Sweep or not to sweep?

[Smiler]

I am due to attend the hospital on Thursday for a sweep, 2 days before my due date - am told the reason is to see how things are progressing and to encourage them along! I am booked in for a c-sec a week that day if nothing has happened by then, as I had an emergency c-sec with my last pregnancy (failed to progress, b2b, baby distressed etc).

Now, the consultant doing this is not the most chatty and i dont feel i have had a say in this or not (clearly Im too shy to speak up!! Not a problem I usually suffer with!)

Anyway, can you refuse a sweep? I feel like baby is making good progress on its own, but I kind of dont want to encourage it along any quicker than its ready to, and if that takes me to the c-sec date then so be it (although i think they will arrive of their own accord by then)

Is it frowned upon if I were to pluck up the courage and refuse the sweep - I mean, if i dont let her near me, she cant get me right? has anyone refused a sweep on the day and been met with them trying to encourage, or disapproval or anything? really starting to worry about it. Thanks x

 

[kmartin906]

This may sound REALLY silly ... but I'm a FTM ... what is a sweep?????

 

[Smiler]

It is a kind of internal where they try and "sweep" their finger around to try and loosen your plug, encourage things to progress etc x

 

[abc123x]

hun, I'd say if you don't want it, don't have it done! It's your body and your baby. I'd say go and see how things are progressing, but don't get the sweep if you don't want.

 

[krisnjay]

I know alot of people who have refused sweeps. Especially if they already have a c-section planned for you. I would just tell them that you would like the opportunity to advance naturally

 

[leahsbabybump]

they cant force you have something done that you dont want hun

 

[Gemble]

Course u don't have to have it!

Xxx

 

[londonangel]

They can't force you to have the sweep if you don't want to have it. I had one on Sunday and it didn't have any effect (well, there isn't any baby yet anyway!) but midwife did tell me usually the first one doesn't work and you have to have a second one, which tends to be more successful. The sweep just helps to release the hormones that might trigger labour, so I am not worried about having one, but if you don't want one, just tell them you don't want one

 

[mons75]

Do they insert the finger into the cervix and move it in a circular motion? Is that wat it is? Sounds like that would bloody hurt! I dont want it... xx

 

[tiggerpony]

no way Im having a sweep they can get stuffed - I had an internal just with the speculum thing last week and they didnt even go up inside my cervix and it fricking hurt so much - for the next 3 days I was stinging down there like mad. No way are they doing a sweep - my body goes in naturally or I get induced 14 days over my due date - simple!

 

[londonangel]

Do they insert the finger into the cervix and move it in a circular motion? Is that wat it is? Sounds like that would bloody hurt! I dont want it... xx

Yes! I have had one. It wasn't very pleasant, but wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt exactly.