Stands for “artificial rupture of membranes.” This means that the bag of waters is released on purpose by your doctor or midwife. It is done with an amniohook and does not hurt at all as the amniotic sac does not contain nerves. Reasons for doing this may be to encourage labor to speed up or sometimes as a method of inducing labor. Some care providers do this routinely during labor. It is not safe to do if the baby is high in the pelvis, also known as “floating.” During labor if dilation remains at a certain point for an extended period of time, the bag of waters can be released to help the baby’s head descend and apply more firmly to the cervix to aid dilation. If an induction becomes necessary AROM can be one way of encouraging labor to begin rather than starting pitocin. Your doctor or midwife will usually want the baby to be born within 24 hours of performing AROM. The decision and procedure should be discussed with you before it is done.
Whispers of Hope: Nurturing Life Amidst the Shadows of Loss
This time of year has me thinking of a bittersweet story in my doula career. We had a client who was due with her first baby in mid-February. On December 21 she presented with preeclamptic symptoms that warranted an early induction at 33 weeks gestation. This client...
