Sweep, do they work?

[Hoping87]

Hi just wondering what people’s experiences of having a sweep done are? Did they work for you?

I had three. None of them worked 😂

Ditto. Might even have been 4. And they're fecking horrible.

A sweep worked for me, had DD within 24 hours and was no worse than a smear test.

Yes had one with my first, was very painful and it just made my labour muchomger than it needed to be as far as I'm concerned. I know first labour's are usually longer but I was 40 hours. Started having contractions in the car park after it.
Refused with the second and had a 5 hour labour with no medication or gas and air.

Min was absolutely agony, but I think the man who did it was being too rough.

There is no research which says they do, many countries don’t do them and they carry a small risk of rupturing the membranes. That said I had loads in my second pregnancy as I was keen to have a vbac before my elcs at 39 weeks.

Yes worked for me with DS2 and DS3 x

did not work with DC1 but dc2 was born 8 hours after sweep (it was a quick 3h labour which started 5h after the sweep).

definitely worth a try. it doesn't hurt (smear test is worse) and you have nothing to lose

I had one with my son had the sweep on a Thursday and he was born on the Sunday so yup worked for me

I have the option of having one this afternoon - I'm 40 wks today with DC1. Aware that success rate is fairly low (whatever 'success' is actually defined as). Planning to ask midwife to check my cervix and see what state it's in. If clearly not ready, no sweep; if she thinks we're getting closer to labour anyway, I'll get her to sweep as suggested.

I had an appointment yesterday (39+3) and was offered a sweep, I declined it as I’m quite happy to wait until I reach 40 weeks. I have my next appointment booked for next Wednesday so will be 40+3 so will have one then if nothing has happened in the mean time! Was just curious to see how many people had gone into labour from having one done! No harm in trying I guess! X

No clinical evidence at all that sweeps induce labour, I believe

I had 2. Neither worked.
The 2nd one hurt me so much.

I've had 3 in the past 10 days, none of them have worked. First one made me bleed and started off some minor twinges but the others did nothing. I was only 37+1 at first one though, was having them to try and avoid induction.

The midwife clarified there is no evidence to say they work as they can't be sure that even if you go into labour you weren't going to anyway...but there are also no risks associated so nothing to lose really (other than it being a little unpleasant!)

I had one on Sunday and my waters broke while she did it but she said that very rarely happens and told me that it may not do anything at all before she did it.

Midwife here. There is not particularly strong clinical evidence that they work and the theory is that those who laboured following a sweep would have laboured anyway. I wouldn’t have one myself but some people like to feel they are doing something to help labour start and so really want it.