PPROM

Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes (PPROM)

This is what I was diagnosed with on 12 th March. My waters broke late on the previous day and as you all know this is too early for it to happen. I was at 30 weeks + 5 days. Under advise from my midwife, we hung on until the Sunday and when I hadn't stopped leaking amniotic fluid, we went straight to the Mater Mother's hospital. After examination, I was told that I had a 50% chance of going into labour in the next day or so and so as a precautionary measure, I had to be given corticosteroid injections so that if the baby did come, it's lungs would develop in time, and I was also put on a course of IV antibiotics to help stop and prevent any infection that may occur. I was kept in hospital for 2 nights.

As you can imagine, this was a great shock to Duncan and I. One day we have no worries at all about the pregnancy... I am healthy, baby is healthy, no aches or pains, everything seems to be going towards a successful planned homebirth, and then the next day, we are faced with the very real possibility that we will have a premature baby in hospital ... and this is still a very real possibility.

How can this happen?
Why us?
What did I do?
How can I stop it?
WHY???????

So since then we've been informed more about PPROM which is when the water's break preterm (before 37 weeks gestation) and before labour begins. It can occur in 1-2 % of all pregnancies and is generally thought to be the result of a subclinical infection that can weaken the membranes, but mostly, the cause is unknown. There is nothing I could have done, or known about, to prevent this from happening - it's just bad luck.

A significant risk of PPROM is that the baby is very likely to be born within one week of the membrane rupture. Another major risk of PROM is development of a serious infection of the placental tissues called chorioamnionitis, which can be very dangerous for mother and baby. So for this as I mentioned above - I was treated with steroids for baby's lungs and I am on antibiotics to prevent infection. The statistics for going into labour after the membranes rupture vary between 50-80% in the first week, and about 10-20% last beyond 2 weeks.

So for me now, I am 32 weeks today and it has been 8 days since my membranes ruptured. I am at home now resting as much as possible and monitoring my pulse, temperature, blood pressure and amount/colour of leakage for any signs of infection (every 4 hours). I have to go to the hospital every 2nd day for check up where they take a blood sample to test for C reactive protein - the first indication of infection, and to monitor the baby's heart rate and for any signs of labour. I am taking all the vitamins, minerals and herbs that improve the immune system, promote muscle relaxation and encourage tissue healing. And so far so good. The baby is very active still which is a positive sign that everything is ok and that I won't go into labour any time soon.

There is so much more I can say about what has happened to us but for now, I have to go to hospital for my check up.