Really, really horrible sweep!

[Rhian147]

Had my first one last week with my usual midwife. She allowed me the few dignities that can be salvaged in that situation (covering me while I changed, drawing the curtain etc) and was really gentle, generally making the experience not nearly as bad as I was expecting.

Unfortunately it didn't work so was sent for another sweep today, but was with a different MW as my usual is on holiday. The new midwife was lovely, but was so unbelievably rough!! She literally just shoved her fingers inside, using barely any gel and had a really vigorous feel around before just tearing her fingers out! (sorry, maybe a bit TMI ) It was so, so painful and horribly invasive I just wanted to cry afterwards.

To make it worse, she couldn't even perform the sweep as her fingers were too short to get inside my cervix!

If I'm in hospital does anyone think I'll have the right to ask MW's to be gentle? I know it sounds quite silly, I know sweeps are never going to be pleasant, but it really was quite nasty... I'm more scared about the examinations than I am the contractions ha

 

[leahsbabybump]

sorry about your experience i think 9 out of 10 mw's will be gentle you just get odd few that arent. When ever i have had to have an internal andit hurts i just make sum sort of gesture so they know they are hurting me then they usually apologise and take it steadier :-/ x

 

[Rhian147]

I thought I was making gestures! It made me clench up straight away, and she was trying to tell me to relax! Fingers crossed it'll be the last truly unpleasant one x

 

[Gracemum]

I love how they say 'relax'

I have a stranger with her hand up my foo and it really hurts and your telling me to relax?!

 

[NOMORENUMBERS]

the one i had really chuffed things up as well! i was having contractions every 5 mins so was told to come in, was only 1.5 cm so she said i'll do a sweep after she took her entire fist out from in there she actually said to me aw hope to see you here again soon you seem like fun and we have just been naughty with eachother! she was absolutely 100% joking and didnt make me feel uncomfortable when she said it (or at least i knew she didnt mean it . . . ) but i was like hang on you things those screams of agony were anything but!!!! . . anywho 10 minutes afterwards i was having back to back contractions for 2 hours but didnt progress no break in between whatsoever . . you can prob guess the rest of my story . . .

 

[rachieroo]

Hey hun, im sorry it wasnt pleasant, they arent the most enjoyable things are they! as for when you are having contractions, mention to the mw that you found it really uncomfortable, most of them are brilliant and will try their best to make it easier for you. But in my experience, when i was in labour and have internals, i didnt really pay much attention, i felt a little pressure and that was it, thres plenty of other stuff going on to keep you occupied! hope you dont have to have any more sweeps tho! x

 

[NG09]

Oh hun, it's horrible isn't it. I had the same thing happen to me. I had 3 sweeps, the first was alright but the second was torture, she used next to no gel, really hurt me by forcing her way in then was as rough as anything Didn't help my labour along either. I know it feels terrible now but very soon it will be a distant memory x