end I had to go to theatre because my son was back to back and too big for me to deliver so he had to be delivered with forceps. I'm currently 18 weeks and wouldn't be bothered much if i had to be induced again. It wasn't comfortable but I don't know what naturally going into labour feels like either. Xx

My first sweep on my due date did nothing. My second sweep 4 days later caused my mucous plug to come away and the following day my waters started leaking, still didn't give birth for a further 36 hours though.

I’m currently in the same position with my second. First came naturally on his due date no sweeps.

This time i has one on Monday at 39+5 because I had a consultant appointment. She said head was super low and I was 2-3cm my waters could easily have been broken and she would be surprised if I didn’t go into labour after the sweep. Had a midwife appointment on Wednesday and she did another one and confirmed what the consultant said, surprised I hadn’t gone already described me as 3cm and extremely favourable. Apart from a few niggles after both I’ve had nothing.

I’ve got another sweep booked for next Wednesday followed by induction a week on Monday but fingers crossed I go before then.

I had three unsuccessful sweeps

Then induced

Then waters broke

Then in active labour for about an hour before baby came.

Now she's 3 weeks old and sat on my chest as I feed her 😍

I was also told at all three sweeps that my cervix was was fully effaced, very favourable, baby fully engaged and that I should go into labour any second 😫

I had a sweep at 2pm and I was in labour by 10pm, but to be honest I think it was more luck than anything else. I was five days overdue.

I had one which did nothing then a few days later another, more vigorous one by a different midwife (not painful but definitely more vigorous). After that sweep I had a bit of back pain / period type pain, and was determined to start labour so went for a long walk, scrubbed the floors, had sex, and went into labour in the middle of that night. I’m convinced the sweep started it all.

The midwife for my second sweep said I was a “fingertip” dilated, she booked me for another sweep a few days later and said she’d be surprised if I went into labour before then, but I did.

Good luck op

I had two sweeps with my first, and then was induced. She wasn’t ready to arrive, I was induced at 38weeks though, (that’s a story for another time)
With dc2 I was 40+4 days, I had been bouncing on the ball since 39 weeks, she did the sweep on the Tuesday evening and I delivered on weds afternoon. But he was ready to come.
Don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t work. Try relax and rest x

Thanks for the advice ladies, it's reassuring to know I'm not alone. I currently feel like I'll be pregnant forever but in reality I know it won't be long before the baby is here.

Good luck to those in the same position xx

I had my first sweep at 41 weeks. Midwife doing it told my things looked 'very favourable' and she'd be surprised if I didnt give birth in the next 24 hours.

2 more sweeps and 5 days later I was induced. Induction was done via pessary, which worked (although my waters never broke so they did that just before pushing) and I had a 14 hour labour with just tens, and gas and air. Nowhere near as horrific as I'd read about.

I had one sweep around my due date but didn't give birth until 41+2. I think I was booked in for a second sweep that very day but baby was already here.

Eat AAAALLLLLLL the pineapple

Think the sweeps only work if you were nearly ready anyway!

Mine was unsuccessful as cervix still posterior at 40+3.

You have to eat about 7 pineapples including the core so probably all you will get is a sore mouth before pineapple does anything.

Sex and walking/ gravity olus baby being ready are noted to be the only real things that work.

Good luck!

I am 38weeks today, had my GP appointment and my next one with midwife will be 40+4, she didn't mention about membrane sweep, do you think this will happen anyway or only at the next appointment after that? I really don't want to wait that long haha

Sounds promising. I had two sweeps and both ties I was so unripe she couldn't even reach my cervix. You can probably gemuess what happened. The fact that yours is thinned etc is a good sign