I'm 39 weeks and had an internal exam today. My Ob/Gyn said I was a little over 1 cm dialated. I keep hearing people refer to Membrane Stripping and Effacement and have not heard of either one of these. Can someone tell me what they mean or what they are?
2007-02-23 10:44:32 · 3 answers · asked by shainamarie20 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
Membrane stripping IS NOT breaking your waters!!!!
When a doctor breaks you waters it's called ARTIFICAL RUPTURE of MEMBRANES (ARM)
That being said, when doctor's strip the membranes, they are trying to stretch the cervix and help your body to produce natural oxytocin (which is a hormone your body produces while in labour)
Effacement is the term we use when discussing the thiness of a cervix and is measured in a precentage. a normarl cervix is around 2 inches thick, so a cervix that is 1 inch thick would be 50% effaced, and 1/2 inch thick would be 75% effaced and so on....
2007-02-23 11:12:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Membrane stripping is where the doctor goes in and reaches around your bag of waters and separates the membranes from the walls of the uterus. In doing so it releases chemicals that will start labor (not always)
The doctor doesnt break the water during this process. They actually try to avoid this. This can be done as early as 37 weeks hence not wanting to break the water and bring on labor too soon
I had this done. I went into labor 24 hours later
Effacement is when your cervix starts to thin out in preparation for the birth. At some point you will dialate which means the cervix is opening up
2007-02-23 10:49:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stripping your membranes is breaking your water... i had this done when i was dialating and water wouldn't break. effacing is your cervix thining preparing for birth..
2007-02-23 10:48:08 · answer #3 · answered by Ash1227 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