Tag Archives: amniotic fluid

Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes: impatience and risk

Posted on January 11, 2017 by

Updated: July 2019 Amniotic sac and fluid play an important role in the labour process and usually remain intact until the end of labour. However, around 10% of women will experience their waters breaking before labour begins. The standard approach to this situation is to induce labour … Continue reading →

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In Defence of the Amniotic Sac

Posted on September 16, 2015 by

Artificial rupture of membranes (ARM) aka ‘breaking the waters’ is a common intervention during birth. However, an ARM should not be carried out without a good understanding of how the amniotic sac and fluid function in labour. Women need to … Continue reading →

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Induction: a step by step guide

Posted on March 18, 2015 by

Updated: August 2019 This post has been inspired by conversations I’ve had with women about their experiences of induction. Induction of labour is increasingly common, yet women often seem to be very mis-informed about what it involves, or what was … Continue reading →

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The Curse of Meconium Stained Liquor

Posted on January 14, 2015 by

When meconium is noticed in amniotic fluid during labour it often initiates a cascade of intervention. A CTG machine will often be strapped onto the woman reducing her ability to move, labour in water, and increasing her chance of having … Continue reading →

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Amniotic Fluid Volume: too much, too little, or who knows?

Posted on August 14, 2013 by

Updated: December 2017 This post is in response to readers asking me to cover the topic of induction for low amniotic fluid volume (AFV). Most of the content is available in textbooks, in particular Coad and Dunstall 2011 and Beall … Continue reading →

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