Stripping Membranes?

[butterflyladyof2]

Hi!

I was wondering if anyone has had an experience of stripping the membranes to induce labor. I have heard alot about it, but was curious about other peoples stories.
I have been about 4cm for 3weeks now, and nothing. I went into labor 3 weeks ago and then stopped. My due date is somewhere between the 12th and the 22nd. I have never experienced this before. I have two boys, and both births were different, but when I dilated, that meant I was having the baby soon.
non of this start, stop thing.

This waiting is frustrating, but also I feel the baby is good to come out. And honestly, I am ready also. I went 2 weeks past with my second and am not ready to do that this time. I have begun Evening Primrose, and have tried mostly everything except sex, yet!

So I am not into the whole stripping membranes, but was curious on everyones thoughts on the procedure.

Thanks,
Angela

[lightheartedmom]

I was hesitant to do it as well, both because I was worried about pain (wimp) and because of the intervention...but at 10 days post due date and my MW's telling me I'd have to schedule an induction soon, I decided to give it a try...it worked! I started having contractions about 12 hrs later and was in full active labor the next morning. DD was born that afternoon! And it wasn't that painful.

If other things haven't worked...I would say go for it...It's definitely better than castor oil. ;-)

ETA: I was 2 cm and "soft" when she stripped my membranes. Two days before that I was 1.5cm, so I wasn't dilating fast.

[cmoma]

Well I just had it done this morning It really wasn't that bad it was slightly uncomfortable for the first 30 sec and then it wasn't a big deal. I am 4cm dilated also. I'll let ya know if it goes anywhere. I've been crampy today and baby feels like she's lower than she was this morning but no contx yet..

[firewoman]

I was 3cm dilated during my last pregnancy for a few weeks and stayed that way despite having my membranes stripped three times (two times rather aggressively). I feel like membrane stripping and other natural ways to help labor get started only work if you baby is really ready to come on there own. All it did was make me extremely crampy and miserable. If you aren't due until the 22nd I'd at least wait until after that date. Maybe labor will begin on its own in the meantime.

[major_mama11]

I had it done the day before my "official" due date. It was painful but lasted less than a minute to have it done. I had cramping and bloody show starting the next day, and real labor started 3 days after the membrane strip was done. I was 2.5-3 cm when it was done (2nd baby).

I agree that it probably won't start anything unless your body is getting ready anyway (although I was a bit concerned at the time about accidentally rupturing membranes).

[CanBoo]

i`m getting it on thursday...
i`ll be almost 40 weeks. i was induced at 40+10 w/dd. in trying to avoid this, will start pushing things a bit... i remember it being uncomfortable but not painful. (had it at 1cm for dd and it did nothing)

[EmmaJane]

I just said "no," at 39w6d.

Last time I think I got my membranes stripped at 41w. I went into labor 2 days later, but I have no idea if the stripping mattered.

If I make it to 41w again, I'll let them do it again... presuming I can talk them out of immediate induction! (My hospital-based CNM practice seems to have gotten a lot more paranoid in the last 3 years... sigh.)

[butterflyladyof2]

Thanks for all your stories.

I am leaning towards having it done. I was 2 weeks past with my second, and everything happened naturally, but I feel like this one is taking it's sweet time. I just do not want to push it to the limit this go around. Also I am about to pop and my feet and hands have now doubled in size the past 2 days. It is pretty painful at times. I am going to wait till this weekend and see what happens, but if the baby hasn't shown her wonderful self before then, I will do it come next Tuesday.
It's worth a try. Good luck CannBoo, I hope it works.

You too cmoma!

Angela

[Champ1437]

I had it done when I was 10 days overdue with my second and no signs of labor starting, I was barely a 2 for weeks on end and then hours after my membranes were stripped labor started. My first I was induced 7 days early.

[Champ1437]

oh also forgot to add I had it done with my first the day before I was induced by pitocin, it did nothing with that labor, didn't work. Also I noticed it didn't hurt when I had it done. The second one was very uncomfortable during the process, then fine after but started the labor within hours.

[butterflyladyof2]

Well, I just found out that I can not/ or should not/ strip my membranes because i have GBS. It increases the chance of the baby getting infected. It is not that I can not do it, but it is highly not recommended.

So the suggestion was to walk, sex, massage, and acupuncture.

Then, if labor still has not begun I have to choose whether or not to go in and get a small drip of pitocin to induce.

Castor Oil is ofcourse suggested, but my delima with that one, is the chance of having hard labor with little results. I have already experience hard labor with my second one (3 hrs. back labor start to finish on all 4's) and do not choose that again. I know there is always a 50/50 chance with either.

I am just hoping that my body will do what it needs to do by this weekend so I do not have to make this decision.

Angela