ROM question

[kittie313]

How slow can a slow leak be? I have some suspicions but would rather wait it out longer before calling my OB on it, I love my OB but would rather *not* be at the hospital right now, my MIL won't watch the youngest when she's fussy from teething and the youngest is teething, plus I'd prefer a UC anyways (much to my dh's displeasure, but he did agree to a mw hb next time if we have a #5) So how slow can it be? Slow like an irritating wet feeling down there that is a bit more irritatingly wet during and following the half hourly contraction? Kinda like a leaky kitchen faucet that goes drip........ drip.......... drip all night and is annoying? (sorry, I'm really not good at describing things, my OB hates it sometimes LOL) DH wants me to call my OB if I still have this feeling that I'm having when he gets home from work tonight, I'd rather bounce on my yoga ball with an absorbant pad under me and go for a walk in the field under the stars and moon.............

I'm thinking no big deal, but I *did* test positive for strep b with all 3 of my older kids and am pretty sure I will this time too (had the swab done this week) Oh yeah, and I'm 36w5d if that's important (but my second as born completely healthy at 36w3d, although she has some developmental delays now at 3yo and she did spend a day in NICU for sucking problems that we worked out after a couple days) So I guess I'm a little nervous and cautious at the moment, and trying to make a good smart decision even with my paranoid dh in the mix and possibly no childcare for at least one kid for a few days until those two bottom canines break through the gum.

[hapersmion]

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it, and I certainly wouldn't go to the hospital. I'd be afraid they'd immediately put me on Pitocin and start the cascade of interventions going.

It could easily be just a urine leak, anyway - what I would do is get lots of rest, drink lots of water, and allow nothing in your vagina (in case your water really is broken) - no vaginal exams! And keep an eye on your temperature. Then just wait and see if anything happens.

Good luck!

hapersmion

[VegHipMama]

I leaked a little more than that for 3 days with no contractions (I'd been hit by another car at about 5mpg, so the seatbelt jerked and started the leak) before my doc finally said that since I was scheduled to be in the hospital for a non-stress test that day anyway (at 39w), which was the day before her day off, I should expect to stay and be induced if I really had not had a single contraction by then. If I had a contraction, then she was willing to let me stay at home longer. Unfortunately, I never got a contraction, and was stuck with Pitocin (an instrument of torture if there ever was one). If there's any way you can stay home until the contractions get bigger or you start to truly lose significant liquid, that's what I would suggest.

[bryonyvaughn]

About leaks...

1. they can really be that slow,
2. amniotic fluid volume can be replaced by proper hydration, and
3. the bags of waters can even reseal themselves.

The wonderful thing about amniotic fluid and gravity is that leaks continually flush potential infective agents *away* from the cervix and baby. Infection rates associate with ROM isn't so much a function of a magical 24-hour window as it is with things being inserted up your birth canal. IIRC the first and second vaginal exam aren't so significant but the infection rates shoot up exponentially with and following the third vaginal exam.

If I were you I'd do my best to keep things out of my vagina. Once you get to the hospital the first thing most nurses do is a vaginal examine which, if your waters are indeed leaking, would but you on a 24-hour clock to birth. Hospitals with evidence based-medicine procedures won't do vag exams on women with ruptured membranes in early (or not even in) labor but those sorts of hospitals are over an hour away from where I live. If you hospital is like the ones around here, I'd recommend, once you're mentally in a place to go to the hospital, doing your own cervical check at home. The information you get might keep you home from the hospital longer and away from a 24-hour countdown.

HTH,
BV