The ultrasound is today! I can't wait! I am so anxious to see how big she is and make sure everything is ok. I can't believe I only have 17 days to go. I love that ticker. I am so ready it is annoying. Everybody asks me how much longer and when is the baby due. I am sick of answering! I have been doing some research on stripping the membrane. I wasn't 100% sure what actually happened when they did it. Here is some of what I found in case your interested.
Q. What does "stripping of the membranes" mean? How is it done and how is it different than breaking my water?
A. As you probably know, the bag of waters is inside the uterus, and the bag is composed of membranes. The membranes tend to cling to the wall of the uterus until after the baby is born and the placenta is expelled. As the cervix begins to soften and open (dilate) at the end of pregnancy, the part of the membranes that was over the cervical opening can be felt through the opening when a vaginal exam is done. "Stripping the membranes" is done by inserting a finger between the membranes and the wall of the uterus to loosen the membranes from the wall. Sometimes, this stimulation of the uterine wall can help to start labor. Sometimes, the loosening of the membranes allows more water to collect in front of the baby which puts more pressure on the cervix and perhaps labor is stimulated that way. The procedure can be a little uncomfortable for some women. If the woman is truly near delivery, she often gets a contraction as a result of the procedure. Although stripping membranes is not considered a form of induction, the hope is that it is a form of stimulation of labor. Done too early, it has no effect, but if the body is nearly ready anyway, it can give a little jump-start to the labor process.
Let's hope it does! ~A
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