Stretch & Sweep !!

[alish]

i know this question has been asked many times im sure

i had one done yesterday - i was 1cm already and she stretched me to 2cm

yesterday arvo i (sorry about whats coming) went to the toilet and i had heaps of snotty pink discharge on my liner.
today its brown so im guessing thats the spotting you can get from it

i had pains last night nothing regular
same this morning - theyve just started again
nausea to the extreme!

my questions are -

1. was that my plug?
2. how long after your s&s did you go into labour - if at all?

she told me 24-48 hours if it works @ a 50% success rate ??

im just getting impatient...

thanks ladies

[OceanPrincess]

OoooOOOOooooo very exciting alish!!!!

Snotty pink sounds like your plug, definitely! How much was there? When I lost mine (only noticed it second time round) it was pretty huge and very different to all the standard sort of CM... it was a snotty looking golf ball sized mass of icky blergh, quite creamy in colour but streaked with pinky/bright red bits. Very clearly my plug.

I didn't lose my plug until I was actually in labour. First time round I must have missed it - either it broke up and dissapated slowly during pre/early labour, or it came out when my waters broke. No idea!

S&S - I had two I think... didn't really do much for me sorry to say! But I know others had them and had success with kicking off labour!

ETA: Can you go for a big walk? That might help ramp things up, if it is starting?

[PumpkinZulu]

Sounds quite promising. Definitely sounds like your plug. How big was it? Mine qas loke a golf ball. My contractions (real ones, not my prelabour ones, they lasted two weeks) started 15 minutes after I lost my plug. I've never had a s&s so can't help there, but it sounds like your body responded really well to it!

[alish]

it almost covered a panty liner - it wasnt "big and lumpy" though - it was lumpy and snotty but not big, does that make sense - just covered a big area of my liner

i also had a bit of something run down my leg while i was getting undressed last night - wtf!?

i was going to go for a walk today im just finding it hard to get my arse off the couch.. it seems to be stuck

[forshelby]

Well! Let me tell you a little story about my s&s, or as DP lovingly called it, a 'fanny scrape'

As soon as it was done, I had some uncomfy tightenings, and immediately started to lose my plug. This went on for the entire day, and I had regular contractions for about an hour or so once we got home. (say.... an hour after the s&s) They died off when I had a nap, so that was disappointing. However I continued to lose my plug in bits and pieces every day until DS was born.

I was already experiencing early labour when the s&s was done, but it continued for the rest of that week, being kept awake all night with painful regular contractions, but they never lasted. On the Sunday night, I felt 'different'. Monday morning, (41weeks exactly) my waters started to leak, so I went to have that confirmed. Sadly I never got into established labour without the synto drip. (started at 41+3).

After a week of pre/early labour, (which by the way, was accompanied by some very REAL contractions) I was losing the plot. So we went for the induction. I won't bore you with the rest because you know all about it, lol.

It bugs me when I hear about early labour not being real labour. Well, it felt pretty real to me! It was enough to have me doubled over in pain, and having to sit in the shower up to 10 times overnight just to get some relief. I think some of my problem was that DS was posterior, so no progress was being made. I think had he been in a better position, once my waters started to leak, he would've been born that day or the next.

I hope some of my nonsense was helpful Good luck!

[megs]

OK you want more stories.

First DS I had a S&S like you Dr said I was quite ripe. Had sweep at around 12pm by 3.30pm that afternoon I was started to have some very mild contractions and my waters started leaking (must have been hindwaters as it wasn't a full gush). By about 11pm that night I was in labour and about 4 cms.

DS2 I had another S&S didn't work quite as quick, from memory I had it done on the Monday felt a bit uncomfortable, strong Braxton Hicks, all day Tuesday felt the same just not quite right but new I wasn't in labour, about 4am Wednesday morning woke up with contractractions. I can't remember having a show from my plug with either of them.

Good luck and I hope it isn't too far away for you.

[PumpkinZulu]

Yeah, getting stuck on the couch is a very serious 3rd tri symptom!

There is a LOT of increased cm near the end, some if it thin, some of it thick. I can't speak for people who lost their plug in smaller bits (may be what's happening for you), but for me it all came away in one big blob, right on my hand actually! Mine had no blood in it, I got all my bloody show during the second half of my labour, it was everywhere haha!

