Being past due - essential info about membrane sweeps and inducing labour
Do the days following your due date feel unbelievably slow? Have your windows never been cleaner? Is your chili pepper consumption getting a little out of control? It might be good to know that it’s completely normal to go into labour anywhere from two weeks before to two weeks after your due date. Only about five percent of babies are actually born on the ‘right’ day.
The final weeks of pregnancy tend to be a drag, and if you go into overtime, waiting for the baby can feel unreasonably slow. Once your due date has passed, you will start going in to see your doctor or midwife for regular check-ups. They will keep an eye on mother and baby to make sure you are both doing well. Sometimes, if the cervix is ripe, they might try to kickstart labour with a membrane sweep; otherwise they’ll try not to interfere more than necessary and let labour begin naturally instead.
What to do when you’re past due
Is there any way to get the baby to want to come out and begin labour? Suggestions out there range from cleaning the windows to eating loads of hot chili peppers and hopping on one foot on the edge of a sidewalk – but the best option is to preserve your energy and let the windows wait. There is no evidence that any of these things work, but there is a risk of getting tired – and an upset tummy from all that spicy food. Raspberry leaf tea or sex (if you’re in the mood) might be worth trying to start labour. There isn’t any evidence from research that tea works, but a little cup could never hurt. Sex, however, can increase oxytocin in the body, which is the most important hormone for stimulating contractions. Active labour is when an oxytocin onslaught from closeness and love offer the most benefit and make giving birth easier. But you certainly won’t be in the mood in the midst of giving birth.
Induced labour is more common if this is your first baby. We’re not sure why, but age, genetics and overweight do play a role. For non-first-timers, it’s also more common if you went into overtime with your previous baby.
What is a membrane sweep?
If you pass your due date and your cervix is ripe, you might have a membrane sweep, which is an option whether you’re a first-timer, or if you’ve given birth before and you’re past due. A membrane sweep can help start contractions. A midwife or doctor does a vaginal exam, aiming to reach the amniotic membranes and separate them from the lower cervix. The separation stimulates the release of hormones that help start labour. A membrane sweep is effective for some babies, and doesn’t do the trick for others – they stubbornly remain in the belly.
A membrane sweep can be uncomfortable or painful, and there may be some bleeding afterwards. It’s also important to know that it’s always okay to stop if it doesn’t feel good. A membrane sweep isn’t something you do yourself; rather, a midwife who is monitoring the situation would do this procedure, and follow it up by listening to the foetal heartbeat. If a doctor or midwife thinks it’s wise, you could also have multiple membrane sweeps, with a few days in between.
Other reasons to induce labour
Planned induction isn’t just for people who have passed their due date. Labour might also be induced if your water breaks, but you aren’t having contractions, or if the baby or mother are not doing well for some reason, such as preeclampsia.
There are a few different ways to induce labour, but the following methods are the most common:
- Hormones taken vaginally or swallowed. This softens the cervix and produces a boost of hormones that begin contractions.
- A hormone IV to begin contractions.
- Poking a hole in the amniotic membranes to break your water.
- Inserting a special catheter into the vagina, with the point inside the cervix. A small balloon of water is then inflated, which applies pressure that helps dilate the cervix and triggers contractions.
Induced labour also takes time
Being induced doesn’t mean the rest of labour is much different from how it would be if it had started spontaneously. You still have to go through the four phases of labour before you meet your baby. It might be a day or two before labour begins, but if the cervix is already ripe and you can start a contraction-stimulating IV, or poke a hole in the amniotic membranes, it usually takes less than a day. It is always easier to induce labour if the process has already begun and the cervix has ripened on its own.
Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.
