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Stripping the membranes

Your practitioner may offer to "strip your membranes" to help start your labor. This procedure usually feels like a vaginal examination, although it sometimes can be painful or cause cramping. The practitioner places her gloved finger through the cervix and sweeps the amniotic membranes free of their attachment to the lower part of the uterine cavity. This process is believed to release hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which help to ready your body for labor.

While some experts believe that stripping the membranes causes you to go into labor that day, the only research on this procedure was done by a group of midwives who stripped the membranes of a group of their patients at every visit to the office after 38 weeks gestation. Their findings showed that patients who had this procedure were less likely to go past their due dates. According to the study, the procedure didn't seem to pose any complications and didn't cause the patients' waters to break.

I think depends on your body. I was a week overdue, to closed to even try to strip, and I was in labor for 16 hours at home (meaning every 3 mins, hard contractions) and only 2 cm, 50% effaced.

My planned home water birth ended in Cesarean 23 hours later, and only dilated to 8cm and had meds after 18 hours (was at 3 cm and swelling from the urge to push at 3 cm). Pushed for an hour then had cesarean. Nurses "stretched" me, hoping to progress dilation, and it just made contractions unbearable. Didn't help labor...

So everyone is different!

I have had it done 2 times in a week and a half and neither time it has worked for me but you are more dilated then I am. I am 2cm and 80% effaced so it may take for you. Give it 48 hours if nothing happens then it didn't work. Good luck:-)

I had my membranes stripped twice with my daughter. Never worked. The second time I had it done I was 3 CM and 50% effaced.

It could work, or it could not work.

I was about 4cm when i had some "show", im assuming thats what you mean with "membranes stripped"?

Well, i was 4cm dialated, no idea how effaced. But i gave birth about 5 hours later when i was only 8cm dialated. Good luck and Congradulations with your new baby!

thats all sounding good - I think if your cervix is favourable, then they say you should go into labor within 48 hours. I hope you do!

I have this all to look forward to on Monday - so I'll watch your answers with interest!

Good Luck!

The substance will diffuse outdoors the cellular. ingredients continually diffuse down a concentration gradient, meaning the molecules will continually circulate to the place the concentration of them is decrease.

Oh, it's going to work - your cervix is so stretched out already I bet you are delivering by tomorrow.