Sweep?

[Flowersandfairies]

I’m 40 weeks pregnant tomorrow and have a midwife appointment where they are offering me a sweep. I’ve done so much reading about it but so many people have said it won’t work etc that I now have no idea what to do. I have loved being pregnant but am uncomfortable now.

It's a really individual decision and they seem to work for some people and not others which obviously you won't know before you have one.

I have decided not to have them in this pregnancy because they didn't work with my first BUT have compromised with asking the midwife to do a cervical exam to see if there's any progress. If you have dilated a certain amount then it might be worth her continuing to sweep?

How do you feel about it?

I had a sweep at 41 weeks and my labour started 12 hours later.
The process was a bit uncomfortable but I think it helped kick my labour off.
Good luck with the birth!

I had a sweep, then the morning after I woke up and had lost the mucus plug I was so excited thinking this was it!!! But that was the Wednesday and I didn't have him too the following Monday evening (and even that was due to induction)
So don't bank your hopes on it OP, then again, I have read that it does work to move things along so fingers crossed for you xxx

Til

Whether or not your midwife can perform a sweep will depend on how closed or open your cervix is.

If it's open enough for the tip of her finger, she can then 'sweep' around inside, which may (or may not) stimulate some contractions, and/or labour in due course.

There is a (small) risk that your waters could be accidentally ruptured during a sweep; you would then be on a clock, under a lot of pressure to consent to further interventions if you haven't gone into labour within 24 hours (new NICE guideline).

A sweep IS an intervention. If you've no clinical 'need' or indication that warrants getting into labour asap, I'd be inclined to try to relax and let nature take its course.

Thing is, people never actually know if the sweep helped, or if they would have started labour anyway. It's not surprising that so many full term women start the process shortly after. No one could show me any scientific studies of whether sweeps made a difference, so I refused. All personal choice.

I was offered one around the 40 week mark but decided to wait and see what happened between then and 41 week appt. Nothing did happen so went ahead at 41+2 . Midwife said I was 2-3cm dilated already so felt a sweep could be beneficial. Had contractions and lost mucus plug not long after the appt and DS was born the following morning. As PP says, it may have been the sweep or could also have been just the right time! But the mild contractions started within hours of the sweep so thought it was likely connected.

I believe they only work if your body is close to labour anyway. I was adamant I wasnt going to have 1 during my pregnancy and let things happen naturally. Baby was then measuring huge so an induction was on the cards. Had a sweep to try and avoid the induction and the experience was horrendous - excruciatingly painful, and I felt very upset afterwards. I think it depends a lot on the midwife/doctor but my cervix was closed so that wont have helped either.