Measuring big, brutal sweep, planned induction

[BlueSkyCloud]

I am 40+6 and I am measuring big on growth scans. An induction has been recommended asap, booked in for this Sat.

I was really hoping for a natural birth and wasnt even planning on having a sweep but had 1 this morning to try and at least avoid the induction. It was brutal! I am normally fine with smears so thought I'd be ok-ish but it was very painful and uncomfortable and pointless too as the midwife couldn't get anywhere close to my cervix. I feel a bit sore/ irritated inside below now too. I have been offered another sweep on Fri but I am currently inclined to decline after this experience. Would welcome any thoughts on others with similar experiences?

Really gutted about planned induction too. After the unsuccessful sweep, I feel baby is just not ready yet and the implications this may have on the success of the induction.

I was induced at 41 + 2, had a sweep a couple of day prior where the midwife also couldn't really do anything. Took about 8 hours from start of the induction to go into labour and my DC was born within 3.5 hours of my first twinge. In my experience the state of my cervix had no indication on how labour/induction went.

Not sure how big you're measuring but my DC was 9lb so a decent size.

Sweeps are pointless. Either you are ready for labour in which case it would have happened anyway, or you aren’t , in which case they do nothing other than hurt.
I was given one without my consent and it was really traumatic, and did nothing.
I would have some acupuncture if you can get a slot.

I was booked into have a sweep with both of my babies but they both arrived spontaneously the day before the appointment, luckily.

Is it meant to be like having a smear? 🤔

@greenplan appreciate the positive induction experience! estimated baby weight is 9lb 5

@SirVixofVixHall completely agree! I knew this too, that they're usually only 'successful' if you're ready, in which case they're pointless anyway. It felt like the right thing to do at the time this morning.....

@moomoolandie my friend likened a sweep to a smear, and whether you are able to feel relaxed for it... obviously completely different procedures but I am normally relaxed for a smear, which I think helps a lot. Having two fingers repeatedly jabbed deep inside me though during my sweep caused me to tense very quickly though!

I had a midwife tell me that a sweep was like a smear just before my first induction, what a lie that was! I had a horrible induction the first time which I've posted about before so won't repeat, and was expecting the same with my second, I was 41 weeks and that was their cutoff. I'd had a sweep a couple of days previously and lovely (this time) lady couldn't get near cervix so I wasn't hopeful.
Anyway this induction took about 15 hours from first pessary to cord cutting, just fast natural progression once it was kick started. Just paracetamol and gas and air, a couple of stitches on graze and that was it, home less than 24 hours after arriving. I think it was quite probably because baby was closer to being ready than her sister was at just 40 weeks but we'll never know.

Never had a sweep I was booked in but had baby before.
Baby was predicted to be 9lb 6 by 40 weeks.
Born at 38 weeks at 6lb 13 so it wasn't accurate for us
If it wasnt great for you then I would skip it tbh

All three of mine were late. I don’t believe everyone’s gestation timings are the same. 40 weeks is just an average. My normal was 42 weeks.

@Likethestarsabove547 thank you, yep at the moment I am planning on declining second sweep. I feel quite irritated deep inside and do not want a similar irritation so close to giving birth!

@8DPWoah great to hear about your second induction, and it does make sense that it went so well as your body + baby were further along/ ready for it. Hopefully I have a similar experience

My baby was also measuring big skin was booked for induction at 40+1. I had 3 sweeps from 39+2 until the induction and am glad I did, as they got me from closed to 2cm dilated and I lost my plug after the second one.
Luckily being dilated meant I avoided hormonal induction and they went straight to breaking my waters. Baby was born 8 hours after they were broken and I didn’t need the drip to help things along, waters breaking were enough to stimulate very strong contractions.
I know not all experiences of sweeps and inductions are positive, but wanted to give one that is. Baby wasn’t as big as predicted, 8lb 3oz rather than the 9lb 4 they thought.

In between the sweeps I also walked 3 miles plus a day.
Hopefully you have a positive experience x

No advice, but just wanted to say that at 40+3 my midwife wouldn't even do a sweep because she said babies head wasn't engaged, and I went into labour the same evening. You've still got a few days, just because she didn't really manage a sweep today doesn't mean labour isn't imminent.

Also feel like adding I have had two 10lb plus babies vaginally, no significant tears, a bit of intervention with the first, none with the second. I know this is just anecdotal but please don't panic that big babies are always hard to get out.

Yes-I had two big babies-the second was 10.6 and labour was 6 hours start to finish-we made the hospital by 45 minutes! So don't be steamrollered. If you want an induction that's absolutely fine but if you don't then ask them to monitor the baby frequently and say you want to wait a little longer-unless they have good concrete reasons for wanting to induce. "The baby is measuring big" is not necessarily a good reason on itNa own.