Did Membrane Sweeps Help You Go Into Labor?

Venus04 · August 2014

Peedy · August 2014

theteno said:
i voted for the last one because i haven't had my membranes swept and i wanted to see the results of the poll.

Ditto

pmpkn219 · August 2014

I wasn't swept last time, I also had a tight closed cervix, so there was no choice. By the time I was dilated, I had him 24 hrs later, but the OB didn't sweep, just scheduled an induction for the next AM.

This time, I will ask my OB if she'd consider it either tomorrow (I'm 39 today), or next week's appt.

MereDe3 · August 2014

I need a special snowflake!! Yes, I felt it definitely sparked labor with my first (swept at 39.6, delivered at 40), but it hasn't with #3 (swept at 39.6 and now 40.1). I was induced for #2.

Jennicillin · August 2014

I had my membranes swept and it worked with both kids, BUT, it wasn't until the second sweep. With my son I got swept at 40 weeks, and then two days later swept again and went into labor. With my daughter I got swept at 38 weeks, swept again 3 days later, and went into labor.

It doesn't work for everyone, but I definitely have a pattern there...

bkcgraham · August 2014

I will be 39 weeks at my next appt on Friday and doc has offered to do the sweep then - if I hadn't given birth yet. He seemed to think LO would come before then due to be 2cm dialated and 80% effaced.

Haven't decided yet and I think he got my hopes up for nothing:(

KittyMisha · August 2014

I'm going to get it done at my next appointment on Fr, when I'll be at 39+6. I'll come back and vote after 48 hours or a baby, whichever comes first.

BabyM82714 · August 2014

I'm pretty sure he did it at my 37 week app...based on the minute long pain I endured. and the bleeding afterwards. Did nothing but feel like I had brutal college all night sex for the day lol dont i wish! but Im sure he will do it again at 38.1 this week...heres to hoping it works cause I wont look forward to having it done again at 39 weeks. owwwww

Laur110 · August 2014

I think I'm a SS, water broke on its own at 37+1, went to OB 6 hours later and she swept my membranes because I was not contracting. I felt my first contractions 20 minutes later and they only got more intense from there!

Third&goal · August 2014

zoegirlTX said:

yea, but I guess I"m struggling with correlation =/= causation.
Almost everybody that has a sweep is at their due date or over & would have probably gone into labor very soon anways...no?

Yes, i was also going to say that I feel like when the sweep happened probably is a key factor. I had mine done at 38 weeks and it made me cramps for a while but I just don't think my body was ready to go into labor yet. Now, maybe if they do it again at 40 weeks, my body may be ready enough to jump into labor.

sharkmama39 · August 2014

I was already in the early stages of labor when I had mine swept, within two hours I went from 10 minutes apart to 4 minutes and gave birth less than 12 hrs later.

Eta: I was 39 weeks exactly the day I had them swept.

FrodaBaggins · August 2014

I'm curious to see if my doc suggests it on Thursday. I'll be 40w3d by that point if he hasn't arrived and very anxious

tamarar5 · August 2014

I'm not sure last time (never had it done with my first), but I'm inclined to say no. I had my membranes swept at my 38, 39, and 40 week apt. Obviously the first two did nothing. At my 40 week apt (on my due date), my bp was only going higher so they scheduled my induction for the following Monday. Had the sweep on Thursday, and went into the hospital Monday am having contractions. So probably didn't help me?

However, I know many ladies who had a sweep and went into labor hours later.

alphaxi614 · August 2014

I had mine swept at 39w2d and by that evening I was having contractions 5 minutes apart. Little one was born the next morning, less than 24 hours later. I was only dilated 1 Cm when I had the sweep. So I'm going to go with yes it helped me go into labor!

happylady07 · August 2014

I had mine swept twice with my first, around 39.5 and 40 weeks as I was facing an impending medical induction, and while it further dilated/effaced me, didn't send me into full blown labor.

I've heard it is more effective with second+ pregnancies (my doula even agreed with this, which surprised me), and since I'm now past my due date now, and very favorable (3cm/75%effaced last week), I will likely have it done in a couple days if I don't deliver by then.

Yes, it's an intervention, but it beats an actual medical induction. Since I'm already past my due date and I've had it done in the past, I'm aware that it may give me some uncomfortable cramping but no labor, and it may work to push me over he edge if my body is nearly ready anyways. I would prefer to go into labor during the week when one of the midwives is on call as they spend more time with you and are more supportive of natural deliveries, vs closer to the weekend again when it's whoever happens to be on call (an OB or family practice doc I haven't met).

It also risks PROM, but since my bag of waters was really difficult for my OB to break during my induction last time, I'm hopeful that I've got waters of steel again and that won't be a concern

violajack · August 2014

I think a lot of it has to do with when you have it done and how close you are to going into labor anyway. I had a sweep at 40+4 in the morning and my water broke at 5pm that afternoon. Actual contractions were slow to ramp up though, and I did end up getting a little pitocin because I was getting impatient. I delivered an hour and a half after the pitocin. Had I not been swept, my water probably wouldn't have broken and I would have stayed pregnant for a little while longer, but I was already overdue, and having my water break at home was a nice no-doubt-about-it way to get going