Membrane Sweep/cervical balloon induction

Fleetw00d · 03/04/2021 09:30

I'm a first timer too and had my sweep at 40+6 (Wednesday this week), it was uncomfortable and weird but not too bad (sorry to hear yours wasn't fun, think it does depend on the midwife!), lasted an additional 10 seconds as I tensed up so had to take a few breaths before she went in again. She also said that my cervix was still posterior but said she wasn't worried as that can change quite quickly.
I'm being booked for an induction Tues or Weds next week, a balloon one as well, I've done a fair bit of reading on it and honestly think that would be my next chosen step as it's non hormonal. I think the insertion process will be a bit uncomfortable but then at least you get sent home and can relax at home while it does it's thing stimulating your natural hormones. Hormonal inductions can make labour more painful so think this will make the whole birth process much better!

However to make you feel more positive about your sweep, I had quite intense cramps for about 2 hours after the sweep, then nothing. The following morning I had my bloody show and some intermittent cramps that were very mild, then nothing all day Thursday. 1am Friday I woke up to quite intense cramps but irregular and spaced out, about 630am Friday they were getting closer together but still manageable and only 35 seconds or so, these tailed off after 2 hours. Then all day Friday they were more painful but like once an hour, yesterday evening they were ramping up so rang the midwives and they said it definitely sounds like early labour which for first timers can last for 1-3 days, but at least it's starting. Had strong pains all last night but paracetamol and a hot water bottle took the edge off, same today but still irregular so think I'm going to be in this limbo for a day or so until it ramps up. So hopefully you start to feel some happenings over the next day or 2, even with a posterior cervix as that can move itself over the course of a day!
If you're up for having sex, that's the best way to soften your cervix, although I really wasn't up for this post sweep even though my midwife told me to have sex straight away haha! Just try and relax, have a bath, bounce on the ball and try stay upright to use gravity to your advantage! Fingers crossed it all starts happening for you but even if you make it to the induction I really don't think it will be too bad and saves you having any synthetic hormones. Take care 🙂 x

Original poster

Jpg222 · 03/04/2021 11:29

Ah sounds like you’re having a very similar experience and a few days ahead of me! She had to stop and start again for me too as I tensed which I don’t think helped. I was a bit stressed when I got to the appointment too. I did get strong cramps after as well but went for a wee and not had anything since.

Sounds like things are heading in the right direction for you! Maybe you won’t need that induction.. You’re right though it does sound like a more natural alternative to hormones I suppose which has to be better! Yeah I definitely didn’t feel up for sex either and the tears didn’t help.. did go for a nice long walk though so will try today feeling more positive now having read your reply and having had my pity party yesterday haha.

Thank you for making me feel better! Good luck to you, hope everything goes well and we both have our bubba’s in our arms this time next week

OP posts:

LadyBillyBon · 03/04/2021 11:37

@Jpg222

Hi all,

This is my first baby and had my first sweep yesterday afternoon. I’m 41 weeks today and was disappointed to hear cervix is still posterior and thick apparently.

Not to put anyone off as I’m sure it’s different for everyone but it wasn’t much fun for me, bit of pain and quite uncomfortable and haven’t been able to stop crying since. It’s 5am and been awake for the last couple of hours in tears trying to tell myself it will be ok. I know being stressed isn’t going to help either I’ve been booked for induction Thursday and am dreading it to the point where I think I might cancel because it’s making me so upset. I’ve been pretty positive up until this point and think that’s why I’m so disappointed as I thought baby would be here by now or the midwife would at least tell me things were looking ready!

Any positive experiences about cervix’s not looking ready/cervical balloon inductions?

Xxxxx

Unfortunately with your first baby, it's better to look towards 42 weeks. They focus so much on your 'due date' that it gets people so fed up. My first came at 42 weeks bang on. My second at 41+5.

Just because your cervix isn't ready now though, that can literally change overnight.
Long walks is one of the best things for getting your cervix ready

Fleetw00d · 03/04/2021 12:47

@Jpg222

Ah sounds like you’re having a very similar experience and a few days ahead of me! She had to stop and start again for me too as I tensed which I don’t think helped. I was a bit stressed when I got to the appointment too. I did get strong cramps after as well but went for a wee and not had anything since.

Sounds like things are heading in the right direction for you! Maybe you won’t need that induction.. You’re right though it does sound like a more natural alternative to hormones I suppose which has to be better! Yeah I definitely didn’t feel up for sex either and the tears didn’t help.. did go for a nice long walk though so will try today feeling more positive now having read your reply and having had my pity party yesterday haha.

Thank you for making me feel better! Good luck to you, hope everything goes well and we both have our bubba’s in our arms this time next week

I'm glad you feel better, it is all quite overwhelming and emotional and there's hormones flying around all over the place so it's totally normal to feel tearful. Just get yourself some chocolate and try and distract yourself with a film, your adrenalin sounds like it was quite high and that can stall things so try and focus on getting the oxytocin hormone going by doing things you love doing, laughing, cuddling and sleeping etc. I found it helpful to just kind of mentally accept that I would need the induction rather than panicking that I only had X amount of days to get her out as that sort of anxiety and pressure is likely to stop it all. Thank you, good luck to you as well and this time next week hopefully we'll both be out the other side with little humans and this will all feel like a distant memory

Cap89 · 03/04/2021 12:49

This was me with my first. I ended up having a pessary induction at 41+6 which worked quickly after 2 failed sweeps. My labour was fine, though on reflection the induction definitely altered my birth from the one I had planned as the monitoring kept me pretty much forced on my back and I’m sure led to my needing to use suction to get baby out and my episiotomy (one intervention led to another, which is commonly the way it goes)

One thing I am really cross about is that I was led to believe I had to be induced because I was overdue and that I didn’t have a choice. This is not true. If you don’t want to be induced you can have daily monitoring and wait to go into labour naturally. Your due date may be out a few days anyway, and some babies just need a bit longer to cook! I will 100% be refusing induction this time (assuming there is no actual medical concern with the baby e.g reduced movements).

So just wanted to say induction in my experience is fine, but not ideal and definitely not compulsory!!