Membrane Sweeping? - Doctors idea, opinions wanted!
wcs40110 wrote: I'm 37 weeks, 4 days, at my next appt i should be like 38 and 4 days or so and at my last appt after mentioning how I really dont want to be induced using pictorn and how my hubby is getting impatient my doctor mentioned that we could try membrane sweeping as a 'get her going' type to approach. She said it tends to start labor in 5-7 days. Since then I've done some research on this and most say it starts labor within 48 hours and the only downfalls is irregular contrations or bleeding and its considered perfectly safe but I'm still kind of unsure for the following reasons: 1.) my next appt is already set and it's not with MY doctor, but her partner 2.) I don't know about trying to make baby come before baby wants to  I'm totally unsure since I know I dont want to get induced by pictorin or such and this is considered a little more 'natural' but I dont know if I should just give her time and see what happens. Meanwhile, I'm going to keep working as I'm on my feet for 8 hours a day, maybe walk a bit, have some sex, and hope baby comes before my appt since then I wont have to decide and i know walking and sex wont make her come unless shes dern near ready. Any opinions I'd be more than happy to hear!!
CantWait replied: Membrane sweeping, or striping your membranes is perfectly safe. It just helps get contractions start in SOME but not all cases. With me, I had my membranes striped with my second, it was exactly on my due date, and within minutes of leaving the office I started having regular contractions. Of course I had been contracting irregular for the past couple days. It's slightly uncomfortable, but not really painful, at least not for myself. Bleeding is going to happen regardless, it's called losing your mucus plug, so don't be startled if you see a bit of bloody show.
Is there any reason why baby needs to come? Is it just because dh is tired of having you pregnant, and wants to meet baby. If that's the only reason, then I would say wait till your next appointment when you're closer to your due date and see if things happen natural.
Is this your first baby? Just wondering if you have any reason to believe that you may need to be induced.
Edited to say, welcome to PC. 
wcs40110 replied: There's no reason she needs to come soon. I think the only reason my doctor mentioned it is because it's my first baby and I told her I really want to avoid using pitocin because I've been told it's extreamly painful and a good idea to avoid for a few other reasons. From what I get the doc just thinks it's a good way to avoid going past date and into a situation where I would need the pitocin.
MyLuvBugs replied: Hmmmmm....I'd definately say don't go with pitocin no matter what your Dr. says. Babies will come when they want to and are ready to come....even if that means a little late. 
Stripping the membranes worked for me with my first, and they would only do that at 39+ weeks of pregnancy. I think I was 39 wks and 4 days when they stripped them b/c 3 days later Lorelei was born right on her due date. LOL 
With Lexi....I started drinking Raspberry Leaf tea at 38 wks to help ease my uterine contractions that I'd been having off and on....aparently that helped to bring them on more.  Go figure! And ended up having her 6 days early.
I say...try everything that is natural first if you really want to "induce" your labor, and then if at 42 wks little bitty still hasn't made his/her appearence...then talk about drugs and medical intervention. Until then....just let nature take it's course. 
Good luck and welcome to the club!!
Swood75 replied: OK,I have had 2 children..I have seen the word(s) membrane stripping/sweeping a few times now..Not to sound stupid,but what is the difference between that and breaking your water?? I had my water broke both times as I was induced early with both of my kids (had both of them 3 days early) with DS I had high bp and daughter's umbilical cord was in a knot..
kimberley replied: welcome to PC!
i had it done twice with my last baby and it didn't work. she was 8 days late. and boy did it hurt  ! i had pitocin with my first and third babies but also had an epidural. with my third, the whole induction was painful, and traumatic for both baby and i. i wish i had the courage to walk out and let nature take it's course.
my advice, you are not overdue, so wait it out and let baby come when he/she is ready. dr's here won't induce until you are a week late. at that point, consider the stretch and sweep with other natural induction methods. if that still doesn't work, they can break your water but be careful. once they start intervening, it doesn't stop and the next thing you know, your entire birth plan is out the window and they take over. i am around if you need to talk.
MyLuvBugs replied:
Stripping/sweeping of the membranes is just separating the bag of water(membrane) from the cervical tissues. (at least this is how it's been described to me ) Basically, they stick together and by separating them it's supposed to allow the cervix to open easier and help to induce contractions.....not sure on all the medical terminology of it, but that's the simple way it was explained to me. I'm sure someone else can explain it better.
luvmykids replied:
Ditto...
