Membrane detachment maneuver: when it is carried out

Detachment of the membranes

When the pregnancy comes to an end and labor does not start spontaneously, the doctor may decide to proceed with this procedure.

What is it for

Membrane detachment belongs to the categories of maneuvers that allow labor to be accelerated or induced and consists in mechanically detaching the amniochorial membranes from the internal surface of the cervix. It is a practice that is implemented by the gynecologist or midwife to encourage the onset of labor and delivery or to speed it up if it proceeds too slowly.

At the end of pregnancy, when approaching the 40th week of gestation, the gynecologist may decide to proceed with this maneuver which consists in inserting a finger inside the uterine cervix to mechanically create space between the uterine tissue and the membranes. fetal.

Is it a painful practice?

It is a practice that many women describe as "painful" or very painful "although it is important to remember that every woman has a particular pain threshold. The dissection of the membranes can be useful to prompt the onset of labor and to induce childbirth because uterine contractions are actively stimulated.

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Not only. In this way the maternal organism releases a particular substance, the prostaglandins which can be helpful in triggering or accelerating labor. It must be said that not all doctors agree that this technique is useful and there are some cases of pregnant women who have undergone this procedure without their knowledge. Doctors generally resort to this maneuver when the cervix shows signs of dilating, albeit minimally, because otherwise the maneuver is unlikely to prove effective.

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Indeed a determining factor for success induction it is given by the state of the uterine cervix. When there is a reason why it is necessary to induce birth, the degree of maturation of the uterine cervix can determine the success of the induction attempt: an unripe cervix can prevent the onset of labor or prolong its time.

The conditions that make the induction of childbirth necessary

In general, the conditions that make the induction of childbirth necessary are:

• over-term pregnancy (beyond 41 weeks);
• rupture of the membranes before the onset of labor;
• reduction of amniotic fluid;
• maternal pathologies (hypertension, gestational diabetes)
• fetal pathologies.

How childbirth is induced

For the actual induction of childbirth, specific drugs are used that promote cervical maturation and stimulate uterine contractions. The detachment of the membranes, on the other hand, is a practice that is used to stimulate labor in a natural way before resorting to drugs