Week 41 of Pregnancy (Trimester 3 of Preganancy)

Well, I am currently 40 weeks + 4 days. The midwife arranged for me to have a cervical sweep on Monday evening. On Tuesday I went for a booking-in appointment at the local hospital to arrange a date for a medical induction, at 40 weeks + 10 days.

A cervical sweep, also called a ‘stretch and sweep’ is considered a non-medical intervention to encourage the start of labour. The set-up is much the same as having a cervical smear done – up to the point where the midwife inserts a gloved finger into the closed cervix, gently pushes through the cervical opening, and then sweeps the finger between the membranes of the amniotic sac and the uterus wall. This separates the two, and has a 50-80% success rate in bringing on the onset of labour, depending on how ‘ripe’ the cervix is.

I did not find this at all painful, just marginally uncomfortable – but then everyone is different, and I have had a lot of cervical smears, one baby and a colposcopy, so perhaps I am less sensitive. I am for a second ‘stretch and sweep’ tonight, as my cervix was not favourable on Monday i.e. still hard, elongated and in a posterior position in the vagina. AJ and I have tried having sex a couple of times since then – the prostoglandins in semen are the same hormones the hospital would use in a medical induction. So hopefully tonight the midwife will find my cervix more favourable!

The fully developed baby is now ready to be born. In my case, obviously just a little too comfortable!