I had a planned induction at the C&W earlier this year after they refused a c-section request. It was hands down the easiest and most positive experience of my three pregnancies. The only downside is that it can take a while for things to start but once epidural was in and drip administered it was a pain free, relaxed affair until I had to make an effort and do some pushing! No tearing and the easiest recovery of the three by a mile.

I was so re dived in the end to not have a section as it meant I was moving within hours and able to hold my baby etc without being dependent on others to help. There was obviously no big wound that needed healing!

Good luck - pregnancy is a looooong old road and you are so nearly there!

Hello everyone

The first sweep date is now only a week away and I've been booked in for a second one 3-4 days later before the induction.

Again, I must thank you all for your replies. Your stories have helped to calm me and I guess I feel a little better prepared for what's ahead hearing your advice and stories. Thank you!

Both my children were ten days late, and had a two sweeps with both. First with midwife and totally ineffectual. Second was at St George's with doctor and was uncomfortable but no worse than a smear test. Both times went into labour about 10-12 hours later.

Good luck

Hi there.
You can ask for a sweep to be repeated - especially if they are offering it quite a few days before an induction date. 3 days is a reasonable gap. It is true that the more women who have sweeps, the fewer women need induction. On first try the cervix may not play ball (they call it "unfavourable" !) but 3 days later it could be quite a different picture.
I have taught NCT classes for years and have come across many, many women for whom this seemed to really help.

All the best.

With my first child I had 3 sweeps in the end, but the first one wasn't until 40 weeks! It was definitely uncomfortable, but not exactly painful. I have friends who've had a sweep and went into labour that day, you never how far gone you are, until they have a look.

My experience though was of several sweeps then induction. I was at St Thomas' . I had the pessary/gel induction about midnight, started fairly full on labour within an hour. A few hours later I had an epidural, and then the drip induction, but they had to stop that as both mine and my daughter's vitals went a bit mad. The induced contractions weren't unbearable, but they were a lot stronger than most of my natural labour with my second child. With my first, following them deciding to stop the drip I ended up having an emergency c-section. As she turned about to be 10lb 12oz it was probably best all round.

I had two completely different births, one highly interventional, the second very straightforward, but neither was too terrible.

With both births I found sitting up far more comfortable than lying down, the pain was significantly reduced. (I was being monitored both times so walking about wasn't an option.)

Best of luck!

A sweep is more likely to work the later it is left but as you could be someone who naturally goes into labour at 37/38 weeks, say, (not early/pre-term as TERM is defined as being from 37 weeks onwards) and they can repeat it a couple of days later, it has a good chance of helping. Where sweeps are used routinely there has been a reduction in the induction rates.
With induction it helps to remain as upright as possible - even with a low dose epidural this can happen, or at least to avoid sitting back on the bed - lying on the side also helps. Sitting back puts pressure on the vena cava, this large blood vessel in the back and can lead to the baby becoming distressed. Also when a woman labours off her bottom there is 27 - 30 % more room in her pelvis. As my younger son would say when he was MUCH younger - "true fact"
All the best.

hi
I had a normal delivery 1st time (albeit late) and induced 2nd time as he was late. Not much difference between the 2 experiences. I was dreading induction as I'd heard lots of horror stories but I was given the gel and a few hours later labour started - it was all very similar to 1st time and no need for forceps etc (and the baby was over 5kg!)
sweeps both times as I was overdue - not much fun quite uncomfortable but nothing to worry about and all over within a few minutes.
Good luck!

I think the sweep was about a week before the induction - it was done just after my due date so I guess it may be a little different for you.

Good luck - if it's any comfort, I wouldn't be worried if I had to go through it all again.

Thank you ladies, for all your advice and support, it's really helped me a lot. Nice to hear some good stories about this for a change

Hi, I can see why you would be anxious about having a sweep 8 days before the induction as that seems like quite a gap but equally, it can take a few days to get things going! I think that with any labour question, the result is always unknown until you are there in the situation mainly because we all labour differently and subsequent labours can be very different. I think there are things that sometimes can help speed up / slow down a labour so for instance, if you don't want to go into labour spontaneously after your sweep, avoid any long walks or lots of stair climbing / bouncing on a birthing ball (the things that would help bring on labour although of course not guaranteed either way!)
With my last induction, I was 35 weeks due to a complication. They won't officially sweep before 37 weeks but when they gave me the first gel - they had a 'good look' (charming!) the secret is definitely to chat away and be as relaxed as possible. It was never going to be the best bit of my day but I did my best not to mind it. I rested after the first gel and nothing at all happen - I think because I was resting. After the 2nd gel, I walked around for a couple of hours, the contractions came in, and then my daughter was born, they had to estimate the length of 2nd stage labour as there was no time for examinations but they think it was less than an hour, I nearly passed out with the speed of it but no tearing or cuts etc. With my first induction, I had a sweep at 37 weeks, had a 'show' later that day, went the next day as planned, one gel, contractions started, tens machine only, no tears / cuts / instruments used and aside from the gel, every bit a natural birth, around 7 hrs. Had both girls feeding within 30 mins of giving birth (not sure they got much food initially but they were with me and having a go!) So certainly no bad experiences with my inductions.
What I would say, is that I don't know how data is collected and any opinions I have are formed from anecdotal stories from other mummies I have met but my own view is some ladies labour / dilate faster than others and some births seem to result in the need for forceps / c-sections perhaps because of how the body is labouring and not necessarily because the the labour is induced. I met one lady in hospital who had got to 10cms on gas and air, pushed for an hour then had a section because he was big and just couldn't get out the 'normal' route. I know other ladies who have been induced when they are over due but their bodies haven't progressed into labour at all. My guess would have been that once someone is 40 weeks, baby is ready to come out and induction would be easier but I don't think that pattern exists at all! Anyway, I am going off on a tangent, there are definitely positive induction stories and I hope yours goes well and if you do go into labour before the 8 days, they give you the epidural asap!

Mine were emergency inductions so sweep and first gel were done simultaneously.

thanks all for your wonderful replies!

ready2pop and ketchup - how many days between the sweep and the actual induction, please?

2 inductions and a sweep here too. The sweep is uncomfortable, but a breeze compared to actual labour so try not to worry.

With my inductions I went into labour after the gel and babies were delivered within the hour. No tears, no stitches, no epidural (too quick). So it can definitely go smoothly!

Good luck.

PS - I was 38 weeks first time, 37 second time.

Hi! I have been induced twice and had a sweep once. The sweep was slightly uncomfortable, but nothing to worry about! The inductions were by drip and it went absolutely fine both times - all done in less than 12 hours. I can't compare it to a "normal" labour (if there is such a thing) because I haven't experienced it but I had an epidural both times because the contractions did come on quite quickly, but I didn't find the experience traumatic at all. Both times I was ready to leave hospital quickly.