VBAC membrane sweep

Question

My gynae told me she’s gonna do a membrane sweep for me next fri (at 37 weeks) to allow my body to go into natural labour as for vbac it’s not advisable to induce due to risk of rupture. She said i may or may not go into labour...so we have 3 weeks to play around to allow my body to go into labour & if it doesn’t may need emergency csect.To all vbac mummies....have u all done this before & did you all go into labour soon after that? I know every body reacts differently but just wanna know those who hv experienced it! And is it usually done abt 37 weeks?Fyi my first was a csect as baby breeched..planned for 39 weeks but had emergency one done on 37 weeks as water level low. So my body has not experienced being into labour!Thanks in advance!

Jamielene Fernandez · Accepted Answer

Hey mama, please consider all the pros and cons of a membrane sweep before agreeing to one. Natural labour is exactly what it is - going into labour naturally and allowing the body to do what it is built to do. I’d like to encourage you to read some articles that are out there regarding membrane sweep: https://www.cochrane.org/CD000451/PREG_membrane-sweeping-induction-labour https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4576592/ In the coming weeks, you may even start now, go on slow walks in the evening. Creating movement helps give baby room for movement - when you move, baby moves too even tho it’s a tight squeeze. Pelvic tilts and moving your hips in circles while standing or while on a birth ball help widen and prepare the pelvis to make room for baby. Give your body time and distract yourself when you get anxious or excited. Your body has a lot of work to do - from getting the hormones going, to the loosening of ligaments, to practice contractions (since your body hasn’t laboured before) and later to have your cervix efface and dilate (there’s so much more that I haven’t written here). Stay strong mama! You’ve done so well this far!