OMG -- Did I just have my membranes swept??

[wagamama]

I'll try to keep the explanation brief. DH is Japanese, so I am giving birth in Japan, at a birth center. I love their philosophy for the during-labor and post-labor babycare phases, but their prenatal care is overly medicalized. For example, they do a u/s and use the doppler at every two-week visit (which luckily I can refuse). And, they consider you to be overdue at exactly 40 weeks.

At 39 weeks, they wanted to do both a non-stress test and an internal exam. I refused, which was OK, but they said if I went to 40 weeks I "had" to have them. Well, today I am at 40 weeks, so I went in for the exam. I thought that the midwife was just going to check how dialated I was, but she did something that felt really painful, and blood came out. She put a pad in my underwear, and I have been bleeding lightly since then. So my question is -- was that a membrane sweep? I didn't know how to say it in Japanese, so I couldn't ask her at the time.

It still really hurts "down there" (several hours later). I'm really upset about this. Also worried about possible infection. And I'm supposed to be walking and doing squats, but can't do those things at all, the way I'm feeling right now.

[MsBlack]

That's just what it sounds like, to me. I'm so sorry that you had that done to you without warning or permission.

[LoveChild421]

sounds like it to me too, sounds like a pretty rough sweep too since there was blood.

[balancedmama]

Sounds like it was. I would take some vit. C and garlic.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

Sounds like it. The midwife I used w/ my 1st did that w/out asking at 39 weeks, during the only exam I got. Had she asked, I'd have declined (she was born 11 days past my due date so it's not like it worked anyway).

[attachedmamaof3]

I believe you've been swept!!

If you have blood spotting, I'd be thankful she didn't actually perforate your amniotic sac, good grief!!

[wagamama]

OK, it sounds like it really was a membrane sweep. Wow ... I need a moment to process this ... ...

Thanks everyone.

[Romana]

I'm sorry you were assaulted like that by your HCP. She should have explained exactly what she was doing and that she was going to do more than a simple cervical exam. In your shoes, I would feel betrayed and outraged. Is there any way you can use the assistance of a translator or your dh to at least prevent anything like this from happening again? I'm so sorry - it's still done with surprising frequency, but it's wrong. She should have asked for and obtained your consent first.

[angelpie545]

Yes, that definitely sounds like a membrane sweep. I had this (with my consent) to try to start labor with my second child. We choose this method because I was already nearly 42 weeks, and after that mark midwives in my state cannot attend the birth. This was our last resort before sending me to the hospital. I should also mention that we had NST that was less than reassuring, so I was completely comfortable with that were taking the right course of action. However, my midwife and I sat there and discussed the benefits and risks of this before we even decided (together, I might add) that I wanted to proceed. The sweep itself was quite painful just as you are describing and I actually had to asked my midwife to stop at one point, which she respectfully did. For me the sweep actually did bring on labor, but only because my body was ready for it (I was already 4cms dilated and baby's head was engaged). A practitioner should NEVER do a procedure like that without talking to the patient first. I cannot believe how many doctors just do it without saying anything.

[southernmommie]

Sorry you had to go through with this. It hurts me too when they do it. I literally came off the bed when my OB did this with my last one. My DH had to hold my hand. Sorry again.

[danotoyou2]

I am so sorry that happened,

Maybe if the language is a barrier, you could write a letter with someone fluent, and bring it in to your next appointment? Explain that no one got your consent to do that, you didn't expect it, and you felt violated because of it. Include quotes of medical studies that say that it is safe to go to 42 weeks without any intervention. Maybe they won't see you as a "dumb foreigner" then, and just a person that's informed but not fluent in the language. Put it in clear writing that you do NOT consent to any further 'rough' exams.

[flapjack]

Yep, that's a sweep.

To clarify, though, you should normally expect to see some blood with a sweep unless your cervix is already significantly dilated. What's happened is that the stimulation has caused your cervix to create a heck of a lot of mucus to get that nasty foreign body (her finger, not a racist slur) far away from your precious baby, and the pressure bust a capillary or several in your cervix. Over the course of the next several hours, you should see the redness change to brown. I wouldn't worry about infection, your body's natural defences is sorting that out quite nicely already.

It's down to you whether you choose to squat through the contractions or what, but in your shoes I'd be inclined to cancel my next appointment, if there is one- have car trouble. So sorry she did that to you.

[wagamama]

Thank you everyone. Actually, I can speak Japanese, I just didn't know the phrase for "membrane sweep". The midwife told me I was going to have an internal exam to check the dilation, that's all she said. I didn't want it -- at 41 or 42 weeks maybe, but not now. But she said I had to have it if I wanted to give birth there. I've refused practically all of their other procedures, so they might be feeling a little impatient with me.

The midwives kept saying that is bad to go past 40 weeks, that the baby will get too big. In Japan, they are extremely paranoid about big babies. I told her not to worry, that I have a very big pelvis (which is true!).

I think I have an incredibly sensitive cervix, because I can't even stand regular internal exams. It still hurts today, 24-hours later. Rather than opening me up, I feel that it closed me down, at least emotionally. I just want to curl up into a ball.

I think I just lost part of my mucous plug. It was very bloody, more blood than mucous. No contractions at all though.

[moodymaximus]

oh s. this happened to me at my 40 week appt. with a "very natural OB". she asked me whether i was "ready to have this baby", and of course i said "yes". to her this meant a conset to sweeping my membranes. to me it meant, i was ready to have my baby, kwim?

i didn't go into labour until a week later, though.

how stressful for you. HUGS.

[MissLotus]

That is just awful for them to do it without asking/telling/warning...I know the feeling - it was done to me, too. And it was here in the US...by a midwife! Here I thought I was being all "natural" and everything, and on exactly my due date she just reaches in and YOWWWW.

Your husband must know the words for it...make him call and confirm that's what they did, but it sure sounds like it. I hope all goes well...hugs to you!