Before that summer ultrasound ~ get hydrated!

I was contacted by a mother who wanted a non-medicalised birth. But as a customer of the medical maternity services industry, she was offered and accepted a late 3rd trimester ultrasound at 38 weeks. Unsurprisingly, given the long days of summer heat, her amniotic fluid measured low.

Dating back to 2004, research revealed that indeed, oligohydramnios (low fluid) is more common in the summer months. Surely that’s enough time for this common information to make its way into maternity services. Further, a 1996 Cochrane Review, (updated in 2002) found that maternal hydration (drinking water) increased amniotic fluid volume. A more recent systematic review and meta analysis (2025) confirms that when women drink more water, amniotic fluid increases in as quickly as 2 hours.

Alas, none of this information was in the possession of this woman’s service providers. Instead, she was told her placenta was failing, the baby couldn’t develop in low fluid, maternal hydration had nothing to do with the situation, and the only solution was immediate induction.

This mother acquiesced as her higher reasoning was hijacked by talk of how her staying pregnant would hurt her baby, how the baby would not continue to develop, and how the baby would not be able to withstand a normal spontaneous labour due to cord compression. Paradoxically, she was also told that the first step of her induction would involve breaking her amniotic sac. I guess when the medical folks create low fluid it doesn’t lead to cord compression.

Surprisingly, the baby was born vaginally. Unsurprisingly, both mother and baby are struggling.

There’s a very strong probability that this mother will not be grateful for this intervention and will diligently work to avoid a subsequent induction, resist pressure from her service provider, and arm herself with more knowledge to advocate against interventions that lack good evidence. That’s the finding of recent study (2025) that asked women in Australia how they felt about their inductions. 93.3% said they would resist another induction while only 6.7% said they felt their induction was necessary or desired. I have no doubt that the findings in Australia can be applied to other industrialised parts of the world.

When over 93% of women regret their induction, we know that the medical cartel is not listening, or cares.

If you’d like to book some time with me to discuss your concerns, you can schedule a consultation online here.

Stay hydrated my friends!