Understanding Membrane Stripping During Pregnancy: What You Need to Know

Question
I am 38 weeks pregnant. My Dr scraped my membranes today and I was wondering exactly what this is and does. He said it could help me go into labor. Does it work?  

Answer
Your doctor "stripped" your mambranes. He did not scrape your membranes. If your cervix is open enough so that a finger can be inserted into the cervix, if a finger is introduced into the cervix and the space between the cervix and the fetal membranes is palpated, this will sometimes release prostaglandis from the membranes and you can start contractions. We often use this method if you have reached your due date and we want you to go into labor. It is safe and can, indeed, put you in labor. However, it does not always work.