Positive sweep stories

[LisaLx]

Just had a sweep today. I'm already 3cm dilated. Anyone else the same? Or does anyone else have any stories to tell me? How long did it take? Did it actually work?

Fabulous, congratulations @LisaLx

How long after a sweep do any cramps start? Or if they don't start straight away will it just not happen?

@pinkgin8 I've had multiple sweeps (5 kids)
Dc1 didn't work
With DC2 i had a really favourable cervix, and the MW thought that I would go into labour shortly. She gave me a sweep at about 10am and I was having contractions by lunchtime.

Dc3, multiple sweeps and nothing, indcuced at 42wks.

Dc4 was 1-2cm at 39wks, sweep did nothing indcued at 40wks.

DC5, I had sweeps at 39+4, 40+3 and 40+6. At 39+4 I was 2-3cm, by 40+6 I was 3-4. I had the last sweep at about 10am and was having contractions from when I got up the following day, which was induction day anyway. And my waters were broken to induce me at 3pm.

So for me the ones that have worked have worked within 24hrs.

With DC1, first sweep nothing, second sweep I went into labour the next day

DC2 sweep in the mid afternoon, went into labour early the next morning

DC3 sweep at 11:30am, contractions started immediately, Baby born at 9pm

@BurningBenches
@UpToMyElbowsInDiapers
Went this morning at half 9, and had one done. Midwife said I was 2 as she could fit 2 fingers and said hopefully this will start things off. Can't say I'm convinced but I may be surprised. Feel normal but it has only been 4hrs I guess

@pinkgin8 ah good luck!!! The MW on induction were suprised to see me the day after my last sweep. I was not surprised, my babies have all been very overdue. My induction was ok though.

@BurningBenches
Were you induced on a drip? Did it not make the pain worse when giving birth?x

I did loose some of my plug yesterday too. Not sure if that would of helped today 🤷🏻‍♀️

Student midwife here. Obviously I can't give medical advice etc. and this is purely my own opinion but I do believe sweeps work. Most of the sweeps I have observed have ended up sending the woman into Labour over the next day or two.

@pinkgin8 butting in here but in my experience induction via drip was a lot more painful than spontaneous labour. I wouldn't do it again given the choice, but sometimes it's necessary for health of mum and baby. And in my case, I had an epidural (amazing stuff) which made things a lot more comfortable.

Spontaneous labour I managed at home with TENS, water and paracetamol.

@pinkgin8

Dc1 and dc4 involved the drip. And personally I would always opt for an epidural with a drip. Dc3 and 5 breaking my waters was enough to trigger contractions. Both were born 2hrs later. Neither was easy but both thankfully quick enough to manage on gas and air.

@andromedana

Student midwife here. Obviously I can't give medical advice etc. and this is purely my own opinion but I do believe sweeps work. Most of the sweeps I have observed have ended up sending the woman into Labour over the next day or two.

If they worked trust me there would be no full term women being induced. All of them tried and/or were pushed into having sweeps. And then some midwifes claim that if it wasn't horribly painful than it wasn't "done properly". News flash: those still didn't work!!

Do ask your professors why women have to have 3/4/5 sweeps and then induction if "sweeps work so well". I would be entirely grateful if someone would do a proper study on this

Actually, with my first I refused a sweep as I knew she would be late anyway! Ended up having an induction, but no sweep!

@UpToMyElbowsInDiapers did you find the sweeps made the pain worse for you in labour?

@pinkgin8 any news?

@THATbasicSNOWFLAKE first didn't do much last week
Had one today and I was at 3cm. She could stretch and bring my cervix forward?? She managed to do 5cm, not sure if that's in my favour or not!

Mucus plug has completely come away, nothing left she said

Mine is a semi-positive story, but not rear because of the sweep.
I was admitted to hospital around six pm. I'd been in latent labour for days and was in so much pain I couldn't stop crying; my dad had died the previous month; my contractions were all over the bloody shop. Midwife promised me she wouldn't send me home, but there was a shift change an hour later and the new one was having none of it (don't particularly blame her; my contractions had gone back down to 15-20 mins apart and I don't think she believed they'd ever been closer together). In the end she said I'd have to go home but she'd do a sweep if I wanted. Neither she nor I looked enthusiastic at the thought.
Gloved up, ventured forth - and discovered I was about 7 cm dilated. Couldn't work out why my contractions were so far apart for that much dilation, so whipped out the crochet hook and gave me some drugs to speed things up. Son born nearly four hours later.
I was so relieved. I had been looking up latent labour and one woman had written that after being turned away from hospital three times, she thought quite seriously about throwing herself in the path of a car. I knew exactly what she meant. LL is the fucking pits and I unhesitatingly had a c section with no. 3.

@pinkgin8 that sounds positive to me! I had my waters broken at 3cm last week

@THATbasicSNOWFLAKE hopefully it does something! Nothing yet but I did only go at 10! Sat on the ball but am not convinced as the first did nothing
When did any signs start for you?

@THATbasicSNOWFLAKE
Can I ask how that went? Did baby's heart rate not increase or become stressed? Did you start contracting after that?

@pinkgin8 i went in for balloon induction, i was 2cm when i was examined on arrival (10 am ish) they did another sweep. I had some very mild tightenings. They broke my waters about 4 hours later at which point i was 3cm. Tightenings gradually became stronger, took about another 4 hours to reach 5cm and proper contractions. Baby born a few hours later (10 hours after having waters broken) Babies heartrate was stable at all times although i was kept on the monitors at all times which drove me mad.

@THATbasicSNOWFLAKE had some pains from 5am onwards
Not sure if it's Braxton hicks or not but it bloody hurts!
Sat on the ball to ease the pain. If it is Braxton hicks then I've never felt anything like it before!
Going to take some paracetamol.

I was told by a midwife that there was some evidence taking paracetamol in early labour can slow things down.

Some info here

www.birthability.co.uk/can-paracetamol-lengthen-your-labour/

Baby boy born 9:15
Began labour at 5am, all in all fast but so glad it's over 💜