Does exam = sweep?

[ISolemnlySwearIAmUpToNoGood]

I'm not sure if I'm overreacting so would be grateful to hear other's experiences.

I've just had a consultant appointment at 38+2 where she asked if she could do an exam. Was a lot more painful than I was expecting and then find out afterwards that she actually did a sweep as well which I wasn't expecting at all.

Now that I'm home I feel rather upset about it as I expected an exam to be just that and nothing else. Is it normal for exam to mean a sweep as well and I'm just being silly and overreacting?

No an exam is NOT a sweep and twatty shithead consultants and other medical "professionals" who do this will burn in a special circle of hell! I'm sorry this has happened to you.

You are not overreacting, you have been violated and you were not even asked for consent, or told you could withdraw that consent at any time. A sweep is a horrible procedure at the best of times. Can you complain? The more times we do this, the more likely they are to get it through their thick skulls that women should be asked for informed consent to procedures that are painful and invasive.

Thank you for the replies. I'm doubting myself now as there were a few other words said as well as 'exam' when she asked but I definitely don't remember one of them being 'sweep'. I need to make an appointment with the midwife next week to have my blood pressure checked so might bring it up with them and see what they say.

It felt like she put her whole fist up there and I said ow quite a lot but she didn't ask if I wanted her to stop and as I thought it was just an exam I just thought to get through it and get it over with rather than asking her to stop.

I do feel violated and keep crying which I feel stupid for as I've had smear tests and exams etc before.

Wow! I'm so sorry this has happened to you! I thought the thread was going to be you worrying that they'd do a sweep at your next exam, and I was going to assure you that they'd never do a sweep without your permission.

If you feel strong enough right now, do raise it with PALS. It can wait until you have less on your plate though but I do think you should take it further.

Very true. An exam is surely just bps, fundal height etc. But you’d get asked if you want a sweep and I wouldn’t imagine it to just be done without taking your permission first. Very strange indeed. I’m sorry you weren’t informed.

If you do want to raise it with PALS (if you're in England) or the formal complaints procedure of the hospital if you're elsewhere, the NICE guidelines state that sweeps should be used from 39 weeks, so you were too early for it to even be especially likely to do anything! I had one two years ago under the guise of an "exam" once, it absolutely does happen.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs60/resources/inducing-labour-pdf-2098780923589

I would probably wait until you've delivered before raising it though, as you're so close and don't need the stress of sorting this out while you're getting ready for your baby.

Thank you all for replying. I think I'll bring it up with the midwife next week and then see where I want to take it from there. I've also learnt my lesson to ask exactly what it is that is involved in what they're going to do before I agree to anything.

I also think it might've affected me so much as I had to have a very quick emergency C-section with my daughter 6 weeks early due to pre-eclampsia and it's brought back all the trauma of things being done unexpectedly out of my control. I thought I'd be able to cope better this time around as I was now prepared for the possibility of a c-section etc but apparently not.

On the other hand it also makes me feel worse about what the consultant did as she knew I hadn't gotten this far in my previous pregnancy and so didn't know what to expect in terms of exams etc.