Membrane sweep at 37 weeks?

Casey • 4th time mom-3 boys-Expecting a baby girl-Jessa Grace-Realtor-Married to my best friend for the last 10 years-3 inductions and hoping to go into labor on my own this time!

So this is my 4th kid and with my 3 others I was medically induced. This is our last kid and I mentioned to our dr that I wanted to go into labor without induction to have that experience finally plus it's easier and safer for baby. She said ok we will start to ripen your crevice with a membrane sweep at 37 weeks so you will have a better change of going into labor on your own. I'm 33 weeks now and the more I think about this the more I'm worried about doing it at 37 weeks. I heard it doesn't work unless your ready anyways and what not but before this kid I have never even heard of it or had it done. But I do think it's better than being medically induced. But should I start at 37 weeks? The way she said it made me believe she would do it at 37 and each week after till baby comes. Thoughts? Advice? Suggestions? I'm all ears!!! I just want what's safest for my daughter and I also don't want to be medically induced again. TIA

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COMMENT (6)

Kb

Posted at
My dr said that in her opinion a sweep will only speed things up by days not weeks so she always tries a sweep before medically inducing with the option to try the sweep more than once but she also believes that the first sweep is the most effective so if it does nothing, more sweeps are unlikely to do anything. But again she said in her opinion and experience, it's not necessarily a written fact

Kb

Kb 🎀 • Oct 10, 2017
I hope it works for you! I had neither a sweep nor an induction with my first, but will be trying at least one this time around. My daughter came naturally over a week early and fairly quickly and I live 3+ hours away from the hospital so my dr doesn't want me to go into labour on my own incase I can't make it to the hospital. I'm very nervous about this!

Ca

Casey • Oct 10, 2017
From the way I understood it she wants to start at 37 weeks and do it each week to hopefully help me go into spontaneous labor instead of another medical induction.

Ra

Posted at
That's pretty strange to me that a doctor would do a sweep at 37 weeks. I have went early with all my kids though first at 37wks second at 38wks third at 36wks they were all healthy and came home when I did with no nicu time. Is your baby measuring big? Do you usually go over? Maybe his thoughts will change the closer you get. You have a right to refuse it too. All in all 37 weeks is considered term to where 40 weeks is full term.

Ra

Ra • Oct 9, 2017
I see makes more sense just trying to help you along

Ca

Casey • Oct 9, 2017
Yes she is measuring big, maybe I should have wrote it a little better. My dr isn't doing it to send me into labor at 37weeks from the way I understood it she wants to do it at 37 weeks and each week after to ripen my cervix so that way I will going to spontaneous labor by the time I reach 40 weeks/ when ever my body is ready.