Membrane sweeps can be painful. One medical study found that 70 percent of women found that membrane sweeps were associated with significant discomfort, and one third of women complained of significant pain. Membrane sweeping can also cause slight bleeding and make your uterus irritable and with irregular contractions.

When we do a membrane sweep, we are trying to strip the membranes away from the cervix. This is something that you need training to do, to make sure that you don’t actually hurt the cervix. So we wouldn’t recommend that you do a DIY membrane sweep at home.

Membrane stripping can be done during a regular office visit. Similar to an internal exam, your practitioner inserts a finger into your vagina and up through the cervix, then manually separates the amniotic sac from the lower part of your uterus with a sweeping motion.

You shouldn’t attempt to perform a stretch and sweep on yourself. Only a licensed professional should do it.

Women do not generally need to prepare for membrane stripping, which the doctor will carry out as part of a regular examination. The procedure usually takes place in a doctor’s office. The doctor may need to stimulate the cervix to dilate it, as membrane stripping will not be possible otherwise.

After having a membrane sweep After your membrane sweep you should wear a sanitary pad and can go home and wait for your labour to start. Most women will go into labour within 48 hours. If you do not go into labour within 48 hours your community midwife will give you an appointment to come for an induction.

If you lose the mucus plug and have signs of early labour it is more likely that things are really starting, but it is also possible for things to still take a while. Sometimes a membrane sweep (a technique performed to encourage the start of labour) causes loss of the mucus plug.

Typically, a cervix that is 10 centimeters dilated means you are ready to give birth. It’s possible to be a few centimeters dilated for several weeks before labor occurs, though.

Active Labor This phase typically lasts from three to five hours and continues from the time your cervix is 3 cm until it is dilated to 7 cm. True labor produces signs you don’t want to ignore. Your contractions will last about 45 seconds to a minute and allow you only three to five minutes in between.

Once your cervix has started to dilate and efface, labor is approaching. However, if you are just 1 to 2 centimeters dilated, or below 50 percent effaced, it could still be days or weeks before labor actually starts.

The time between dilating to 1 cm and giving birth varies from woman to woman. One woman may go from having a closed cervix to giving birth in a matter of hours, while another is 1–2 cm dilated for days or weeks. Some women do not experience any dilation until they go into active labor.

The cervix must be 100 percent effaced and 10 centimeters dilated before a vaginal delivery. The first stage of labor and birth occurs when you begin to feel regular contractions, which cause the cervix to open (dilate) and soften, shorten and thin (effacement).

Generally speaking, once you are dilated past 5 or 6 centimeters and having regular contractions, most practitioners will be fairly insistent that you remain in the hospital or birth center until your baby is born.

Natural Ways to Induce Labor

1. Exercise.
2. Sex.
3. Nipple stimulation.
4. Acupuncture.
5. Acupressure.
6. Castor oil.
7. Spicy foods.
8. Red raspberry leaf tea.

There is also no evidence to support the theory that a hot bath will induce labor. While it’s fine to take a warm bath while you’re pregnant, water that is too hot can reduce the blood flow to your baby, which can cause distress. The temperature of your bath water shouldn’t be higher than 98 degrees Fahrenheit.

Natural ways to induce labor

1. Get moving. Movement may help start labor.
2. Have sex. Sex is often recommended for getting labor started.
3. Try to relax.
4. Eat something spicy.
5. Down a little castor oil.
6. Schedule an acupuncture session.
7. Ask your doctor to strip your membranes.
8. Go herbal.

This is why it’s important to wait until at least 39 weeks to induce labor. If your pregnancy is healthy, it’s best to let labor begin on its own. If your provider talks to you about inducing labor, ask if you can wait until at least 39 weeks to be induced.

How to induce labor safely

1. Have sex. Having sex, particularly vaginal penetration, may help to start labor.
2. Try nipple stimulation. Nipple stimulation may be a natural way to get the body to release oxytocin, a hormone that plays a key role in both labor and breast-feeding.
3. Eat some dates.

L14. Located on the back of the hand, deep in between the webbing of your thumb and pointer finger, it can induce labor and help reduce pain. To apply acupressure, apply soft pressure with your thumb on the other hand. Massage the point for a few minutes.

While a foot massage sounds tempting, you might wonder if it’s safe during pregnancy. Fortunately, as long as you avoid specific areas on the foot and ankle that may trigger uterine contractions and cervical ripening, you can enjoy the soothing foot massage you’re already dreaming about.

Oxytocin is referred to as the “love hormone.” High levels of oxytocin are associated with love making, nurturing a baby, releasing of milk for a baby, and labor contractions. The elevated level of progesterone suppresses the production of oxytocin, keeping the mother from going into labor.

It determined that while there were no harmful effects associated with castor oil to either mother or baby, it wasn’t particularly helpful at inducing labor, either. When it’s effective at beginning labor, castor oil may cause irregular and painful contractions, which can be stressful to mom and baby alike.

As the countdown to birth begins, some signs that labor is 24 to 48 hours away can include low back pain, weight loss, diarrhea — and of course, your water breaking.

Lying down on your side Your partner can rub your back to help you relax. You may even drift off to sleep, at least between contractions. Rest until you need to be up to meet the intensity. Also try: rocking in a chair or glider.

You Are More Fatigued Than Usual Extreme fatigue is one of the early signs of labor, and you may notice that you are much more tired than usual. Rest as needed, and don’t over exert yourself.