This study showed membrane sweeping every 48 hours, from 41 weeks, decreased the risk of post-term pregnancy.Of the membrane stripping group, only 10% went past 41 weeks, compared with 25% in the non-sweep group

A study involving 190 women found a membrane sweep at 38 weeks reduced total gestation time.

The general consensus is sweeping the membranes might kick-start labor within the first 7 days after the procedure, but generally no sooner than 24-48 hours. This is explained above in the information about the Bishop’s score. The success of a membrane sweep really depends on whether you have a favorable or unfavorable cervix. It’s possible, though, you were in prelabor and baby was ready to arrive. This is the million-dollar question. If labor begins after a sweep, the natural conclusion is the procedure has worked. How effective are membrane sweeps to induce labor? If your body and your baby aren’t ready, trying to stimulate labor to begin at 38 weeks can lead to disappointment and an even greater risk of complications. Leading health experts strongly recommend against inducing labor before 39 weeks, unless there’s a genuine and pressing medical reason.īeing born early puts babies at higher risk for health and developmental problems. Important brain and lung development occurs during those last weeks in the uterus. Only 3-5% of babies are born at 40 weeks and many pregnancies go beyond that –especially with first babies. And reaching your due date doesn’t mean you’re overdue. Do membrane sweeps work at 38 weeks?Ĭommonly, pregnancy is considered a term after 37 weeks. This doesn’t mean, however, your baby is ready to be born yet. Keep in mind, though, membrane sweeping to induce labor is still an intervention, as it interferes with the normal and natural process of labor starting on its own. Many hospitals have a policy of inducing labor when you’ve reached 10 days past your due date.Ī ‘stretch and sweep’ (stretching the cervix and membrane sweeping) is thought to be more natural than a medical or formal induction method because no medication is involved. Pregnancy isn’t considered overdue until after 42 completed weeks. Using a firm circular or sweeping motion, your midwife or doctor will sweep and separate the membrane of the amniotic sac from the cervix. Some providers also stretch the cervix to increase the chances of the membrane sweep working.

Remember, the more favorable your cervix, the more likely membrane sweeps are to work. This can determine how ‘ready’ your cervix is. The midwife or doctor separates your labia, inserts a gloved finger into your vagina and up to your cervix to feel for effacement and dilation. When you’re ready and have given your informed consent, you lie on your back with knees apart and ankles together. It doesn’t sound very glamorous, but membrane sweeping is similar to having a cervical check or a Pap smear. As with any labor induction method, however, the more favorable your cervix is, the more likely the method will be successful. Unlike having artificial oxytocin (Pitocin or Syntocinon) for induction, a membrane sweep doesn’t involve medication. If this process of ripening and softening of the cervix is already underway, membrane sweeping might be more effective at getting contractions started and established. During late pregnancy, everything hurts, so what’s one more ache to pay attention to? Often it’s only in hindsight you realize that it was probably your cervix getting ready for the main show. You might not notice or pay much attention to that low ache in your pelvis or lower back. Often this stage is already happening ‘behind the scenes’. They act on the cervix to soften and ripen it, which then encourages dilation in response to contractions. Sweeping the membranes is essentially stimulating your body to release prostaglandins. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about to ‘sweep a membrane’. Having said that, there might be a compelling need to get labor going, and if you’re trying to avoid more medical interventions, this could potentially help. And if your midwife is suggesting it … surely it’s alright?Īlthough it might sound like a natural option, remember anything that starts labor before it begins on its own is intervening with the natural process. Your healthcare provider might even have suggested having a sweep as a way of making labor start ‘naturally’. Or perhaps you’re uncomfortable and tempted to try to get things moving along. Maybe your estimated due date has come and gone. If you consider a labor induction with a membrane sweep, you’re probably feeling very pregnant.

Membrane sweep at 39 weeks success rate