Tag Archives: amniotic fluid

Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes: impatience and risk

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

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice, pregnancy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 232 Comments

In Defence of the Amniotic Sac

Updated: September 2023 Artificial rupture of membranes (ARM) aka ‘breaking the waters’ is a common birth intervention. However, an ARM should not be carried out without a good understanding of how the amniotic sac and fluid function in labour. Women … Continue reading

Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 227 Comments

Induction: a step by step guide

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

Posted in birth, intervention | Tagged , , , , , , | 169 Comments

The Curse of Meconium Stained Liquor

Updated: July 2023 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 and increasing her chance of having … Continue reading

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , | 205 Comments

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

Updated: May 2023 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 and I have provided references/links for research where … Continue reading

Posted in birth, intervention, pregnancy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 157 Comments