Membrane stripping yes or no?

KMEss86

Some background. My son was born at 41 weeks 1 day. I asked my midwife to do a membrane sweep on a Monday. She did it and it was extremely painful. She said My cervix was still very closed, high and hard. No contractions resulted. On Tuesday, I got a pedicure and during the ankle massage, my water broke, but 24 hours later still no contractions started and I was induced w pit.
This time I have been having tons of contractions for weeks, and lost my plug about a week ago. My midwife said if I want to she will do a sweep at 39 weeks tomorrow. I'm torn about if I should do it or not. I am desperate to have this baby. I am MISERABLE, and having so much false labor which is soooo frustrating. But I want to avoid induction at all costs. I'm thinking since my body seems so much more ready this time, it might work. Advice?

PSUBean22

If you are miserable, do it.  If your body isnt ready, it wont do anything.  I had mine done for each one of my babies and for #1 it didnt work, for #2 it did and for #3 it did.  For #2 and #3 it was a matter of hours afterwards, so just be prepared for that.

KMEss86

Let me make this clearer the thing I am worried about is that it may increase my chances of rupturing membranes but not going into labor, like what happened last time.

PrimRoseMama

I personally avoid stripping of membranes, but its entirely up to you. If you aren't 40 weeks I think its premature to do anything towards trying to have the baby earlier. I don't think misery is a good justification, personally. Everyone is miserable. There is not one person that I know that isn't at the end of pregnancy. Its not about you, but about the health of your LO. If you try to get things moving too early you could force baby out and that is not what is best for LO, IMHO. You may have a different set of criteria.

If you want to avoid induction at all costs then avoid the membrane sweep. That is considered a step towards induction.

My OB/midwife team doesn't even talk induction until 41 weeks. So, I am a big believer in letting your body and baby decide how labor will play out. Am I miserable? Yes. Its a few weeks that mean so much to the development of the brain, lungs and other vital structures for your baby. Its just a few weeks and even days that can make a big difference between a NICU stay and not. Seems like a very small price to pay for what's best for LO IMHO.

Again, you might have a different view, but you asked what mine was and there it is.  

Haley.Beth

I'm confused about why a failed sweep means an induction? I get it in the case where you were 41 weeks, since most doctors won't let you go beyond that point (though, with monitoring, you can request to go safely to 42 most of the time). If the sweep at 39 weeks fails, you won't have to go in for an induction, you'll just try again next week.

Edit: I just read your reply. I didn't realize your water had ruptured before. Would it be the same midwife doing the sweep? Rupture of membranes is a possibility, but it really shouldn't happen with someone that is experienced with doing sweeps. It's actually a really rare occurrence. Also, my doctor refused to do sweeps if you weren't dilated somewhat, since it required too much force to complete and did run a higher risk of AROM. If you're already comfortably dilated where she can fit her fingers in there, the risk should go way down.

KMEss86

This is a different midwife and yea, I was thinking that I would only accept it if I was already at least several cm dilated. I assumed that was true about AROM but wasn't sure so thank you.

rab2006

I was offered it with DD, but declined because I saw a woman coming out of the clinic on my way in who was in so much pain and crying, she couldn't even get into her truck. I have no clue that this is why she was crying, etc., but for some reason, just got it stuck in my brain that it was.

With that said, I've just heard it's uncomfortable when they do it. Granted I had DD at 38 weeks when my water broke on my own. This time if I make it to 39 or 40 weeks and am offered it, I may take them up on the offer because at 30 weeks, I feel like I can barely function I'm so uncomfortable. But for now, I feel as though I'd still decline because I don't need any more pain or discomfort than I'm already having.

cameronzmom

I would attempt it!

reason00

I'd do it after 40 weeks.

CutieBean79

reason00:

I'd do it after 40 weeks.

Me too. Not as much because I think the baby isn't ready at, say, 39 weeks, but because I don't want to go through the pain until I'm being faced with an overdue baby. 

abell77

I say it's worth a try to avoid pitocin or other stronger interventions.  Good Luck.

atcwag

Personally, and just my opinion as a FTM at 28 weeks, I wouldn't do it until OB starts talking induction.  I'm a firm believer that baby will come when they are good and ready.  With that said, I'd rather try a membrane sweep then be induced.  My OB will let me go until at least 41 weeks, possibly 42 depending on circumstances.  I'd think about it after 40 weeks.

MiraclePending

I got it done at 41 weeks and 4 cm dilated. It didn't hurt at all, but I still had to be induced. I don't see the harm if you're pretty far along. 

skio

I wouldn't do it yet. Contractions are not a sign that your body is ready.

I was having real, timeable contractions on and off for two weeks before my EDD. I was dilated to 4cm and 80 percent effaced when my doc did a sweep on my due date. It didn't work. I'd venture to say my body was showing lots of signs of being ready, but it wasn't.

Also, the only reason I allowed a sweep was because I was on a time constraint due to trying a VBAC, and medical induction was not an option. If my choices weren't limited to membrane sweep or surgery in a week, I wouldn't have done the sweep. I'm a believer that labor will happen when labor is meant to happen.

SparkleK

I had it done at 41 weeks when I was already 3cm and it didn't hurt at all.  I had PIH and was able to go without pitocin and have a med free birth.

caramia582

I have yet to be more than 36 weeks pregnant (DS1 came fast and furious when I was 36/1) so I don't have personal experience but my thought is I would turn down the membrane sweep.  All I hear is about how painful it is and it doesn't even work every time.  It only works if you're "ready"- ok, well, if you're ready then won't you be going into labor on your own soon anyway?  Also, I'm indifferent as to whether I go into labor on my own or induction so I guess that's not a big deciding factor for me!

Cricket81

I am 10 days past my due date.  I had mine stripped 3 times (each time they were doing an internal exam anyways) and nothing happened except for some minor cramping.  The only thing that has changed is that each time I've gone, I have been a little more dilated and a little more effaced.  I don't know if that would have happened anyways or if the stripping did something to help.  However, none of it was enough to go into labor and I am going tomorrow for cervical ripening and then Wed for induction.  I think the baby comes when they are ready and if they aren't ready, nothing short of an induction is going to get them here sooner.

lisamoe

After having a pit and cytotec induced labor the first go round, I would def opt for membrane sweeping before the previous.

 GL

jessalynn521

Seeing as how I want to avoid induction in the end, if I make it to the appointment the day after my due date I will ask about a sweep of the membranes. Until then I wouldn't, but that is because my 39 weeker wound up in NICU for 48 hours last time.

&orchid&

Worked for me.  I started to immediately get contractions, and had my baby naturally 3 days later.  I was already 3cm dilated and 80% effaced though.  However, I was able to avoid pitocin which is what I was looking to avoid.

MJHershey

KMEss86:

Let me make this clearer the thing I am worried about is that it may increase my chances of rupturing membranes but not going into labor, like what happened last time.

No one can predict that, keep in mind it may have had nothing to do with the sweep. It could have been just that pregnancy, or it could be how your body responds to labor.  No matter how they break your water (I was induced and they broke it manually, and it kicked my body into labor quickly, pitocin had already started).

Honestly I would just let you body go and do it's own thing.