Do you think that really high activitiy levels at the end of pregnancy, IF you are dialated a...

[DeChRi]

That maybe didn't make sense, and this is a toally "thinking aloud" kind of thing. With DD1 I didn't dialate At All until I went into labor. I was not super active, just walking and such, the last month of pregnancy. 8 years later when I had DD2...I ran 2 miles/3-4x week until delivery, as well as maintained a 3-4x week pretty solid weight training routine, until delivery....all at the blessing of my HCP. With DD2 I did EPO orally starting at 36 weeks as well. By 36w3d I was 2cm dialated. By 37 wks I was 3cm dialted. 2 days before my EDD my water broke. I was dialated just over 3 cm then. No contrx at all, nothing. No contrx 24-36 hours after water broke, and because I was GBS+ I ended up consenting to pit to get labor going, as all the natural stuff over the last day and half didn't work. I made it w/o pain meds or any other intervention, but the pit fried me.

I have the same high activity level this pregnancy and feel great. My plan was not to do any cervical checks before baby comes, mainly because with DD1 I was 0cm the morning I ended up having her and with DD2 I was dialated for a month and no labor. But someone said something the other day that made me wonder if there was some corrolation between the fact that I was 3cm dialated for nearly 3 weeks, and quite effaced, while running and bopping around like I normally would. Can that increase the chances of water breaking? We also had been DTD a couple times a day for the few days before, and DH had once said...I probably broke something since you were dialated!!

Just got me thinking....if I decided to do a cervix check at say 37 weeks, and I am 3cm, should I dial back the running and such to avoid ROM before baby is totally ready to make her debut?

[thedenverduo]

I am also a pretty active person, and all I ever heard from hcp's was not to INCREASE activity once I was pregnant, and to back off if I felt fatigued/in pain. Anecdotal, I know, but I've just never heard of activity levels directly contributing to PROM.

On the other hand, I did a lot of research when I was pregnant on DTD while pregnant, mostly to soothe my dh's nerves about the whole thing. There is a study by Kurki and Ylikorkala that says that DTD, especially in the 3rd trimester actually seems to prevent PROM. (I just have the printout, sorry I can't find the link).

I think you are smart not to have any dilation checks based on your reasoning, and also on the fact that some research shows pelvic exams/dilation checks to be a risk factor for PROM.

I hope you make a decision that you feel confident in!

[Bethla]

Prom?

[velveeta]

Originally Posted by Bethla

Prom?

Premature Rupture of Membrames

[staceychev]

Interesting. I'm not super-active (I teach, so I'm on my feet all day, and I walk, and that's about it). When I had DD1, I was a walking commuter--school was a 20 minute walk each way. I didn't have PROM... midwife had to do it for me. I don't know if I was dilated early or not.

My cousin is a very active woman, much like you describe, OP. She ran and worked out regularly through her pregnancy. She had PROM. We were just talking about our birth experiences at dinner last night, actually. She had PROM, and they started her on pit at 3 cm.

Totally anecdotal, of course.

[etsdtm99]

now, i wasn't running, but i was MUCH more active (gardening, walking a LOT, had toddler etc) with #2 than #1 (had a desk job).. and i had PROM with my first baby (at 39 weeks) with my 2nd my water did not break until my OB broke it during my induction at 41 weeks.. I had internal exams both times..

[DeChRi]

Thanks for the input. It's all antecdotal, but interesting. Does anyone know (beside internal exam and infection) if there is any activity that Does increase PROM risk?