Stripping Membranes - What is it like?

LizzieTim · November 2009

Hi ladies - there's been a lot of talk about getting your membranes stripped.

I asked my OB this past week what her thoughts were on it - they said they generally don't push it and is sometimes used if the patient really wants to try and avoid an induction.

I had a painful internal exam and asked her how the stripping of the membranes compared to that pain and she said it's definitely more painful and uncomfortable. My due date is 11/4 and I am hoping things happen naturally, but obviously I can't control that.

For anyone who has has their membranes stripped - can you tell me how it felt? How painful/uncomfortable? Are you glad you did it? Wish you had waited? Was someone there with you (i.e. DH, mom, etc.)?

Thanks!

CourtneyAnn · November 2009

I had mine done last week at 39w 5d (?). It was definitely unpleasant and uncomfortable, but that's what I was expecting. For some ladies it's really painful, I didn't find it that bad. I was 2 cm and 30%. We're going to try it again this week and if LO doesn't come on her own we looking at an induction.

pmarie33 · November 2009

I had mine stripped last week while she was doing the internal. For me, the internals are already painful enough, doing the stripping just adds a few more moments of cramping. But it doesn't guarantee anything.

SeaMama · November 2009

I had mine stripped - not until 41 weeks, 3 days. MW offered to do it and I said go for it. She commented 3 times on how well I handled it - it was pretty uncomfortable, but nothing to write home about. I'm hoping to go med free during labor so it was encouraging to hear I was handling pain really well.

In the end, it really wasn't too awful - just a little awkward. With a lot of cramping afterwards. FYI I still haven't had my baby, so was it worth it? dunno.

Mee83shell · November 2009

I had mine done at my 38w appt (had been in PTL for 5w at that point) and I thought it to be horribly uncomfortable. The cramping during and afterward was SO intense. It was totally worth it though b/c I delivered our son 24hours later :-)

It didn't compare at all to labor for me. Actually, I found that more intense than labor itself--until they hung "the drug of Satan" (aka Pitocin). GL and I say go for it--it doesn't guarantee anything but it can help get things moving for sure!

mrshutch · November 2009

It really didn't do anything for me. At my 40 wk appt I asked my dr. if he could go ahead and strip my membranes since I'd heard about it and he said that's what he'd been doing the past couple of appts. The internals and stripping of membranes really didn't bother me. I think it's just different for everyone. Hopefully it'll be painless and more productive than it was for me!

Sawyerplus1 · November 2009

I had mine done with DS at 40 weeks 6 days (2cms). I hadn't had any internals at that point so I had nothing to compare the experience/pain to. I remember it being uncomfortable and mildly painful, but not unbearable, and it didn't take long at all. After that I started cramping (like menstrual cramps) and having bloody show, and went into labor the next morning. For me, totally worth it, but I'm not sure I'd do it before 40 weeks; the success rate seems to go way down.

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