Waters broke at 34+5 - any positive experiences or advice?

[pachamama]

Hello ladies,

I'm a bit freaked out to be posting on here to be honest. I'd completely convinced myself that I'd be battling the hospital to not be induced at T+12 when all of a sudden my waters broke at 10pm last Thursday evening at 34+5!! To say I was shocked was a bit of an understatement. Thursday was my last day at work and I'd planned to sort baby stuff and hospital bag etc leisurely over the next 6 weeks or so...

Anyway, went into hospital, clear liquor, normal obs, trace on baby beautifully normal, baby moving around as normal. Kept in overnight to 'await events'. Discharged home the following day with antibiotics 4 x a day, monitoring temperature every 4 hours, plus colour of liquor and movements of baby.

Well, still no signs of labour (fingers crossed). I'm really hoping to keep LO in for a while longer, as I know every day counts at this stage (today I'm 35+1).

Does anyone have any positive experience of preterm prolonged rupture of membranes? Also interested in baby weights and time spent on NICU at this gestation.

Thanks in advance.

x

 

[cat81]

Hi,
I'm new to this thread but am going through something similar myself. I was at work until last Tuesday and had a totally normal pregnancy up to that point. I went into the hospital on Tuesday evening to get checked over as I had had some bloody discharge during the day and was a bit concerned. I had my baby at 10.05 that night at 33 weeks +5 days.
Little Thomas is a good weight for his gestation (5lb 2oz at birth). He is currently in SCBU but is doing really well. He had some trouble breathing at first and had to go on CPAP but is now breathing on his own. He is still being fed through a tube but we are increasing his feeds and I hope that in a day or so, I will be able to try feeding him myself.
It's been a shocking and emotional week and it is the hardest thing in the world to go home and have to leave your baby in the hospital. At the moment I am spending all day everyday with him and just can't wait to bring him home.
I consider myself lucky though that he is doing so well and that he managed to hang on until he reached a good weight. As you have already reached 35 weeks, I am sure your baby will be absolutely fine even if it arrives a little early.
Am thinking of you and hoping your little one can hang on a little bit longer. xxx

 

[pachamama]

Thanks Cat81 - your story is very reassuring to hear - and wow! Thomas's weight was fabulous for his gestation. It all sounds like rather a shock though - you poor thing.

Great to hear he's doing so well. Do you know when he might be able to come home? I guess you need to see how he does with breastfeeding etc... Have you been expressing so far?

I can't imagine how horrible it must feel to leave him behind at the hospital though. That's the bit I'm really not looking forward to.

Thanks again for your story and keep me updated as to how Thomas does.

x

 

[cat81]

All the nurses and doctors are very reluctant to give us an idea of when he will be able to come home. What they tend to say is that you should aim for your due date but my due date is not until 3rd September so I am hoping that he will come home long before then. I think that they just don't want to get your hopes up in case things don't improve as quickly as we would like.

I am producing loads of milk - far more than he is able to take at the moment - so I have filled up the hospital freezer with my supplies! Can't wait to try him on the breast though as I think it will help me feel a bit more useful. I am able to hold him thankfully and had hours of cuddles with him today. I can also do things like change his nappy and giving him a wash with cotton wool which is really important when you have a baby in SCBU and can't do all the normal things that you want to as a mother.

I really hope that by the time your little one comes along, he / she is strong enough to stay with you. Keep me updated on how you are getting on. I will let you know how Thomas is doing in the next few days so you can get an idea of what you might have coming if baby can't wait. Good luck x

 

[nineena]

Hey hun not had any experience of having this happen coz my waters broke at 35wks and i gavebirth 7hrs later but Ella is now just over 5wks old and apart from surgical issues unrelated to her prematurity she's absolutely fine. Hope your bubs does stay in there a bit longer though and hope that the hospital are keeping an eye on you r.e infection and the likes. Oh ive also heard that your waters can sometimes replace themselves but im not sure how accurate this is hugs xxx

 

[pachamama]

Cat81 - that must feel amazing to be able to produce so much milk to feed him... that, along with washing him and changing nappies, would help me to feel like a proper mummy too. Will look forward to updates from you.

Nineena - great to hear that Ella is doing well - what're the surgical issues she's facing? Have you posted about them elsewhere where I can read about it? Hope she's going to be ok. It's such a worrying time isn't it?

The hospital have me on antibiotics and I'm monitoring my temp 4 hrly, keeping note of the colour of the amniotic fluid and monitoring regular baby movements. I've read that the amniotic fluid replaces itself every 3-4 hours and I must say I'm drinking 2-3 litres of water a day and I keep leaking but at least there's stuff to leak iykwim?

As of this morning, I've clear liquor, bubs is wriggling, no temperature and no contractions. Am off up to the day-unit at our local hospital to have a trace done to ensure bubs is very happy and then will continue to rest at home and 'await events'. Each day that passes makes me just a little happier.

x

 

[clairec81]

Glad to hear your hanging in there! My story is slightly different, my waters broke at 24 weeks after having low fluid from around 19 weeks - v scary! We did the hospital stay awaiting baby and at that stage things looked pretty grim. Anyway when baby didn't make an appearance after a week and i had had my antibiotics and steroid shots, I was discharged and went home. I kept waiting on our LO making an appearance and like you just trying to gain more time. Well we managed to go a further 8 1/2 weeks and our daughter was born on Christmas Eve at 33 + 4 weeks. She was 3lb 1oz which was small but that's likely to be down to the lack of fluid - turns out placenta wasn't doing what it should have. She spent 6 weeks in NICU just getting bigger and really defied all the odds as she was only on a ventilator for 6 hours - doctors were very sure her lungs would not be ok! Anyway sorry for the long post but hang on in there and although this is not strictly medical advice i'd say to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated, think it helped in my situation. Keep us posted and try to relax.

