I'd ask your doctor (since I'm sure like everything else related to pregnancy and labor, each doctor is going to have his/her own preferences and policies)
My doctor asked if I was going to want it done at my 36 week appointment, but wouldn't do it till 37 weeks and I had to be 1 cm otherwise she would wait another week.
My dr. hasn't mentioned it. I thought it was something they do when they want to induce, to get things moving along before they use stronger induction methods like pitocin.
I'm sure it varies, but for my doctor & midwife, they will start stripping at 39/40 weeks, because it is a "natural" method of induction (so they wouldn't want to do it before then unless there was a specific reason for it). They told me that it doesn't always work the first time, so they usually plan to do it a few times, every 2 or 3 days, and it almost always gets things going.
Oh, and you have to be dilated enough for them to fit a couple fingers in - so usually 2cm.
My midwife stripped mine when i was 38 weeks 5 days and then again at ever appt after that. i was really hoping to not go into labor on christmas day (my due date) or go too far over because with my first DD i went to 42 weeks 3 days. I ended up having her the day after christmas .
It will just depend. If you're dilated for weeks on end, they may begin to strip them at 37-38 weeks. I had mine done once, with each of my daughters, and they were born the next day (39 weeks 5 days with each of them).
My midwife with DS didn't offer until 40 weeks, 6 days. I hadn't asked about it before that point either. I was 2 cms, she stripped them and stretched me to 4 cms, and I went into labor the next day.
Re: Striping membranes
I'm sure it varies, but for my doctor & midwife, they will start stripping at 39/40 weeks, because it is a "natural" method of induction (so they wouldn't want to do it before then unless there was a specific reason for it). They told me that it doesn't always work the first time, so they usually plan to do it a few times, every 2 or 3 days, and it almost always gets things going.
Oh, and you have to be dilated enough for them to fit a couple fingers in - so usually 2cm.
It will just depend. If you're dilated for weeks on end, they may begin to strip them at 37-38 weeks. I had mine done once, with each of my daughters, and they were born the next day (39 weeks 5 days with each of them).