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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Experiences of ARM...

9 replies

pickleplusone · 31/05/2010 19:01

I'm currently 40+7 and drifting towards getting induced again (DD1 was induced at 40+12). After a week of back ache, cramps, Braxton Hicks, passing a lot of gunk (sorry TMI), and supposedly being 3cm dilated and won't make the weekend I'm finally disillusioned and thinking maybe I should just go for an induction.

Anyway, when I was talking to the midwife on Saturday she said the main aim of an induction at the hospital I'm going to was to get you to a point where they could break your waters artificially. Is this right?

They broke my waters with DD1 and I'm sure that was the point when it all got very painful and speedy and I went from breathing through contractions to demanding an epidural in about 5 minutes!

I was therefore going to refuse that this time but before I do, what are other people's experiences of ARM? Would you do it again or just wait for them to go naturally?

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4andnotout · 31/05/2010 19:06

I had ARM twice when I had dd3 and then dd4, I had my waters broken as I was already fully dilated and ready to push and as soon as they were broken I delivered in minutes.

LittleSilver · 31/05/2010 19:57

I've had it done twice out of 3 births. No, I wouldn't do it again; they told me it would be incredibly fast after they were broken as "you've alreday had 2 babies". Yeah right, I was still only 2cm dilated eight hours later.

That said, much as I absolutely understand why you might want to avoid induction, there is a rationale behind it in terms of why; well worth reading up on evidence base (AIMS, RCOG) to help you make the right decision.

tutu100 · 31/05/2010 20:03

I had my waters broken with both mine for different reasons.

With ds1 it was to try and speed things up as I had been in labour for a long time and wasn't dilating (turned out he was on his side) so it didn't make much difference to me dilating, but increased the pain of the contractions.

With ds2 I had them broken because I was overdue and my waters had started leaking but not gone fully. I was 4-5 cms dilated already with fairly sporadic contractions. After they broke my waters the contractions came thick and fast to the point where I thought I couldn't go on, but ds2 was born within an hour of the ARM so glad they tried that rather than going straight for the drip.

GetThePartyStarted · 31/05/2010 20:10

I was told that they try to get you to 2-3cm dilated via pessaries so that they can break your waters, then hopefully your contractions will start and nothing else would be needed.

I was 3cm dilated on Weds, had a sweep and booked in for induction via ARM (no pessaries as they wouldn't be needed nor drip unless contractions didn't start following ARM) on Monday, DS arrived on the Sunday!

Hope everything goes well

lovechoc · 31/05/2010 20:10

my waters broke at home but they had to break my hind waters once in hospital in the hope that it would speed things up - it didn't. 17 hours later I had DS. Took his time but he came out eventually!

It wasn't sore, just uncomfortable really.

OP hope you go soon!! I was 11 days overdue with DS and it felt like I was going to be pg forever - hoping this second pg doesn't last as long.

Good luck!

Original poster

pickleplusone · 31/05/2010 20:12

I'm ok (well resigned to the fact out of despair!) about getting induced. I'd just had it in my head that I'd go for the prostaglandin pessary and then let labour take its course from there.

The MW threw me a bit by telling me that the main aim was just to get you to the point where they could do an ARM so I just wondered if it was a 'normal' part of being induced to have ARM?

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foxytocin · 31/05/2010 20:28

the idea of ARM gives me the heebie jeebies. DD2 had a velamentous placenta and the midwife told me that had a vein been ruptured as is a risk of ARM she'd have bled to death. Most velamentous placentas are only confirmed after birth.

FYI a velamentous placenta is where the veins of the umbilical cord run through the amniotic sac before they disappear into the placenta. normally they go straight into the placenta. Apparently dd2's placenta was an excellent example of one. so i took photos.

LiegeAndLief · 31/05/2010 21:45

I had my waters broken at 3cm dilated to speed things up - I was a VBAC with pre-eclampsia so the doctors were hovering with a scalpel (or so it felt...). I was terrified as I had read a lot of negative things about ARM on here.

It was absolutely fine though, not painful at all when the mw did it - it did really speed the contractions up but I guess that was the aim! In fact I said to the mw just before she did it (rather pathetically) "will this make it hurt more?" and she said "yes, but that is what we want". Dd was born 3 hours later with gas and air.

Good luck!

OneFucker2Many · 31/05/2010 23:21

i had my waters broken at 8cm dilated when delivering my first dd. cant really say that i felt the pain get worse, but to be honest it was that intense anyway i probably wouldnt remember!

ARM was carried out at about 10pm and dd was not born untill 8.45 am the following morning, turns out she was back to back so thats what prolonged the labour. however just before pushing her out(only 3 pushes!) the midwife urged me to stand up and the gravity helped dd to turn the right way.

so in my experience ARM did not speed up delivery but only as dd was back to back.

good luck!!

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