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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

To sweep or not to sweep?

32 replies

Puddinggulper · 23/01/2023 09:32

Hi all,

I was wondering if people could share their experiences of having a sweep done.

I know there’s a debate around what ‘overdue’ actually means and that it’s natural and normal for a baby to come up to 42 weeks but they offer sweeps before that to encourage things along.

Part of me feels happy to wait and see if the baby decides to come on it’s own before 42 weeks but another part of me is aware the longer we wait the bigger a baby I’ll have to push out! But I’ve heard being induced can make Labour much longer and I’m not sure if a sweep is included in that?

OP posts:
Oopswediditagain2023 · 23/01/2023 09:36

There isn't actually any evidence that a sweep is an effective method to "start" labour - I find it bizarre that it's still offered in the UK tbh!

SmileWithADimple · 23/01/2023 09:38

A sweep isn't included in the definition of being induced, so you don't need to worry about that. I had a sweep and it worked in the sense that I went into labour less than 24 hours later (although of course that could have happened anyway, as I was a week overdue by then).

MrsMikeDrop · 23/01/2023 09:39

I'd get a sweep or try other methods to try to avoid being induced if you can

lurchermummy · 23/01/2023 09:40

Downsides of a sweep - risk of infection, premature rupture of membranes, if not ready you might just trigger stop start contractions not real labour. On the other hand IF your cervix is soft and ripe then it "might" help you along.

stairgates · 23/01/2023 09:41

Sweeps definitely. Mine were all born 3 days after the sweep to the point I could plan their birth day from the sweep it was so reliable for me.

siroodlesofnoodles · 23/01/2023 09:41

I had a sweep with my first baby.. and cried. It didn't work.

I had two sweeps with my second baby. Better in terms of pain. They didn't work.

I was happy enough to have them done as they were scheduled for 39w+.

My babies both came by c-section in the end. First baby I only ever dilated 1cm despite induction, second I declined the induction but rocked up to the hospital for an elective section. I hadn't dilated at all.

tiredpuppymum · 23/01/2023 09:46

I’d decline. It is technically a method of IOL. It can increase your chances of going into spontaneous labour but not if your baby isn't ready anyway.
Risks include accidental ARM, infection and pain.
Anecdotally I’d also include prodromal labour to that list. The last thing you want is to spend the days before active labour stuck in the latent phase, exhausted.
labour happens best when we leave it alone.

underwear · 23/01/2023 09:46

I think sweeps only really work if you are nearly there anyway. So it might bring your labour forward a few days at best. If you aren't ready at all I don't think they help. If they work it's because you are pretty much ready anyway. Mostly there's no harm in trying.

Original poster
Puddinggulper · 23/01/2023 09:48

Interesting, some very different experiences.

OP posts:
TheMumLife3 · 23/01/2023 09:59

I had a sweep on dc1 and he was born the day after. Also had one of dc2 and she was born 2 days later. I then had two sweeps on dc3 which did nothing and ended up being induced.

TheChosenTwo · 23/01/2023 10:02

I declined one with dc3. He came when he was ready. I felt it was on the same lines as an induction which I also wasn’t keen on but was due to have one 2 days after he was eventually born, I don’t know, I just have a feeling that they don’t always speed things up and can cause more issues further down the line. Not an expert, clearly, I just wanted as little intervention as possible if not totally necessary.

Original poster
Puddinggulper · 23/01/2023 10:12

Thanks everyone. I feel like I’m leaning towards holding off on a sweep. Although I am slightly terrified of them being a big heavy baby!

OP posts:
Ell95 · 23/01/2023 10:18

My first son was 9lb 4- hard labour but pushed him out naturally on time after 36 hours of active labour by having a water birth- didn't rip/tear.

My second- currently 3 days late, predicted to be another big baby- currently 9lb and I have to wait another 12 days to be induced if I don't go into labour before then, which I think is disgusting as I have Gestational Diabetes meaning I have big babies and I'm just literally being left to it. So angry and fed up.

Original poster
Puddinggulper · 23/01/2023 10:20

@Ell95 why on earth are they leaving you so late? One of my husbands friends wives was due the same time as us but as she has gestational diabetes they induced her at 39 weeks!

OP posts:
Theresahippopotamusonourroofeatingcake · 23/01/2023 10:20

I was planning to decline but had two in the end and my baby was born at 40+9. I don't know if the sweeps actually made a difference, we had sex after the second one as I read that would help.

I didn't want to be induced (heard bad things and also wanted to give birth on the Midwife Led Unit.

I also got increasingly anxious about how the baby was doing as I went overdue, not really for any good reason but it made me want to speed it up if I could.The sweeps weren't fun but not too bad.

