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3rd Trimester
aggiemeg
member
Soap box about membrane stripping
aggiemeg
member
Because my doc mentioned it recently, I've been reading up some about membrane stripping to begin labor, and I've found lots of contradictory research (when it should be used, is safe, is not safe, can cause infection, does not increase risk of infection, etc.)
I thought I'd share my personal experience with it, in case anyone is considering it and wants to hear stories. I'm sure there are lots of positive stories out there, mine is a little more on the negative side:
With my first baby, my doctor stripped my membranes at 40 weeks +3 days during an exam, without my consent, and with no medical reason/necessity. It was extremely painful (cervix was less than 1cm dilated) and did begin labor that day. The contractions were also extremely painful (perhaps due to "pharmological" levels of prostoglandins?). I have since had a natural med-free birth where labor began spontaneously at 42 weeks and the pain of contractions was much less.
Also with the stripped membranes in baby #1, I developed a fever and infection during labor, they almost had to do a C-section (but didn't), and baby had to be in NICU to recieve IV antibiotics for potential infection. We had lots of difficulty breastfeeding due to her NICU stay (during which they said they HAD to give her formula because she HAD to receive fluids while receiving antibiotics for an infection which might or might not be present). Breastfeeding ultimately failed. I can't help but wonder if much of this difficulty could have been avoided by just WAITING for baby to come on her own.
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Re: Soap box about membrane stripping
I had mine stripped at 40 weeks last time. It did nothing but make me bleed and hurt really badly! I didn't go into labor for 4 more days, so I know the membrane sweeping was useless.
I would never do it again.
Yes, I had a fever during labor (they assume infection b/c the labs don't come back soon enough for quick decision making). It might have been due to infection related to the stripping, or not. I just wonder if it was. They started my antibiotics right away and continued the next couple of days.
NICU said colostrum I pumped wasn't enough, and we couldn't get her to latch well (not that easy for a first time mom during limited visits to the NICU), and it was required to give her fluids while giving the antibiotics. I can't remember if they did cultures on her; it seems that in hindsight, she didn't have any infection but they said they had to give the antibiotics as a precaution, and she had to be in the NICU to get them, and she had to be given the fluids while getting the meds.
Ok, now the puzzle is coming together. I personally am against membrane stripping anyway, I just tend to give the side eye to some posters who blame a bad birthing experience on something without any proof. That is horrible that your dr stripped them without your consent or knowledge.
So you think that the infection progressed so quickly that you had signs of it on the same day you got the infection (from having your membranes stripped)? Seems doubtful to me. And it also seems that your easier labor the second time around was probably due to the fact that it was your second time around.
I dunno, for me, I would be much more worried about the risks of going two weeks overdue.
Sorry, didn't mean to make it sound like I knew for sure that the infection came from the membrane stripping. Nobody really knows, not even the docs.
With my first baby, I suppose I had an uninformed, go-with-the-flow attitude and would do whatever my doctor said. I just wish I had someone else there telling me that there were alternatives. Not that it would have mattered since my doc did it on her own without any warning!
Membrane stripping doesn't really pose any more risk to infection than simply checking the cervix for dilation. The only difference between the two procedures is with a stripping, the doc drags their finger along the inside of the cervix. When checking for dilation, the doc just sticks their finger in the cervix to feel for changes to the size of the opening.
In both instances a foreign object is in the cervix risking infection.
Don't assume there are automatic risks with going 2 weeks overdue. My son was born 15 days after his due date perfectly healthy. I was monitored closely for the last 10 days, and had there been any problems they would have induced me earlier. I too had my membranes stripped twice and not only did it do nothing I found it incredibly painful. I would not do it again, nor will my m/w's this time do it.
IMO the risks of going overdue RARELY outweigh the risks of inducing labor by anymeans. Stripping membranes, pitcocin, breaking water, anything.
