Starting to lose faith in my body, help! X-posted

[sesta]

(X posted to my DDC.)

It's been over 32hours since my membranes ruptured and nothing! Where are my contractions? I've been having weeks of off/on contractions and now that I really need them they are no where to be seen?

I am under OB/hospital care (much to my dismay) as that is my only chance to VBAC (midwives can't touch me here after having 2 c/s's). So far they have been 'pretty' good about things and fairly hands off. I haven't had a vaginal exam yet but I did have one 20 minute NST just to make sure baby was tolerating the stress of my membrane rupture OK - which she is. I had the NST late last night and they told me to return this morning to talk about my 'options'. The first nurse who saw me last night, at the hospital commented right away, "Are you sure you want a VBAC??" GROAN! That did not do anything for my mood and I left the hospital very pissed.

Why do I feel like my body is failing me? Where are my contractions? How soon after rupture am I supposed to start having them? I'm bouncing away on my birthing ball and am using a manual pump - my first start at trying to induce naturally as up until now I haven't done anything. These hospital people are starting the scare tactics, rupture over 24 hrs leads to infection yada, yada....

They did offer a low dose of pitocin, carefully monitored, to help get things started if nothing else but I am not comfortable with that as that increases my risks. I want to do this on my own!

Thanks for letting me vent, I'll try and keep positive now.

[joyousmama]

good luck!!! I was induced with my first so I can understand your concern, did they rupture your mebranes ? or did the water break on its own..? Homeopathic rememdies? Cohosh, castor oil if you get desperate, my widwife and clients swear by eggplants, go eat some!

[sesta]

My membranes strting leaking on their own the night of 9/11 though I fibbed to the Dr.'s and told them they didn't start until the next morning. Thanks for the suggestions, at this point I'd try anything I think.

[Tummy]

If you are only leaking I would not worry, keep eye on your temp and drink LOTS of water.

I had a leak for 4 days straight before I actually went into labor... I did go to the hosp and lied to them just to get a U/S and make sure all was well.

I had no problems, but that was me.

I REFUSED to have a repeat.. in fact did go to the hosp, and was told by the oncall OB that I would be preped and have c/s or I would leave hosp.. well hours and hours later I gave birth in my bed at home.

Please do not let them bully you or pressure you into something YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH.

I am no OB/MW, but I see no problem as long as you and baby are BOTH doing really well, you are pushing water, and taking your temp reg... just wait it out, let YOUR body and YOUR baby decide when THEY as a team are truely ready for birth.. not any one else (unless there is complications)

Best of luck!!!

[heather_c]

I hope you are contracting now as we speak. Please keep us posted. Wishing you a successful VBA2C.

[JanetF]

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/prom.html


Quote:


Obviously, the risk of infection will be higher when there is a large opening in the amniotic sac directly over the cervix, and the risk of infection will be almost negligible when the fluid is leaking from a high leak in the hindwaters. Bacteria would have to be awfully clever to find their way against a tide of outflowing fluid to find a small opening high in the amniotic sac.

Some ways to tell that the fluid is coming from a high leak in the hindwaters:

Belly still feels full of fluid, and baby's body isn't clearly outlined in the belly
Without touching the cervix, do a vaginal exam with sterile gloves to palpate the lower uterine segment directly inside the vagina. If the baby is easily ballotable, meaning it kind of floats up a bit, then there's still fluid in the belly, and the leak isn't over the cervix.






Also:

Quote:
There are two layers of membranes - the outer sac (the chorion), and the inner sac (the amnion); it is possible for the outer sac to break while the inner sac remains intact; this can still release some fluid that might have accumulated between the layers. This would tend to be a small amount of fluid, and generally there is not a continuing trickle.
It is possible for baby to poke a hole through the membranes at some point. Then, as fluid is released, the sac may double over on itself at that point and, like Glad Wrap, stick to itself, forming a seal over the leak. Again, this would tend to be a small amount of fluid, and generally there is not a continuing trickle.






There is no inherent benefit either way. Some women find drippy labours irritating after ROM, some women’s membranes do not rupture until crowning, some never do and the baby is born “in the caul”. If you’re birthing in a hospital, regardless of how much fluid has left the building, stay home until contractions are strong and close together or you’ll be on a timetable and pressured to induce. You will be told that you are at risk of infection.



NICE guidelines from the UK state that women can go up to 96 hours without being induced. The likelihood of infection is significantly reduced if you put nothing in your vagina (this includes VEs which are a major way germs are spread) and stay home in your own friendly germ environment as long as possible.



http://www.radmid.demon.co.uk/prom.htm

5.5 Induction of Labour in the presence of Prelabour Rupture of the Membranes (page 2

5.5.1 ....Epidemiological data on time interval from term PROM to spontaneous labour demonstrates that most women go into spontaneous labour within 24 hours of rupturing their membranes.

86% of women will labour within 12-23 hours
91% will labour within 24-47 hours
94% will labour within 48-95 hours
6% of women will not be in spontaneous labour witthin 96 hours of PROM.

USA Midwife Archives page on Prelabour Rupture Of Membranes:
www.gentlebirth.org/archives/prom.html

NICE/RCOG guidelines on induction of labour (short form)
(www.nice.org.uk/article.asp?a=17321)

NICE/ RCOG evidence- based full clinical guideline on induction of labour
(http://www.nice.org.uk/pdf/inductio...ourrcogrep.pdf)

Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) By Elizabeth Bruce, on the Compleat Mother site. Discusses both prelabour and preterm rupture of membranes.
www.compleatmother.com/prom.htm

Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes, from the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center - Straightforward factsheet.
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~obgyn/mfm/...term_PROM.html

PROM guidelines from MoonDragon Midwifery Practice
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/...86/varia2.html

Midwifery Today e-news on premature (ie prelabour) rupture of membranes
www.midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews2n46.asp

http://www.empoweredchildbirth.com/a...turelabor.html