Cervical Ripening Balloon

Cervical Ripening Balloon

Cervical ripening balloon is a drug-free method of labour preinduction (getting the cervix ready for labour).cervical ripening balloon Having a cervical ripening balloon inserted can be uncomfortable and some women may need pain relief. It is a soft tube with a small balloon on the end which is filled with water to apply pressure to your cervix. This encourages your cervix to dilate and triggers some hormones that can help your body start contractions.

You will be laying on an examination table and the provider will put your feet into stirrups, just like during a gynecological exam. Your provider will use a tool called a speculum to check the cervix and see how much it is dilating. They will then clean the cervix with an iodine solution to prevent infection and prepare it for the insertion of the balloon catheter.

The cervix is a thin membrane that covers your baby's head. The balloon applies pressure to the cervix and increases its width, which stimulates a release of natural prostaglandins that cause contractions. Your provider will insert the balloon catheter through your vagina and fill it with saline or sterile water. Once the cervix has dilated, the balloon will be removed.

Your doctor will check your cervix once every 12-24 hours to monitor its progress. Your doctor will call you when the cervix is fully dilated and it is time to come in for your birth.

If the Foley balloon isn't causing your uterus to contract, your provider might decide to give you a drug like oxytocin to kick-start labor. The balloon could also fall out on its own, which is a good sign that your cervix has dilated enough.

Having a Foley balloon inserted can be uncomfortable, but it should not last long. Your provider might also give you nitrous oxide, which is a form of laughing gas, to ease the discomfort. After the Foley bulb is inserted, your provider will wait for a few hours to see how far your cervix dilates.

This method of induction is the safest for your baby and for you. Compared to pharmacological agents, it causes less maternal discomfort upon manipulation of the uterus, requires no special storage or expiration conditions and can be used in women with low lying placentas. It also reduces the time required to initiate labour and does not increase the rate of cesarean section, unlike some of the other methods of induction. However, there are some disadvantages of this procedure including discomfort on insertion of the device, increased risk of infection due to the introduction of a foreign object into your vagina and possible disruption of the low-lying placenta.