Did my doctor strip my membranes?????

[optimistic1]

Today at my cervical exam it felt alot different than the other 5 ive had this week (due to my reg app last week then an all night stay at the er were they checked me 3-4 times mid week) It felt like he was really UP there and he was pushing on things and swirling his fingers and pulling them apart...he was up there for quite awhile it was painfully uncomfortable..He didn't say that he gave me a sweep or anything like that but a min ago i went to the restroom and had quite a bit of stringy bloody mucus (redish pink in color) I thought i had already finished losing my plug cause last weekend i had some reg mucus but now its bloody so idk if thats my "bloody show" or just from my doctor being a little rough this time...what does it sound like to you?? Sound like he did the sweep and now im having my show or just a rougher exam and im spotting afterward.

Btw im 2cm (he said a very good 2 cm) and about 75% thinned out and he can feel babies head (he said i feel the babies head and thats when he was pushing up with his fingers)

I dont mind if he did do one if it'll help speed things up i just want to see what you guys think.

 

[BabyB2]

Sounds like it to me. I had one earlier in the week that sounded the same as yours and had the same bloody show results. Still, it seems strange for your doc to do it without consent or at least letting you know what he's doing. Are you in the States? It's just that the reason I ask is because here in the UK they aren't keen to do stretch and sweep until you are pretty much 40 weeks or more. Also, we tend not to have any cervical exams throughout pregnancy (until labour of course whenthey check for dilation)unless they suspect a problem.

 

[optimistic1]

Yep in the U.S.... i know i thought having so many in one week was crazy! I was doing research on the sweeps cause i was going to ask at my NEXT appointment if they would do one for me and i read somewhere that they dont usually do them til your due date and then i read somewhere that as long as your dilating and thinning they do them anytime after 38 weeks. The U.S does things sooo differently we have alot of lazy doctors...

 

[austinsmom]

Not a whole lot of difference between checking your cervix for dilation and a sweep imo. Especially if your cervix is still slightly posterior. My last pregnancy, the Dr. checking for dilation/effacement felt just like the sweep he gave me.
But, sounds promising having a bloody show, I'm sure it'll help move things along.

 

[special_kala]

I hope not because I'd be incredible angry if my mw or dr did a sweep without my consent!

 

[greenlady]

Hmm it does kind of sound like a sweep, if you're ok with it I guess that's fine but I also would have been a bit upset about not being asked.

Have you had any contractions?

 

[optimistic1]

Nothing stronger than Braxton Hicks...it would have been nice to been informed in case I didn't want it done but I won't make fuss over I'm too miserably pregnant and would rather that happen than need to be medically induced. It didn't feel like any of my other exams that's why I thought maybe he did something up there.

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

I just had mine this morning, and it was also painfully uncomfortable (with a lot of emphasis on the "pain" part). Definitely sounds like you had the same experience as me, so he might very well have done one.

However doing it without your consent or discussing it with you is rather unprofessional. Hopefully it works for you though!

 

[9jawife]

This was brought up in Hypnobabies class today. Apparently it often does happen without a woman's consent. Just one more reason for us to be informed. I do not want to be sweeped, and I'm even thinking about refusing all vaginal exams pre-labor since there's really no benefit to them.

 

[sue_88]

Performing a procedure like that without consent is medical malpractice...doctors can actually be criminally charged. I know you seem ok with it, but I for one would be furious that I wasn't given all the information to make my own informed decision.

A sweep is a lot different to a regular routine (as they appear to be in the States) VE.

 

[summer rain]

Performing a procedure like that without consent is medical malpractice...doctors can actually be criminally charged. I know you seem ok with it, but I for one would be furious that I wasn't given all the information to make my own informed decision.

A sweep is a lot different to a regular routine (as they appear to be in the States) VE.

I was just about to post this myself. A friend here in the UK was given a sweep without her consent and after explicitly saying she didn't want it, I don't know if the doctor was struck off but she was certainly disciplined xx