Membrane stripping: Is this something that makes sense?
—Anonymous
Membrane stripping (or sweeping), for the uninitiated, is a procedure that is sometimes performed at the end of pregnancy to encourage labor onset. To do it, a doctor or midwife puts their finger through the cervix and sweeps it in a circle to detach the membranes from the wall of the uterus. The idea is that this would encourage labor to start on its own and decrease the need for an induction.
Most things people tell you will induce labor do not work — having sex, spicy food, drinking weird teas, eating pineapple, ordering the baby to come out, and so on. But membrane sweeping actually does seem to prompt labor. In a review of randomized studies, membrane sweeping decreased the need for induction of labor (it didn’t appear to change anything else — no changes in cesarean section rates, assisted vaginal birth, or outcomes for mom or baby). The only significant downside is that it’s very uncomfortable.
So, to the question: Does it make sense? As a method for labor induction, it’s worth a try.
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Do we know how much it decreases the likelihood of an induction? I’ve also heard they’re more effective with second babies, is that true?