It is every woman’s right to have autonomy over her body and her baby at all times during pregnancy, labor, and the birth process. It is shocking how often women have this basic human right, informed consent, taken away from them by their care providers. One particular procedure that is often done without informed consent is the membrane sweep. I’ve heard countless stories of women going in for routine cervical exams and their providers preforming membrane sweeps. Here’s what

Benefits - What are the benefits of this procedure? How will this help me/my baby/my labor? Risks - What are the risks of this procedure? How might this negatively affect me/baby/labor? Alternatives - Are there alternatives to this procedure? Are there other options? Intuition - What is my gut feeling about this? Need Time, or Nothing - Can I delay this procedure and take some time to think about it/Discuss it with my partner? What will happen if I choose to do nothing for no