So I have a lot of questions about my last pregnancy & if I went into labor on my own or if my doctor stripped my membranes. I'm trying to come up with some theories on a future pregnancy. My son is now 18 months (can't believe it!) & I'm a bit foggy on the details.
Basically I was 37 weeks, 6 days along & the doc checked me. She said I was dilated & effaced. The next week at 38 weeks, 6 days, I had another appointment. That morning I noticed that baby P wasn't as active as normal, but I wasn't too concerned. Also, I didn't know what it was at the time, but I had a bloody show. It was a bit scary seeing that! I went to my appointment that afternoon & the doc checked me at 2 cm. dilated & 90% effaced. She was very surprised & said she would probably see me at the hospital that night!! I couldn't believe it! She was right. I had been getting steady contractions & that kept getting closer & closer. At midnight, we headed to the hospital. I made it to 7 cms. with all kinds of interventions & ended up with a c-section that next afternoon. Baby P was born at 39 weeks. The sweet sound of his cry made all the pain & uncertainty go away =)
I had been thinking it over & after talking with a few women, I started to think the doctor had stripped my membranes that last appointment without telling me to get labor started. Now, I really think I went into labor on my own & she didn't strip my membranes. If I started labor on my own a week before my due date, is there a good chance that it would happen again the same way & before the due date? I guess I will never know what really happened, but if anyone has any good guesses, please do share!!
Most painful thing ever! Both of my doctors did this to me and it had me in tears! I don't know if it had to do with stripping membranes or not, but I did go into labor shortly after having it done, but both of my labors stalled and I had to have emergency c-sections. I would not recommend it at all!
I doubt your Dr. would have done anything like that that early. Rest easy...the Drs. around here don't like to deliver anyone before 40 weeks unless it is absolutely mandatory. Each pregnancy is different and you can't predict labor. There are a TON of factors that weigh in to everything.
I haven't had my membranes stripped, but my sister did and she said it was pretty painful. I think you would know if your doctor had done it.
Also, it's extremely likely that you could go into labor a week before your due date, as due dates are mostly just estimated based on your period, unless you know the exact date you conceived. I got a new due date every time I had an ultrasound, which was annoying, just showing how inaccurate those things are.
I had this done with my first pregnancy and you would definitely know it. It was very painful for me. Some doctors do it near the end of a pregnancy to help things along and avoid an induction.
Stripping membranes is not painful, but I doubt your doc could have done it without you knowing it. There would have been a TON of fluid that you, for sure, would have noticed. It actually only took a minute or less and was not even as bothersome as any other cervical check. As far as when you will go into labor...only that little baby knows for sure!!
If she stripped your membranes you would have known it. I had that done not only once but twice when I was pregnant and it really hurt and I had bloody show afterwards. Im guessing you went into labor on your own
After having it done twice I still had to be induced!!
A.P.
My guess would be that she did not strip your membranes.
When I was 40 weeks pregnant, my doctor asked me how I felt about inducing labor. I told him that I was totally against it. He told me to take a deep breath because he was going to give me a deep internal exam. He was moving around and hurting me. I suddenly sat up and said "WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" He laughed and said that he had just stripped my membranes. I said, "Doesn't that induce labor?" He said,"Well, it can."
I stopped by a store on the way home and felt blood run down my leg. I went home as quickly as possible. I gushed blood, but only for about 30 seconds. I called the emergency room, and they said that this was normal after having you membranes stripped. It was kind of funny. I had pressed a towel between my legs and was afraid to look down, but the bleeding had stopped.
I would guess if you did not have pain or a short burst of gushing blood, you did not likely have your membranes stripped. They told me that the way it works is to cause a small hemorage. Your uterus contracts to stop the hemorage and sometimes this triggers labor.
Jen
Call the doc and ask. And, if she did do it without asking you, get a new doc!! The timing is all different for all pregnancies, and the due date is just a guess date. I don't think that there is away to accurately predict when you will go into labor.
If you were 2 cm and 90% effaced, she may have stripped your membranes to get the inevitable started. Chances are, whether she did or did not do it, you probably would have had your baby anyway.
If she stripped your membrane you would know, it is not like it is something she could do with out you feeling it. On that note, stripping the membrane often does not cause labor. I had it done with both of my kids at 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41 weeks, and was induced at 42.
Stripping membranes is not a comfortable experience. If that happened, you would know for sure. I don't think they can at 2cm dilated, I was 5cm with my second when my doctor stripped my membranes. It took 4-5 minutes, and was very, very uncomfortable. Not painful, but very, very uncomfortable.
My first was born the day after her due date. My second 2 days before. My mom always told me that it depended on how many days off from a 28 day cycle your period normally was. Like if you always has a 30 day cycle, your baby would most likely be born a couple days past the due date. I don't know how accurate that is though, I always had longer cycles.
Membrane stripping is painful - if your doctor did it, you would know. (If she did it and it wasn't painful, she probably didn't do it right and wouldn't have sent you into labor anyway). Also, it's not a quick little check - she would have a hand shoved up there for a while to get a good strip.
If your doc stripped your membranes it would have made an impression because it's painful. Also you could just call your doctor and ask. It should be in the records.
