Sweeps & Inducing Labour (Not for me)

I’m feeling very frustrated lately. It worries me when I hear people saying they are booked in for a sweep if their baby is late. Late being the estimated due date of 40 weeks.

I am hearing this at 40 weeks and under. But 42 weeks is given for a full term pregnancy. Why not wait until nearer 42 weeks or at least from 40 weeks if it is safe to do so and really valid? Are we informed enough about sweeps and the risks and benefits? It has a place but it’s to easily offered or it was to me, but itvis in the guidelines to offer it, therefore it is not an individual offer in most cases. 

I was offered 3 sweeps that I declined. The question I asked myself was “Do I need a sweep” why interrupt what my body has been doing for months. Baby comes when baby is ready.

However when “Inducing labour” started being presented and fear was suffocating me, I started to think of a sweep as the only option to at least try and get things moving. The pressure was on and I am so glad I did not do something I did not want to do. 

Was my baby at risk? Is there anything medically wrong with my baby?

NO. So the answer is NO.

I write this with fear though as loss happens and the tide can turn. I don’t want to influence anyone’s choices but I have to say how I feel. It left me feeling vulnerable. 

I am on the other side with a healthy and very happy daughter. So many people have commented over the months of how content and happy she is.

I do believe my whole mindset to conceiving, carrying, birthing and post birth has a massive impact on our little ones. The relationships you have around you are so important. My daughter has so much love. She is so happy. I am so lucky. Their experience of birthing is so important to. They grow in a safe place for all those months and I just think that if nature is left alone, our bodies know best (unless there is a medical reason of course to intervene). 

I hear to many people hasty to get the pregnancy over with and I do understand it is difficult carrying at times and patience runs out. But if there are no medical grounds why push it and force the body to go against itself. I think we should be encouraged to let nature take its own course, intervention can cause issues to. I just feel it is all to easy to be offered and to accept these interventions without questioning them. I am not saying you should not accept it as that is personal choice, just be well informed and ask the questions. What are the risks? What are the benefits? Use the BRAIN Acronym.

I just feel that we are vulnerable and we trust what is being offered. It should at least raise questions. We are not always aware of all the information available to help make choices. This is my experience. I had a really good consultant, very patient, very reassuring but I saw consultants that seemed so casual with it all offering procedures at 37 weeks onwards not really for any actual medical reason. 

If you can honestly say you know what the positive and negatives are, the implications and you understand why something is being offered and question it, then at least it is personal choice and not just accepting it because you are not sure or clear. I had to ask a lot of questions. I was offered to be induced so easily without even a chaperone with me. I chose to go to most of my appointments alone. I was vunerable at some of my appointments. But when I became armed with BRAIN acronym I felt confident to challenge what was being offered.

The most important thing is Mother and baby are safe. But that does not mean that every text book guideline is the right choice. That’s all I am trying to say. Ale sure it is what you want. I didn’t want it but I very nearly felt I should be induced but I made my own choice based on the BRAIN acronym.