Membrane sweep?

[Peanut112]

Talk to me about membrane sweeps! Im absolutely clueless with this. Is it recommended? Painful? Point of it? Should I NOT request it? help.

 

[WhisperGirl]

It's just basically where they separate the membranes joining the neck of the womb to the ameiotic sac. I find them quite painful so they give me gas and air. Ive had one two times. Once put me in labour the other didn't. If you're dilated and favourable it can help bring you on a bit.

 

[emicakess]

They just sweep their fingers between the amniotic sac and cervix which releases hormones. It's supposed to speed things up if your body is already going to go into labor soon. I have heard if you don't go into labor within 24 hours then it didnt work but maybe thats false, I'm not sure. Its a little more painful than a regular dilation check because they go up a little farther and it takes like half a minute. It does make you cramp and have some contractions afterward from the hormones. So far I haven't had luck with them last pregnancy or this one i have heard of of them putting ladies into labor later that day or night. Its up to you if you want one or not, you an definitely say no. Labor will start eventually anyway it's just a potential little kick start

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

I had it done with my first at 40 weeks - hurt like hell (I was crying and trying to crawl away) and didn't work for me. Still had to be induced at 41 weeks (she was already a stubborn child ). Refused it with my second

 

[Breeelizabeth]

I had three with DD. For me the pain was pretty bad (but I cry and bleed from having a smear done) so it could be me. A midwife also told me that men (and my ob was a male) are generally pretty rough with doing them. At the time he said he was able to stretch me to 3cms.

One of my sweeps with DD caused me to contract for a few hours but didn't bring on labour, I lost a bit of plug too which I'm told is normal. The other two didn't do anything other than make me bleed.

It does seem to work for a lot of women though. My friend had one recently and had a baby three hours later.

 

[Mrs. MB]

I found it uncomfortable but not too painful. DH held my hand and it was over in a flash. After the sweep DH and I went for a hike and I went into labor later that night.

 

[MyFavSurprise]

After doing it my last pregnancy I would ask for it again in a heartbeat. I was one day past my due date and she did it quickly, it was definitely uncomfortable but it sent me straight into labor and I had my son that night!

 

[ajarvis]

I find it intense. No overly painful. Shouldn't be done until 39 weeks since it's an induction method. But every time my midwife has tried she hasn't been able to because my cervix is too high and not open enough

 

[Literati_Love]

I found it a bit painful, but the pain was brief, and I went into labour early the next morning, so for me it was very worth it!

 

[Buttonsbabe86]

for those that have had a sweep that worked, was the labour more painful than if you had waited naturally for birth?

my friend had a sweep and found that her contractions were non stop. They consistently double peaked and she never got a break between any of her contractions for 18hours and she said definitely not to do it.

My midwife has offered to do it at 38 weeks if I want as I am due a big baby, so said we can try and kick start it early if I want to. But I want to know other people's experiences. As my friend's sounds petrifying.

 

[MissCurly]

It all depends on whether your body and baby is almost ready anyway.

I had three done with no.2 and 2 done with my first. It simply didn't work.

I was then induced chemically.

But, with my sis it worked very well with both her pregnancies.

We both went over by almost two weeks.


But, it all boils down to whether you actually need it or not.

I personally would not want to do it until baby is ready. It feels unnecessary if baby and mum are healthy.

 

[Literati_Love]

Buttons- I think it is highly unlikely that the reason your friend's labour was like that was from her sweep. That is likely how her labour would have been regardless. A sweep is not like being induced using synthetic hormones (which definitely can cause back-to-back contractions that last for an extremely long time), so it shouldn't really affect how your labour goes. I could definitely be wrong. But it doesn't make sense to me.

 

[emicakess]

Agreed with Literati. A sweep would only kick start what was already going to happen.

 

[Smille24]

I had one done today and yes it was uncomfortable but it was quick. My dr said if I don't go into labor within 24hrs, it didn't work.

 

[Peanut112]

Interesting. I asked my midwife about it and she got kind of irritated with me... i asked for the sake of wanting to know, not because I was asking for one

 

[2have4kids]

Peanut she shouldn't have been irritated, education & asking questions is your right! Silly woman
I had 2 with my first DD and the first one didn't work but the second one did. I went into labour the night after. I was already 1 cm dilated when she did the second one and neither hurt. It felt like pressure but def not painful. My OB was quick about it and I was terrified of going into an induced labour had I reached my due date. I simply do not want to have to have a section and so many inductions wind up in emergency sections, let alone being painful. So I'd take a sweep anyday!

 

[emicakess]

Wow she did not need to get irritated with you, you deserve to have information about a procedure from your own OB.

 

[MyFavSurprise]

With my first labor that started on it's own by 4 cm I was screaming like Tarzan and begging for an epidural.. My second labor when I had a sweep I was totally fine until about 7 or 8 cm with just gas and air (that I didnt really find to be a relief anyway). My first labor felt like contractions were never ending, I agree that it was probably just an extra painful labor on it's own.

 

[Buttonsbabe86]

Thank you everybody that has reassured me a little bit. I will decide nearer the time if I go with the sweep or not. It will be a week before my induction date, so may try it anyway to avoid going over and being induced.

 

[AliJo]

I had it done with my first and it was really painful for me. My doctor said if it was going to work it would be within 48 hours, but generally within 24. Well, the next morning my membranes ruptured. This might have happened anyways, but I seem to recall that it can cause it. They put me on pitocin pretty much right away (wish I would have demanded they waited a few hours at least) which made it pretty painful. I was starting to have contractions on my own, but I didn't really know it. I just felt crampy.

My sister in law also had it done and she got chorioamnionitis which can be caused by vaginal exams. This lead her to have a emergency c-section. She might have ended up with one anyways, but that didn't help with the matter. Not trying to scare you away from it, but do keep it in mind that it could cause infection. No idea on how common it is. Probably not very.