membrane sweeping

happylady07

At my appointment yesterday, I finally met with the head of our OB department (I had only met the other 3 doctors so far), and reviewed with him what I had already told everyone else, I was hoping to go natural being the main thing.

He was very supportive of me going med-free, although mentioned if I have issues with my BP a lot of that will go out of the window (at least as far as letting me go into labor naturally and everything).  He said he highly recommends women who want to go natural to do a membrane sweeping around 39 weeks, since they will not let me go beyond 41 weeks and in his words "it will really help get things moving without any further intervention".  I was really against any sort of interventions, especially since I've heard this really is one of those things that won't rush anything along that wasn't going to happen on it's own, plus I've heard plenty of people say it made them really uncomfortable but didn't work.  So now I'm torn.

Thoughts?   

yankeebear

I had it done with my first pregnancy and it didn't help at all.  But it wasn't painful at all just a little uncomfortable so I didn't mind it.  It may be worth a try.

lwogsland

It's only momentarily uncomfortable...if it's one way to try to go into labor naturally...I'd give it a try.

ChrissyDipi

My friend just had her membranes stripped because she was overdue. Her doctor really wanted her to be induced. She had it done at her doctors appointment and at midnight that night she was in labor. She said it wasn't terribly uncomfortable.

I know it isn't ideal but it definitely is one of the more natural ways to be induced.

 I am in the same boat as you I really want a natural birth but am scheduled to be induced on Oct 11 if it doesn't happen before that. Next week my doc and I are going to discuss what is going to happen. I think we are going to use the cervadil gel and the foley ball to start. Pitocin is definitely the last option.

GL I hope we go into labor before we need any of these interventions.

shellylovelee

JMO, stick with your gut and how you want to proceed.  I actually heard from other's who've had it done that it was very painful.  The advice I've also received (I'm currently low-risk) is to just stay home as long as possible.  As long as I'm not in the hospital, I won't have to deal with the pressure of hospital protocol.

iggy.d

I was scheduling my final 4 appointments at the check-out desk at my OB and the receptionist mentioned they will offer to sweep my membranes at the last appointment. I said I wasn't sure about that at all. She whispered to me "and it hurts. a lot" so that's one more opinion. 

egankn

I had mine done last week and honestly it was not much more painful than a cervix check though the next day I had contractions that were pretty painful for 4 hours 6 min apart and then they went away...

I'm having it done again today as we are planning induction for next week due to a few issues and I want to go natural as well.

All in all, it's like anything in pg - works on some, not on others and it hurts some, but not others....GL in your decision!

chikinyellow

If you are going to go through the pain of natural childbirth, the membrane sweep is nothing.  It is just a bit worse than a pap.

I was also wanting to go natural with DS, but my water broke and after walking and other natural methods of induction I wasn't contracting.  They had to do pitocin... 

babes12

i just had it done today at my ob appt. 

Let me start by saying i've had tons of internals due to early contrax. and none have been uncomfortable. 

Todays internaly was uncomfortable. for some reason things felt very sensitive down there and then she did the membrane sweep which was alittle more uncomfy than the internal but it wasn't anything you can't handle. 

GL w/ your decision.

mamaZbo

I had one yesterday...not by choice, the Dr only told me after she did it. I thought it was pretty uncomfortable, but only lasted a few seconds. So far nada...some more cramping and uncomfortableness, but no real contractions or bleeding or anything. I was kinda ticked since I am still going to work and am now just more miserable while I am there. I would prefer to wait a few more days before delivery, I would like an October baby and really need to finish up a few things this weekend. I wore pretty underwear and bra today to ensure that I wouldn't end up at the hospital and it has worked so far.