I had mine done with my second pg, it was only a second of discomfort and the contractions started within hours.
Hillbilly Housewife replied: With all of my children... I drank red raspberry leaf tea in the 2nd and third trimesters... it strengthens uterine muscles to help ease contractions. The reason it seems to bring on more contractions if you drink it when you're almost due is that it's working on your uterine muscles... and the contracting is more painful because it's all tight in there. Before then, the contractions are considered braxtons... but like my doctor says, a contraction is a contraction is a contraction, painful or not.
I also inserted Evening Primrose Oil capsules up by my cervix. I put two in the morning, two at noon, two at dinner time, and three before bed. If I got up to go pee, I'd put 2 more in. They melt in there, and something in the capsul helps to ripen the cervix, much like the protein or whatever it is in semen... it's the same one actually, I htink. 
I also did nipple stimulation... that was "interesting"... 
With the Primrose oil capsules, I had had the baby with 2 days. I don't know if it worked or not, but it seemed to. The only downside is that you need to wear a panty liner, because some of the capsule guck comes out. 
If it helps at all, my first baby started on his own and finished on his own...meaning no help. My 2nd child started on her own, but after a couple hours I got pitocin to get the contractions going... it wasn't that much worse that my 1st baby, to tell you the truth...
my 3rd child I also had the pitocin drip, but I got it after I'd already had some contractions... so I could tell the difference with the drip and without... the contractions became more regular, and were a little stronger. Still wasn't that bad though. I mean it hurt, duh, but it wasn't unbearable.
Do what you feel is right...if you don't feel comfortable about stripping the membranes, don't do it... but if you're anything like me, I tried REAL HARD not to do everything in my power to get the baby outta me before the time was ok.
Boo&BugsMom replied:
I had to have pitocin. It wasn't any more painful than having normal contractions. I was two week's overdue with my son. Still is a stubborn little booger. I'd actually be more afraid of the membraine sweeping. I've heard that is extremely painful.
skinkybaby replied: I had it done on my due date but it didn't do anything. A week and a half later they had to induce me because she had no intention of going anywhere
My2Beauties replied: They stripped mine and it wasn't a huge deal, but they didn't do it until I was laready dilated, effaced and only 2 days before my due date, I'd watch letting someone do it this early on. Even at 38 weeks that's 2 weeks early and if baby isn't ready, she just isn't ready! I would wait until full 40 weeks before even thinking about membrane stripping!
My3LilMonkeys replied: I had my membranes stripped with Brooke 10 days after my due date and it didn't really do much. They gave me the Pitocin the next day and I didn't have any trouble with it, but everyone is different!
3_call_me_mama replied: I had my first 2 kids with pitocin and let me tell you.. it was horrible! I would avoid it at all costs. It makes contractions while your body makes contractions and therefor eyou end up with double contractions. As far as stripping teh membranes I've never had it done, it's not somethign my dr believe in before 41 weeks and since i was almost 41 weeks with each induction we never got to that point. (I started swelling severly about 40 1/2 weeks~ and itwas either induce or risk c-section which was totally not an option) That said. This pregnancy is much different than the last 2 and teh baby's head is already engaged (at 36 weeks) but with minimal dilation and about 1/3 of the way effaced. SO who knows if i'll even make it ot 40 weeks. But any sort of intervention other than natural methods (walking, sex, red raspberry tea, etc) I will be passing on until 41 weeks. Hang in there your new baby will be here soon enough. but i totlaly undestand the feeling of wanting it to be over (but once it is you mayu notice you feel empty inside and actualyl miss being pregnant! I know lots of women who did!)
wcs40110 replied: I asked the doc at my appt and she said they offered because 36 weeks is concidered 'to term' so I could go at any time. I told her I'm waiting until AT LEAST my next appt. but I dont know if Ill make it there. I was having issues this morning. At first I thought it was gas but then it was kinda in pulses where it'd get better (not go away) and then hurt agian and my friend said thats what it felt like when she was dialating. That lasted about two hours and when I was about to call the doc to ask what they throught because it was really starting to hurt it kinda faded out. Since then its been kinda here and there. I dont know if its acually contractors, false labor, or what but it feels like theres a lot of pressure down in my 'theres the babies head' region. I called daddy to tell him to take a clean change of clothes (he does constrution) and got his hopes up but I made it through the workday. 
|
