Sweeping membranes

[SugarAndSun]

Has anyone had this done or know the pros and cons? My mw would like to do this tomorrow if I'm not yet in labor.

Thanks for any info.

[jenmamahen]

How far along are you? If you aren't beyond your due date, or are just a few days over, I'd wait.

[emdeecee_sierra]

I am of the mindset that babies are born when they are ready to be.... I'm not sure of the pros (are there any) or all the cons of sweeping membranes. Hope someone else has details for you; or probably easy to search for. If you are in doubt, though, make sure you tell your MW NO until you ARE sure you want it done.

HTH a little! And happy birthing!

[annethcz]

I agree, babies are born when they are ready. Quite often, attempts to induce or speed up labor result in increased interventions in the birth process.

That said, I think that sweeping membranes is one of the 'lesser' of the induction/augmentation options (compared to pitocin, cytotec, AROM). I personally wouldn't consider this type of intervention unless there was a VERY good reason to do so (ie, I was 45 weeks pregnant).

Babies come when they are ready!

[Caroline248]

They swept my membranes when I was 42 weeks pregnant. It hurt, but it was better than a full induction. I went into labor that night on my own, and she was born withen 8 hours with no other interventions.

I don't have any other info, that is my one experience with it...

~C~

[StacyL]

I too agree that inductions of any kind should not be performed. Especially if you are NOT significantly "past due."

Whatever you do, don't let anyone induce you with Cytotec!

[busybusymomma]

As far as "induction" attempts go- I choose this before I'd do castor oil, Pitocin etc but if you're not significantly overdue I'd hang in there a little longer. For some women it's extremely painful and often does not do anything. In my case, it didn't hurt at all but also did nothing to bring on labor after weeks of prodromal labor. :shrug And like other induction methods, you're more likely to have a more efficient labor by letting labor start on it's own.

:Hug You're a May mama too, right?

[caligirl]

Babies come when they are ready. I had my membranes swept 3 times before it actually started labor. I was past my due date and oh so uncomfortable and ready to have her, plus my midwife was worried about her being really big and had an inkling that ther would be meconium (and there was, don't ask me how she knew) so I guess she wasn't ready before then. I was 4cm dilated for over a week before that and still no hint of her coming and I was just ready to decide that she would NEVER come when the last sweeping worked thank God.

I would do it agian in the same situation and I am not very pro inducing labor.

[rainbowmoon]

I wouldn't do it. (unless I was past 42 weeks then I might consider it)

I had it done by a mw (without my consent) and it seemed to trigger my labor. I feel it was no coincidence I started contracting regularly after and my water broke within hours! long story short it was the beginning of many more interventions that spiraled out of control, baby was in a bad position (aclyntic) and I ended up with a c/s. btw if your mw is so eager to do this and it were me I would refuse vaginal exams. you do realize it is a surgical procedure,right? anyway jmho though so take it for what it's worth :innocent

[mamaroni]

From what I understand the pain associated with having your membranes sweeped is caused my the manual opening of the cervix. If you are dilated past 2 or 3, it's not (as) painful. I had mine swept with my 2nd child. I was about a week past edd and dilated to 4. There was no pain associated with the sweep. I figured that if my baby was ready to come, then it would help get things going, and if not, then I'd just wait. That was at about 10 a.m., and my son was born at about 10 pm. That afternoon, dh bathed my cervix in prostaglandin :blush and induced a few uterine ctx. :innocent (sorry if TMI!!)

I'm not pro-induction either, but for me in my situation it worked well. The sweeping also did not cause rupture of membrane. . .my ds was born totally naturally in the caul (intact water bag). :thumb

[mum2tori]

Why the push by the MW? What concerns does she have?

Unless you are really past due i.e. pushing 42+ weeks... I won't do it. I agree with PP, interventions don't necessarily speed up the labor process they often hinder it. While I would consider it before Pitocin or other meds I hesitiate because of the risk of AROM and increased risk of infection. You don't want to rupture the membranes!! It is so much better to labor intact if at all possible, besides the increase risk of infection (and being put on a "time clock") and the increased chance of distress on the baby (no water cushion) its HURTS a whole lot more!!!

I would consider doing the acupuncture/pressure point technique (ankle area) before anything else. It's pretty non-ivasive and only works it you are ready to go.

http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/birth/acupressure/index.php

DON'T DO CASTOR OIL!!! It increases the risk of meconium inutero and it can seriously dehydrate you and STILL not kick labor into full gear just make you very sick. Very bad stuff. :gross

[maxmama]

Membrane stripping doesn't work especially well (there are no controlled studies demonstrating its effectiveness), but I'd try this before castor oil, which is also not shown to work but will give you some sweet diarrhea and cramping.

[mcsgo]

With both my births, my MW swept my membranes around my due date. Both times, I was stretchy and 3 cm dilated already and I don't remember any major discomfort. (By the way, is it really considered a "surgical" procedure? I had never thought of it like that.) Both times, I went into labor within 18 hours and had uncomplicated births. I guess it makes sense that if you're not "overdue" there's no need to try to rush into labor and there's no guarantee that the procedure will trigger you to start laboring. That's just my experience and opinion.

[nfbmom]

I think the most important thing to know about getting your membranes swept is that if there is any chance you have GBS it can increase the chances of infecting your baby.

I did actually choose to have this done. I wanted a totally intervention free birth with my 5th baby but it's such a long story it's not worth going in to. Sufficeth to say I'd had a really long pg with PTL, incompetent cervix, PSD, major siatic nerve pain, prodromal labor for 3 weeks solid etc. I couldn't walk more than 5 steps without being in severe pain and I was literally exhausted! I was worried if I went on much longer that I would be too tired to get through labor. I had it done about 11:00, I had started to cramp by the time I left the office, by 12:30 my ctx were 6-7 min aprt, by 1:30 I was in full labor and I had her at 3:00. I was 39.7 wks pg.

Now that I know that having a stitch put in my cervix can cause enough scar tissue to impede labor, and that you can manually break up the scar tissue to help labor along, I would do it again in a heart beat.

BUT, here is my caveat. I do firmly believe in babies coming when they are supposed to. And in most cases, they should. But just with all other interventions, there are rare cases where the benefits outweigh the risks.

So my advice would be to think about why she wants to induce you. If it's just mere convenience or you are just tired of being pg and you want to get it over with, I would rethink it. If you are doing it because of serious health reasons, it's the most mild choice out of all the interventions.

[sprout 1]

my medwives insisted on sweeping as I was approaching 42 weeks because they "had to" drop me once I got that far... anyway the first one was horribly painful and I had no warning, the medwife slapped a sanitary pad on the table afterwards and smirked "you'll need that" :irked: But, I went back in to have it done every single day until I hit 42 weeks (not painful after the first time) and it did not start labor. I ended up "having to" go to the hospital to have a chemical induction. What fun. I would not do it again, but much of it had to do with the people doing it.

[liam'smomma]

Whatever you do, don't let anyone induce you with Cytotec!

YEAH!!!! It is the worst!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :irked:

[SugarAndSun]

I did hold off this past Tuesday, but may consider it if I don't go into labor by next Tuesday. It will be my last chance before induction in the hospital at 42 weeks (I have medwives).

If I could just seduce dh.... :irked:

[HomeBirthMommy]

I wouldn't bother unless you're reaching 42 weeks, like other posters have said.

I had it done with my first and it was extremely painful and gave me awful cramps for a few hours (they were not contractions). It didn't do anything to start labor either.