mBLACK

I really hope this doesn't upset anybody. But howcome if your waters break early they can give you pills to keep your baby in, but if you leak amniotic fluid they need to get your baby out or you lose your baby? When your water breaks, is it your amniotic fluid? No? I know everything in the books except this of course!

BurtonBaby

I think it depends on how far along you are when they break or leak, and if the baby has a good chance of survival, while determining whether to deliver or try to medicate. I've read that your body can keep producing amniotic fluid (correct me if I'm wrong, I might be!!) and if you are leaking, you can actually compensate for what you are leaking, or close to it. Also when your waters break (most women) start contracting. I kinda wondered about this tho, my cousin's waters broke at 34 weeks, and her labor did not progress. They ended up inducing her after 48 hours. I dont know why they didn't give her medication to avoid infection and prolong her pregnancy at least until term. I dont get it.

mBLACK

Are your waters your amniotic fluids though? Or are they something else?

Margerle

membranes = amniotic sac
waters = amniotic fluid



Yes, we are continually creating and circulating amniotic fluid throughout pregnancy. If membranes rupture spontaneously and EARLY, they may or may not initiate contractions. The docs can decide if the rupture DOES start labor if it is better to stop labor with drugs or allow it to progress (the rupture of the membranes causes oxytocin to be released and labor to progress)

It usually has to do with how far along the pregnancy is, how healthy mom and baby are, and how easy stopping labor is.

Infection at this point is also a deciding factor. If infection is introduced either in the mother, or pregnancy organs (uterus, placenta, etc.) then labor is usually the only way to go...

Margerle

It could be your cousin already had an infection (which caused the ruptured membranes - so it was better to deliver baby and get them both on antibiotics.

Starflyr

At 34 weeks the risk to a baby of having long term side effects from being a preemie are not much. Yes, they may need special care to learn to eat and be in the hospital for a week or so, but they do VERY well. It's more of a risk to the baby to get a bad infection at that point than it is to go ahead and deliver.

If your waters break earlier, say at 24 weeks, they need to keep that baby in as long as possible. The turning point from "keep in" to "go ahead" is usually around 32-33 weeks. Problem is, one the waters are gone, lung development basically stops, so there is a limit on how long you can keep someone pregnant even if their waters break very early. I think a month is the longest Ive seen and that baby's lungs were HORRIBLE (broke at 20 weeks, delivered at 24), and I mean worse than your "usual" micropreemie. She didnt make it more than about 6 weeks because of it.

Sometimes leaks can seal themselves up, but it's pretty rare.

STar

mBLACK

Aww.. well thank you guys I feel much more informed now!

BurtonBaby

He actually had to stay in the hospital for a month. From what she has told me, they never confirmed that she had an infection. They said her waters could have broken from stress or from traveling (she went from approx 100ft elev to 7500 then back down). But they probably went ahead and induced sine she was already 34 weeks but labor wasn't progressing. Her little boy still came out just under 6lbs!!!