

Your midwife or doctor may offer to do a stretch and sweep when you have reached your due date. It also reduces the chance of your labour needing to be induced.Īnother advantage is that it can be done during a routine appointment and you can go home afterwards.

This reduces the chance of your baby being born overdue. It makes you more likely to go into labour naturally in the next 2 days. If your pregnancy is low risk, a stretch and sweep is a safe procedure. What are the benefits of a stretch and sweep? This releases hormones called prostaglandins, which prepare your cervix for birth. It is a simple procedure where the membranes of the sac around your baby are gently pulled away from the wall of your uterus (womb).

Your doctor or midwife may offer you a stretch and sweep when you reach your due date.It is a safe procedure that can reduce your risk of going overdue or needing to be induced.Stretch and sweep can be done during a vaginal examination.A ‘stretch and sweep’ is a way of trying to start labour by gently moving the membranes around your baby, from the wall of your uterus.Oxytocin (Pitocin) may be given to make the uterus contract. Active labour has started and the amniotic sac has ruptured on its own, but labour still is not progressing.If labour still does not progress, oxytocin (Pitocin) may be given to make the uterus contract. In this case, your doctor or midwife may rupture the amniotic sac (amniotomy) to augment labour. You have gone into active labour, but the amniotic sac has not ruptured on its own.Active labour has started, but your contractions are weak or irregular or have stopped entirely.If active labour has started on its own but contractions have slowed down or completely stopped, steps may need to be taken to help labour progress. (This is called rupture of the membranes.) It should only be done after your cervix has started to open (dilate) and the baby's head is firmly descended (engaged) in your pelvis. To help start or speed up labour, your doctor may rupture your amniotic sac.

Artificial rupture of the membranes to induce labour After the cervix is open a little, this step can easily be done in your doctor's or nurse-midwife's office. This type of chemical helps trigger contractions and labour. Sweeping of the membranes separates the amniotic membrane from the uterus enough so that the uterus starts to make prostaglandins. Sweeping of the membranes to help induce labour The catheter is left in place until the cervix has opened enough for the balloon to fall out (about 3 cm). The doctor inserts it into the cervix and inflates the balloon. When the cervix is ripe, labour may start on its own.Ī balloon catheter, such as a Foley catheter, is a narrow tube with a small balloon on the end.