If you can, (I know how tiring life is at the end), these are the things I did that helped bring in my labour (won't work for everyone, but I went into labour on my due date and my body was ready to go):

-Sex! I made sure we stayed in bed that day and relaxed. About 20 minutes after sex I lost my plug, and 15 mins after that I went into labour

-Lavendar oil in an oil burner and RLT. Helped my contractions ramp up

-Bouncing on my fitball, also helped the contractions ramp up

-Nipple stimulation. Sounds weird but I got DH to, erm, kiss/lick etc. Gave me really strong cramps which turned into contractions

All of those things combined definitely helped me go into labour, my body was ready to go but it sounds like your body might be heading that way too. Good luck!

[kristi14]

How exciting

Definitely sounds like it was part of your plug.

First s&s i had i never had any of my plug come away but i woke 4am the next morning in labour. Labour was a slow build up and 49 hrs long but because it was a slow build up the 49 hrs didnt exhaust me. Second one i had i had heaps of plug come away but didnt go into labour from it. Third one i had i had no plug but spent all that day contracting regularly and had regular bouts of contractions over the following week, no plug. When i went in to be induced a week later im sure i was in labour as the contractions were down low and i was 3cm stretching to 6cm (the week before i hadnt been dilated) and to induce me all they had to do was break my waters, 1hr 15 mins later i was holding my baby.

[alish]

thanks everyone!
haha nipple stimulation, i still cant bring myself to do that!

come one people i need more experiences please!

[sahbear]

No advice, but just wanted to say good luck! Exciting times ahead

[PumpkinZulu]

thanks everyone!
haha nipple stimulation, i still cant bring myself to do that!

come one people i need more experiences please!

Lol! My mum always said, it's a good way to toughen up the ol' nipples before the baby arrives

[PumpkinZulu]

Forshelby. My pre-labour was very painful too, it was very draining. For me though, I don't feel pre-labour is 'real' labour, simply because there was no baby coming at the end of it, if that makes sense. Early labour is the beginning of the baby actually arriving, that's 'real'...for me. That's just how I feel about it and I'm sorry my words upset you. For what it's worth, pre-labour and early labour are different things, and seeing as your bub was posterior and you had a slow water leak, you sound like you were stuck in early labour for all that time, which is very very common with posterior babies. My friend recently went through the same thing, waters broke, on and off contractions for 2 days before being induced to get things moving. It was extremely exhausting for her and I imagine very different to pre-labour. Anyway, I'm sorry you felt offended by my post.

[KimmyF]

I had a S and S done with DD on the Thursday (i apparantly was already two centimetres) had a session on acupuncture that afternoon. I started getting discharge similar to what you're describing on the Friday around lunch time and went in to labour Friday night / Saturday morning at 4am and my beautiful DD was here by 1.11pm Saturday afternoon.

My advice, is have a bath relax, focus on your baby coming in to the world and fingers crossed something happens real soon for you, so rest up you'll need to conserve your energy, good luck with it all.
( By the way impatience is so normal lol, I posted almost the exact same post when i noticed the discharge too)

[OceanPrincess]

Alish: get your butt off that couch and go for a walk!

Nah seriously, if you have the energy (I know, big IF!) try and do some walking. It'll help.

Had any change this afternoon?

[onthefly]

I had an S&S at 42 weeks. like you 1cm. plug started coming away the next morning and labour started that afternoon. It will only work if you're close to goign into labour anyway, so I'd suggest resting just in case you're about to labour.

[OceanPrincess]

...I'd suggest resting just in case you're about to labour.

Mm that's a good point... could also explain why you want to chill out on the couch? Listen to your body

[forshelby]

PZ, you didn't offend me until your attempt to educate me on my own labour experience just now. I was just sharing my thoughts in general. I'm entitled to my opinion as are you. I'm sure you know I can be pretty sensitive when talking about birth so yeah. I am here to support Alish, not get caught up in a debate with you. That's all!

[PumpkinZulu]

I'm not trying to get caught up in a debate, I wasn't trying to 'educate' you at all, I was sympathising with you

Alish I'm excited for you and I won't derail your thread any further.