What it means
A watery fluid that cushions the fetus, keeps a steady temperature, lets the baby move, and helps the lungs and digestive tract develop. The fetus swallows it and adds to it by passing urine. Normal fluid is clear or pale straw-colored. Too little is called oligohydramnios and too much is polyhydramnios.
For the nurse
When the membranes rupture, note the time, color, amount and odor of the fluid, and check the fetal heart rate. Report green or brown fluid (meconium), cloudy or foul-smelling fluid, or bleeding.
In a chart
"Membranes ruptured at 0310, moderate clear fluid, no odor; FHR 140."
At a glance
| Spanish | líquido amniótico |
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Related terms
intermittent auscultation
Checking the baby's heart rate during labor at set times with a hand-held Doppler or fetoscope, instead of continuous monitoring.
childbirth
The process of giving birth to a baby, through the vagina or by cesarean surgery.