Does my midwife have an agenda? - Sweep and Stretch

AndieM · February 2012

I'm 40 weeks 4 days now. At my last appointment (Wednesday of last week at 39 weeks 6 days) my midwife offered to do a sweep and stretch. I said I'd rather wait it out a little longer. She said I could give her a call on Monday (today) if I wanted and if she had time she could do it then. If nothing was happening, she would do it at my next regular appointment (Wednesday of this week) and again at my first NST on Friday.

I decided I wouldn't call today and just wait until Wednesday when I was almost a week overdue. Well, the office called today and said my midwife wanted to see me this afternoon, I assume because she wants to sweep me.

I'm wondering if this is a common experience or if my midwife might have someone else ovedue as well or something and is trying to get me into labour.

Just wondering when the typical time was to offer to strip the membranes.

Thanks Ladies!

Sawyerplus1 · February 2012

Hmmm...it's hard to say. My MW offered to do a sweep and stretch at my regular appt when I was 40 w 5 days with DS. I took her up on the offer and was in labor the next day, so I don't regret doing it. Ultimately though, you don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with, right?

LindseyJW · February 2012

is she up against deadlines for your transfer? i know sometimes a MW will want to do this in order to get a mama into labor before she would have to transfer care.

go with your gut, if you aren't comfortable doing the procedure, don't do it.

i had it down, at my request, at 41.5 and had my baby the next day. i had so many signs of labor and had been in prodromal labor for weeks and as an hbac mama, i was beginning to lose my focus. for me, the possible benefit outweighed the risks. i also fully trusted my MW and i think that contributed to my ease and to my body's response.

Holly_1007 · February 2012

eh she could just be trying to help things along. I don't consider this extremely invasive. i had it done with DS and was in labor within hours. if you are close, it will help get you over the edge and start labor, but at the same time I don't see any harm in waiting until wednesday. if baby isn't ready its not going to come.

Jessimurph · February 2012

I would ask her. Not if she has an agenda, but if there is a reason to do it now vs doing it later or waiting for labor to start on it's own. After 40 weeks I probably won't turn this down, but I will want to talk about it with her briefly before I make the decision.

maddiemoon43 · February 2012

Mine offered and I said sure at 40w2d. It was my first internal, and she said I was about 3cm and expected it would be any day, but booked a week's worth of NSTs to be on the safe side in case I didn't go before that. I didn't.

I saw another one of my MWs and MW student at 41w3d. They offered to both do it if I was okay, and I was. The student thought I was about 4cm, and my MW later agreed. Then we needed to book my induction date for 41w6d. I luckily went the next day.

Your MW may have an agenda, but at 40 weeks, I would guess that her agenda might be to get you the birth you desire without induction time limits, etc. In my experience, a S&S won't necessarily induce labor if your body and baby aren't ready. I went a week with nothing following my first one, but I was pretty happy to beat my induction date by 2 days.

[Deleted User] · February 2012

I delivered at 41 w 2 d and my midwife (who I saw 2 days prior) never offered this. She said we would "discuss options" that Friday, which would have been 41 w 5 d. They were fine with me going past 42 weeks, but I would have had to transfer my care from the midwives to the OBs in the practice. Pretty generous by hospital standards these days, I'd say.

theladyjess · February 2012

My OB and I decided to strip my membranes at 39w2d after the u/s showed that LO was aprox 8lb 15oz. I had crampy menstrual like contrax for the next 28 hours that resluted in losing my mucus plug but it didn't start labor. I woke up the morning of my 40w2d appt and had decided I'd have her do it again but I went into labor an hour later.

AndieM · February 2012

Thanks for the input ladies. I ended up having it done yesterday. I've been having contractions fairly regularly since about 5 am this morning. Maybe a Valentine's baby!!

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