sweep?

Hi
My SIL has her internal at her obs tomorrow she is due on the 8th
she has asked me about the sweep she has heard about i'm not 100% sure myself
can someone explain this for me....

as far as i can figure out it is something to do with sweeping out the mucus plug to bring on the show????

help???

thanks

kelly

It's to try and give labour a kick start.

If the cervix isn't already soft then I don't think it can do much good.
I had it done at 8 days overdue at about 2pm. It was uncomfortable but no more than a pap smear, but I was already 3cm dilated. Caleb was born at 11:02pm that night.

thanks heaps
we just got an sms from SIL and sounds like she went into labour this morning - what a good baby really didnt want that internal.
my appointment is tomorrow, my doc doesnt give forwarning of things so perhaps this information is going to end up being helpful for me!
thanks again...

Hope all is going well with your SIL!

It's a good idea to ask your Dr if he does a S&S as routine and that you'd like to be asked before hand.
Does he do an internal every visit? Mine doesn't so there was no chance of being surprised with one.
When he checked my cervix and told me it was 3cm dilated I asked him to do it.

my obs only gives me 5 mins of his time - lately i have been asking questions that annoy him (i think he hates the internet for giving women choice)

i never have internal, but he doesnt tell me anything until i need to know i think

i am going to be so jealous when SIL has baby today that i think i will ask for a internal to see if i am really waiting 2 weeks or if things might happen sooner

warned hubby last night about the existance of internals etc so he was semi prepared - he comes to all my appointments - nothing fazes me and i dont find alot of things uncomfortable but i'm sure watching someone else get an internal especially your wife could be uncomfortable.

SIL sounds like her labour is quite slow and that she will end up at appointment afterall and no doubt get looked at real good down there! poor thing (her hubby is in timor he is in the army so she has to go through all of this with her mum)

I had a S&S done and i was 3cm dilated. I went into labour about 11hrs later.