When you reach your due date, your care provider may recommend a technique known as "sweeping" or "stripping" the membranes. This method has been long used by midwives and obstetricians as a way to start labor contractions. Several questions arise. How does stripping the membranes feel to the mother? What exactly does the process of stripping membranes involve? Does stripping the membranes start labor? And are there any risks to this procedure?
What is Sweeping the Membranes?
When your provider strips your membranes, this is done via a vaginal exam, typically very close to your due date. During the exam your provider will separate your amniotic sac from the cervix using his fingers.
You will typically feel some discomfort and it may feel like a longer and more painful vaginal exam than normal. It is not unusual to have some spotting for severals days after you have had your membranes stripped.
Does Stripping the Membranes Start Labor?
For years, providers used this technique routinely since they believed it would stimulate contractions. However new research published in the June 2008 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology does not bear this out. This research shows that stripping the membranes does not shorten the pregnancy or prevent a mother from going past her due date.
Are there any RIsks in Stripping the Membranes?
The same research study above has confirmed that if a mother's cervix is dilated 1cm or more then sweeping or stripping her membranes may increase the chances of breaking the bag of waters. Unintentionally breaking the mother's water can create a need to start labor and may include a host of other complications such as the need for pitocin, antibiotics if labor is prolonged and potentially a greater chance of a caesarean.
Questions to Ask
Some providers strip their patients' membranes routinely if the mother goes past her due date, so it is always a good idea to check with your provider prior to any vaginal exam to verify whether or not she is planning to perform this procedure. Remember that all medical procedures should be done with the mother's prior consent and knowledge.
Do you need to have labor started? If there are medical indications that require an induction of labor, either medically or naturally, be sure to talk with your provider about your options. In most cases, it is perfectly normal to pass your due date by a week or more before it is necessary to stimulate labor.
Brenda Lane - Brenda Lane is a published author, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, DONA certified birth doula and approved birth doula trainer.
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