Definitions

Routinely offered at 41 weeks for first time mothers, and forty weeks for second or subsequent mothers, the membrane sweep involves inserting a finger(s) into the cervix (definition link) and sweeping the finger(s) round the cervix in a circular motion to separate it from the membranes above and to stimulate the release of natural hormones such as prostaglandins. A Cochrane review from 2020 that included 44 randomized studies that included 6940 women from a range of countries found that membrane sweeps appear to be effective in reducing the rate of formal induction of labour (definition link) (Cochrane, 2020).