what's the natural birth stance on membrane stripping?

Re: what's the natural birth stance on membrane stripping?

• haleymay18 member

  June 2012

  Your body won't go into labor until it is ready and membrane stripping won't change that. I think it is a very good and effective practice when done at term. My MW wouldn't do it until 40 weeks but some do it earlier.

   

  

  My baby is two!!! Baby girl 9/17/09

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• emilyknelson

  June 2012

  I agree with PP, it's best to wait until term.  If you want to get your body ready try more natural approaches.  Sex, long walks, squatting.  Just my opinion.  GL

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• wifeofadam member

  June 2012

  I had it done with #2 and it did nothing.  Just like all of the other less-invasive induction methods, they only work when your body is ready anyways.
  

      
  

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• Sawyerplus1 member

  June 2012

  I dont think it is a big deal once you're term. I don't understand doing it at 38 weeks when you're not likely to be ready yet. I had it done by my MW at 40w6d with DS and I was in labor the next morning. Definitely preferable to a medical induction!

  

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• amber323

  June 2012

  It's not a guaranteed way of inducing labor at all, I'm not against it but I want to try every other natural induction techniques before that and would only try it at 40wks and up.

  

  

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• StefandTodd member

  June 2012

  I would not do it before 41 weeks.

  There is a small chance of PROM with membrane stripping, so it's just not worth it to me before being 41+ week.

  I declined it at my 40 week appt and went into labor that night.  Baby was born at 40+1, no membrane stripping.

  

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• judahsmommy1

  June 2012

  StefandTodd:

  I would not do it before 41 weeks.

  There is a small chance of PROM with membrane stripping, so it's just not worth it to me before being 41+ week.

  I declined it at my 40 week appt and went into labor that night.  Baby was born at 40+1, no membrane stripping.

  At 38 weeks it would be considered AROM not PROM. The baby born would be born full term, therefore "premature" is inaccurate. My stance on it is that you need to do what is right for you, your baby, and your body. If it's "natural birth approved" doesn't really matter. If this were me, I would wait until 39 weeks since 38 weeks really isn't an ideal time to have your baby. The only risk is a slight risk of AROM and it won't do anything if your body isn't ready. So if you're comfortable with it, that's all that matters. 
  

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• Holly_1007 member

  June 2012

  I agree with PP's that I wouldn't even consider it before 39+ weeks. 

  I had it done with DS at 39wks5 days and he was born within 24 hours

  also, keep in mind you need to be dilated enough for your doctor to reach inside your cervix, at 38 weeks I know I wasn't dilated enough....
  

                         
                        
  
  

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• Temp174496125006552 member

  June 2012

  I had my membranes stripped @ my 40w,2d appt when I was pregnant with my son.  My MW said that I was a prime candidate for it (3cm dilated and 70% effaced) and because I was already late and terrified of having to be induced, I told her to go for it.  I was crampy that evening, woke up having contractions the next morning and he was born @ 2:29pm that day.

  If the only reason you're considering it is to meet your daughter sooner, I say don't do it.  My MW said that if your body is not ready/close to going into labor, membrane stripping is generally not effective.  I would hold off until you're closer to 40 weeks.

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• wannabigfam member

  June 2012

  My thought is that the point of a natural birth is to just let the body do what it naturally knows it needs to do - so why have the membranes stripped, esp. so early?  I would only consider it if I was 1) overdue and approaching the doctor's "end point" of how long they would let me go before forcing induction or a c-section (most cases, 42 weeks), 2) was nearing that point and had tried every single method I could to naturally induce labor.  Any intervention, to me, COULD lead to a cascade of other interventions.  I prefer a hands-off approach, but that's just my opinion!

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• mick64 member

  June 2012

  judahsmommy1:

  StefandTodd:

  I would not do it before 41 weeks.

  There is a small chance of PROM with membrane stripping, so it's just not worth it to me before being 41+ week.

  I declined it at my 40 week appt and went into labor that night.  Baby was born at 40+1, no membrane stripping.

  At 38 weeks it would be considered AROM not PROM. The baby born would be born full term, therefore "premature" is inaccurate. My stance on it is that you need to do what is right for you, your baby, and your body. If it's "natural birth approved" doesn't really matter. If this were me, I would wait until 39 weeks since 38 weeks really isn't an ideal time to have your baby. The only risk is a slight risk of AROM and it won't do anything if your body isn't ready. So if you're comfortable with it, that's all that matters. 
  

  Not true. My water broke at 37 weeks and I was not having any contractions. It was considered PROM, with the definition of premature being rupture of membranes before the start of labor (contractions).  pPROM is the preterm, premature rupture of membranes that happens before 37 weeks.  I personally will not do membrane stripping unless I'm facing other induction methods. I ended up needing pitocin 18 hours after my water broked because I still wasn't going into labor and that sucked.  I am really really hoping this doesn't happen to me again and I wouldn't do anything that might increase the likelihood of it happening.

  

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• StefandTodd member

  June 2012

  judahsmommy1:

  StefandTodd:

  I would not do it before 41 weeks.

  There is a small chance of PROM with membrane stripping, so it's just not worth it to me before being 41+ week.

  I declined it at my 40 week appt and went into labor that night.  Baby was born at 40+1, no membrane stripping.

  At 38 weeks it would be considered AROM not PROM. The baby born would be born full term, therefore "premature" is inaccurate. My stance on it is that you need to do what is right for you, your baby, and your body. If it's "natural birth approved" doesn't really matter. If this were me, I would wait until 39 weeks since 38 weeks really isn't an ideal time to have your baby. The only risk is a slight risk of AROM and it won't do anything if your body isn't ready. So if you're comfortable with it, that's all that matters. 
  

  No, PROM refers to rupture of membranes beyond 37 weeks' without the onset of labor.  That would be my concern since it could mean the need for further interventions.  Depending on your doctor and their "clock," it could mean pitocin, or c-section after x hours.  I think I noted that it's a small risk, but it's not one I would personally take before 41 weeks, if then.

  But I agree that everyone has to do only what they're comfortable with!  My only intention was to comment on when I'd personally be comfortable with it and why I wouldn't be comfortable sooner than that

  

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• nicholssquared member

  June 2012

  I had it done with DS1 at 41 weeks because I felt it was preferable to a medical induction and my OB who is very NB supportive heavily suggested that I would need a medical induction at 42 weeks. I'm inclined to think it did nothing because I went into labor naturally at 41w6d, almost a week later.

   I'm all for it if you're getting pressure to induce with pitocin, because I consider it to be "more natural" then meds, but otherwise I wouldn't bother because it's not going to do anything unless your body's ready anyway.

  
   

  
   

  
   

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