 

[poppykat]

My baby was born at 34+6 due to fetal distress (so no advice on waters breaking) and weighed 6lb 5oz, so was a big girl!

She spent a week in special care altogether, 2 days on CPAP, 4 days in an incubator and 6 days with a feeding tube. It was tough going and the hardest bit was leaving hospital and going home without my daughter There were a few babies in special care at the same gestation and they were all in about the same amount of time.

I desperatley wanted to breast feed and was able to express milk for Chloe for 4 weeks but because she was early she was too weak and sleepy to latch on to me so we had to switch over to formula in the end which was a very hard decision. But...

Chloe is now 3 months old and doing great! Her development is slightly behind, but the doctor said we have to think of her from her due date rather than her date of birth. For example she has only started smiling in the last 3 weeks. She is 100% healthy though so we are very grateful and lucky.

I hope everything goes well for you and your baby arrives safely and healthy xx

 

[Bec L]

Poppy was born at 34 +2 after SROM. She was 5lb 1 and was in SCBU for 2 weeks. Like the other girls say, the hardest thing in the world is leaving them at hospital each night but as you've made it to 35 wks there is every chance your LO won't be in for too long.
Keep us posted and good luck!

 

[nineena]

Sounds like theyre taking really good care of you and monitoring things so closely and its great that bubs is still wriggling around and yay no contractions

See you found my post on Ella so no need to comment about it on your thread but thanks for your lovely words
Come on bubs stay in mummy for a lil bit longer xxx

 

[25weeker]

I was born at 35+3 and weighed 4lb 13oz. I was tube fed for 2 days as I was a bit jaundiced and went home after 5 days. Although this was over 30 years ago when mums stayed in hospital for longer so she never had to leave me at the hospital. However the midwife shouted at her and asked her what she had done to put herself in labour! Couldn't imagine them doing that now

As you have probably been told every baby is different so it is a difficult question to answer. Hopefully you will stay infection free and last a bit longer and your lo stay in neonatal is short.

 

[pachamama]

Just thought I'd update.

I went to the hospital yesterday for a check up. Ended up waiting 1hr and 15 minutes to see someone! (during which time I was getting hungry, uncomfortable, hot and bothered...)

Anyway, they put me on the heart rate monitoring and did all my other obs (temp, BP, pulse etc) and all was fine. Bubs was wriggling around lots. The only minor scare was that the midwife was convinced bubs was breech but I know he's not (had a scan last Thurs and know by where the movements are that he's head down). Anyway, she had about 3 or 4 feels and then seemed to be convinced I was right.

So, that was that. Sent home again to await events...and continue to take antibiotics, monitor temp, fluid, movements etc.

My next milestone is Thursday when I've a consultant appointment to discuss the plan. I guess at some point it becomes more beneficial for the baby to be out rather than in, but I can't imagine that time's before 37 weeks (unless they find another problem.)

Thanks again for all your stories, they make such a difference to my worry.

x

 

[cat81]

Really glad to hear he's still hanging in there. I am sure you will be absolutely fine. Please let us know how you get on. xxx

 

[babymad]

My waters started leaking at 35weeks. I was kept in for most of the time and then given an induction date of a week later. They sent me home a few days before that and I went in daily for monitoring. I had the steroid injection for baby's lungs. My baby was born at 36+1 and apart from being a bit small (4lb 11oz) he had no issues whatsoever apart from jaundice.

I responded well to the induction medicine and gave birth in just under 4 hours once they put me on the drip. I had started contracting overnight only for them to stop in the morning 2 days before I went in so I think I was favourable for induction.

I hope you hang on in there as long as possible and the baby and birth are fine.

Good luck

 

[pachamama]

Thanks for your post babymad. Glad to hear your LO did so well. Was he just naturally small or did they think there was something else going on?

Just out of interest, was he your first? Also, did he have to spend any time on NICU?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks again.

x

 

[maisiemoo]

Hi Hun,

My waters broke at 32 weeks and i gave birth to my daughter at 33 weeks She weighed 4lbs 4ozs and once BF was established, she came home. Within this time, she also had surgery (unrelated to her prematurity). Although it's scary giving birth to an early baby, they're little fighters and incredibly robust!

When my waters broke, i was told that if i didn't go into labour within 48 hours then the pregnancy will continue until 36 weeks. If i had reached 36 weeks, then i would have been induced.

She's now 10 weeks old and doing really really well.

 

[Alias]

I had my daughter at 34+6, although under different circumstances (ruptured placenta). Ellie was in an incubator and CPAP for a few hours, and then into a cot on her own. She was in SCBU for just under 2 weeks until she learned to feed properly. Otherwise we've had no gestation-related issues, and she's mostly keeping up with her actual age. She was 5lbs 6oz at birth, so we were also lucky she was a decent size!

 

[New2Bumps]

My waters broke at 35+5 and Ethan held on a bit, was born 36+1 weighing 6lbs so a really good weight. He was in neonatal for 1 week then home 3 weeks before his due date.
Hope your LO manages to hang on a bit longer x