Will be offered a sweep on due date - do I take it?

[SadakoS]

Tomorrow is my due date for my first baby (hooray!) and I have a midwife appointment where I know I'll be offered a sweep and I'm in 2 minds whether to take it or not.
Part of me wants to (possibly) get things moving, but another part feels that it's only my hospital given due date (I had a private scan at 8 weeks where I was given a EDD of the 5th) and that I'm not giving her a chance to come out when she's ready. Any thoughts?

 

[northern_me]

A sweep won't work unless you're ready to go anyway. I would take it!

 

[Ziggie]

I didn't and the midwife said (afterwards I might add) she wouldn't have either as there's little evidence they work before 41 weeks. But they offer now as it's in the guidelines. Just had my first one at 40+12. Did bugger all

 

[SadakoS]

Can they have a look and see if I'm dilated at all and if I am then they do the sweep? I don't know why I'm obsessing about this, I can talk about it with the midwife tomorrow.

 

[Ziggie]

Yes, they check the cervix first to see but, dilation etc means nothing in terms of when you'll actually go into labour so don't pin your hopes on it.... Can be very disappointing if you're dilated and nothing happens. As long as you know it might not work then go for it. The only risks they report are accidental rupture of waters, infection (I think these are very very rare) soreness, cramps and bleeding. Just so you're fully informed I had nothing. No cramps, no nothing. It wasn't particularly comfortable, bit stingy at times, but she struggled.

 

[SadakoS]

I think I'll probably only decide once I'm there. I was all for it, until I started to think about it properly and now I'm just not sure. I don't know if I'm just nervous thinking that if it did work that I could have a baby in the next couple of days - which is silly because I could have anyway and definitely will have in the next couple of weeks anyway!

 

[Ziggie]

I felt the same. Seemed pointless as they say it only works if you're close to labour anyway.... Even when I had one I was unsure.... I'm probably going to try another tomorrow though. But even then I'm wobbly. So it's natural!

 

[MeaganMackenz]

My Dr just does it. I didn't get a warning the first pregnancy and knew what to expect the second. Not sure if it worked for me, I had one done the day I was due with dd1 and labour started a few hours later. With dd2 she did it and a couple days later my water broke. Don't know if one had to do with the other but that's my experience! Can't hurt right?

 

[bumblebeexo]

It'll only work if you're ready to go into labour, I had one in my due date but DD only arrived 5 days later! No harm in trying

 

[MrsM17]

I would never have one until just before induction was maybe needed. I declined mine yesterday at 40+5 but will have one at 40+12 if I am still waiting and I am booked for induction at 40+14.

IMO they can really get your hopes up if they can reach your cervix but usually just give you loss and cramps but if you're not ready for labourthey are pointless. If MW can't reach your cervix you just feel crap like it will never happen.

A friend was so so upset as the mw couldnt reach her cervix in the morningand she gave birth that same night. I think they are pointless x

 

[SadakoS]

Thought I'd update this. I went to the midwife and decided not to have a sweep, and that was all fine. She did my BP and it was pretty high for me. Since I also had +protein in my urine she rang the maternity day unit who asked if I would come in for a BP profile. Headed to the hospital where I was attached to the trace thing with the bands that monitor me and baby, and had my BP taken 4 times over an hour. All were pretty high, so I had to wait to see a doc. And wait and wait and wait! About an hour and half later I went up to delivery suite as the doc was too busy to come down, and while I was there she did an examination and a sweep, so I ended up having one anyway! They're not happy with my BP, think possibly developing pre-eclampsia so have booked me for an induction on Tuesday.

However, this morning I woke up feeling VERY wet down there, ran to bathroom and had a large amount of what I'm assuming to be mucus plug, but also a trickle of clear fluid. I rang delivery suite who told me to put on a pad and see if I lose any more fluid, and if so to ring them back as it might be my waters leaking. So something might be happening after alll

 

[Rhio92]

Good luck! x

 

[SadakoS]

Am up and about now and felt something else leaking, so went to bathroom and sure enough, more liquid but when i wiped it was also a bit mucousy. I don't know how much more before I should ring back delivery suite

 

[SadakoS]

Well I had a few more gushes so went in and yup, it's my waters. So keep things crossed for labour starting soon, and if not I'm to go in at 8am tomorrow morning and won't be leaving until I've had baby!

 

[Ziggie]

Fate intervened

 

[londonangel]

Up to you - I had three last time and they made no difference whatsoever! I've been advised to start having them at 39 weeks this time as I went 12 days overdue last time but as they had no effect whatsoever last time as far as I can tell I'm tempted to refuse to have any!

 

[x Helen x]

Aaah great news, hope you are holding your little one in your arms very soon!

I had a "failed" sweep with my first, cervix was tighly closed so she was unable to do it. I do however think that all that poking around might have done something though as I lost my mucous plug later that day and then gave birth the following night.

 

[SteffieLee]

The sweep will NOT send you into labor unless your body is ready anyway. If your body isn't going to naturally go into labor on your own any time soon then the sweep will not cause labor to start. For me, I had sweep with ds and went into labor 18 hrs later, with my newest ds I had sweep and went into labor 5 hours later.

 

[SteffieLee]

Ah just saw the updatw, congrats! Good luck for speedy safe delivery