Original poster
Puddinggulper · 23/01/2023 10:21

@Theresahippopotamusonourroofeatingcake yes I’m finding myself panicking if I haven’t felt the baby move for a while so I know what you mean.

OP posts:
jodiekidd · 23/01/2023 10:24

I was booked in to have a sweep with both my babies but nature took it's cause just short of the appointments.

I'd see how you're feeling at the time. You might be totally fed up by then and decide to go for it.

I'd play it by ear. A sweep will pretty much do all or nothing.

jodiekidd · 23/01/2023 10:25

jodiekidd · 23/01/2023 10:24

I was booked in to have a sweep with both my babies but nature took it's cause just short of the appointments.

I'd see how you're feeling at the time. You might be totally fed up by then and decide to go for it.

I'd play it by ear. A sweep will pretty much do all or nothing.

Course, even!

GoT1904 · 23/01/2023 10:42

I've found sweeps to be fairly successful.

With my son I had 2. First one did nothing in terms of starting labour, but I was 1cm when I had it.. when I had my 2nd sweep I was a 'stretchy 2-3' and my waters went about 36 hours later. I was overdue.

With my dd1 I had a sweep at 39+3 and waters went at 39+5.

With dd2 I had a sweep at 40+4 and waters went at 40+6.

I'm being induced early this time and if offered a sweep I'll have one. I figure even if it doesn't push me into labour it'll let me know how ready my cervix is and maybe progress things slightly that way.

Namechanger355 · 23/01/2023 11:20

I found the sweeps so incredibly painful tbh. And they didn’t work as my cervix was tight.

ended up starting labour spontanously at 41+6 and even after that I didn’t dilate well. Didn’t seem to have any correlation to my sweep

Namechanger355 · 23/01/2023 11:24

Ell95 · 23/01/2023 10:18

My first son was 9lb 4- hard labour but pushed him out naturally on time after 36 hours of active labour by having a water birth- didn't rip/tear.

My second- currently 3 days late, predicted to be another big baby- currently 9lb and I have to wait another 12 days to be induced if I don't go into labour before then, which I think is disgusting as I have Gestational Diabetes meaning I have big babies and I'm just literally being left to it. So angry and fed up.

Quite surprised by this as just had my second and had GD.

was told that I need to give birth by 39 weekd - not just due to the size of the baby

im sure your case is different - hope you are ok

lurchermummy · 23/01/2023 20:35

See the people who had sweeps and then went into labour were mostly 40+ so would most likely have gone into labour anyway.

mumoffourminimes · 23/01/2023 20:39

No to the sweep. It's a form of induction and can cascade into other interventions. It's carries unnecessary risks - bleeding, pain, protracted labours (because the body is just not ready), infection and so on.

It's bizarre it's so standard in the UK, it really isn't in the rest of the world

Michael2022 · 26/01/2023 08:34

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Michael2022 · 26/01/2023 08:38

Risk of infection with Membrane sweep sweep that can cause brain injury or death to the baby. An extract taken for a study published last year by NHS Consultants in relation to risks of the membrane sweep.

“there are potential risks of introducing bacteria from the maternal vagina into the chorio-decidual space, increasing the risks of inflammation and infection. We have analyzed the current systematic evidence on the “Membrane Sweep” to determine its efficacy. Midwives and obstetricians owe their patients a duty of care to weigh the reported benefits of the ASOM against the potential risks of fetal infection, whilst recommending this historical practice which was introduced prior to the advent of chemical means”

“The Early Notification Report” from the NHS Resolution has highlighted in 2019 that perinatal infection was responsible for 15.6% of all admissions to the neonatal unit in the UK [19]. We conducted an observational study in 57 cases of confirmed acute chorioamnionitis, by placental histopathology results over a period of 6 years (Unpublished Data). Out of the 57 women, 50
(87.7%) did have a membrane sweep between 24-48 hours of birth and 54 women (94.7%) had a caesarean section with their babies being admitted to the neonatal unit for suspected or confirmed sepsis receiving antibiotics. 47 women (87%) were readmitted with wound infection. Because the “Membrane Sweep” is widely practiced in the UK, the data from the NHS Resolution, and our retrospective observational study (Unpublished Data) suggest the need to re-visit this historical practice.

Article is published on Juniper Publishers: Suganya S, Edwin C. The Historical Practice of “Membrane Sweep” to Initiate Labour: Does it Have a Role in Contemporary Obstetric Practice?.Glob J Reprod Med. 2021; 8(2): 5556733. DOI:10.19080/GJORM.2021.08.555733.Link to full Study

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