Membrane stripping is an intervention, and any intervention carries risks. That's what they mean when they talk about the cascade of interventions that are often necessary (one thing causes a small issue that requires an additional procedure/medication that limits your mobility that leads to another issue, etc.).
They all have their place, and can be really useful. But it seems like a lot of doctors just want to "do something" to get labor going, to help it along, etc. But most of the time, our bodies can do that just fine on their own.
I had my membranes stripped with my second pregnancy AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN THIS TIME!
I was like 38 weeks, I was crying miserable with sciatic nerve pain. They sent me for an amnio to check baby's lungs. The only way she would induce before 39 weeks was if the amnio came back that her lungs were mature. I went for the test and they could not find a pocket of fluid big enough, in one spot to safely do the test. (my fluid levels were not to low overall, just not enough pockets of fluid in one spot to keep the needle far enough away from the baby) This was on Wednesday that they tried to do the test and failed. Thursday I had a regular doc appointment and she cancelled my induction for Friday because the test was not done. The only thing she would do for me is check me ( i was previously dilated to 2cm) and strip my membranes. It didn't hurt at the time but I was crampy the rest of the day. I was contracting all day Friday and when I got up Saturday morning, I knew I was in early labor and by 2pm, my water broke.
If I were in the same situation this time, miserable and nothing happening, I would rather go that route than pitocin and cytotec anyday!
I agree that stripping of membranes may pose fewer risks than a pitocin induction. I would not want pitocin either, unless medically necessary. I'm sorry you had such severe pain at the end of your pregnancy!
It seems to me that if all is well and healthy with baby and mom, why strip the membranes?
I guess it is one of those "to each their own" topics. Even if everything was all fine and dandy and I just wasn't going into labor on my own, I would still chose to have that done over our tight breaking my water or just starting picocin. To me, it is the least resctrictive way to get labor a jump start. I have spent weeks in the hospital on bed rest and when I finally did deliver, I was out of there at exactly 24 hours... at 1130pm! For me, that is something that can be done in the office and I can go about my day at home and do whatever... not in a hospital tied down by an IV and stuff.
I would rather go that route than days in the hospital. Stripping membranes doesn't always work either. If it does, great! If not then that is the sign to back off a little and wait a little longer. If it isn't what you want, you can say no. But in my experience, it was the right option and it worked for me and I can say that given the option to do that first, I would take it rather than going into the hospital.
I am sorry you had a bad experience with yours but there are plenty of other reasons to get an infection than just that so in your case, I would say that it was a coincidence. I am not a doctor, I just know what worked for me and my body.
That is really bad of your doctor. I am so sorry that he/she did that. Even if they thought you should have it done they have no right to just go in there and do it themselves.
I am so sorry that because of that you had a horrible birth experience that is just horrible.
I completly agree... I had my water broke and pitcocin and it was the most painful 16 hours of my life that only led to me having a emergency c-section and a whole month of painful recovery.
Agreed...not to mention that you're not "overdue" until you're PAST 42 weeks. After 40 weeks you're simply past your EDD which a guess, not an expiration date.
To the OP, my daughter was put in special care for "breathing issues" which were resolved the morning after her birth when a nurse patted her on the back and she coughed up some phlegm. By that time though, she already had the antibiotics going as a precaution, she had been given a glucose drip (which then required formula to come off of as I wasn't making enough BM yet to stabilize her sugar), and developed jaundice which I blame on lack of BFing. My milk took longer to come in, but we did eventually get BFing going - it was a terrible experience that we are determined to avoid with this pregnancy. I spent so much time avoiding the cascade of interventions during labor that I didn't think about what would happen after, it's amazing how similar our stories are.
I had mine stripped with my son and also without my knowledge or consent. I literally lifted myself and jumped so far back on the table that I almost fell off (imagine doing that at 39w5d). I also went in to labor that night, but I was PISSED when I found out that the pain she caused was acutally membrane stripping.
I go to the same practice now but REFUSE to see that wench.