I think I've sprung a leak. - Page 2

[southernmommie]

Any updates?? I hope that everything is fine!

Kodama- she already stated that she is going in a few posts up from yours.

[majazama]

Originally Posted by Kodama

I am a mom of 2 preemies. Please know that I am speaking from my heart and from experience. I do not even know how to write this without upsetting you.

For the sake of your unborn child, please get checked and try to realize that the medical people are not all evil. Most do look out for your and your baby's best interests.

It is possible to be on bedrest and still deliver naturally. However, your baby could be born early.

The NICU is tough, but a good NICU will help you with breastfeeding and is not the evil place you may think it is.

I hate doctors and hospitals too. But if it were not for them, my kids would not be alive.

I wish you the best of luck and that things go well for you and your baby. I also hope that you get your wishes. But please remember that the health and safety of your child are way more important than an ideal birth.

The OP stated in her first post that she was going to the MW to get checked (meaning a test to determine if the leak is indeed amniotic fluid)

any internal exams make the likelyhood of infection skyrocket. I think this woman is concerned about her baby enough to take precautions against getting an infection, and keep the baby inside, where they belong until they are ready to be born after 40 weeks or so.

have you read any of the literature speaking of the difference between a leak and premature rupture of the membranes?

[imatulip]

No advice, but hope all is going well.

[MamaHen]

Good luck and thoughts your way.

[salt_phoenix]

Update:

Well, it's definitely amniotic fluid.

I am currently laying in a hospital bed.
No signs of labor. YAY!
No signs of infection. YAY!
I'm healthy, baby looks great, still some pockets left of fluid, but it's leaking with no stop in sight (everytime I move).
They have given me the steroids.
I am on the JIC antibiotics.
I have refused the catheter urine sample.

I am at a good University Hospital with my PhD CNM sister with me (she's a great AP/NP advocate) who is helping me navigate the necessary and non-necessary crap.

They have been very nice so far, but it looks like I won't be leaving here pregnant.

I sure appreciate all your thoughts and advice mamas... I have had two wonderfully amazing homebirths... and here I am... the LAST place I would have thought I'd be... oh well... bleh....

I will be back to update you all when I know more!

[nolonger]

No advice either, just letting you know that I'm thinking of you and so is everyone else on the February DDC.

:: :

[SamuraiMom]

I am so sorry your are lying in a hospital bed after two HB's mama, it's funny how things turn out sometimes. I hope you and baby are doing well and that the staff treat you well while you are there,

[Spark]

Julie, I'm so sorry that things turned out like this for you & your babe. Please, feel free to mourn the loss of what you wanted so that you can go on to focus on what needs to be done.

Even in the hospital, you can still work some of the suggestions in the thread I linked you to. The homeopathics, the tinctures, the Vitamin C, inversion, water, etc. It IS possible for your bags to reseal & refill. Wouldn't it be great if you taught the entire hospital staff that?

Wishing you peace & comfort away from home.

[DBZ]

Wow mama. I'm so sorry you are stuck in the hospital with PROM. I hope that baby can stay put as long as possible.

[Kidzaplenty]

So sorry you are in the hospital. But truly, it is the best place for you to be at this moment (this coming from a hb/ucer that has never been to the hospital).

Hope your baby hangs out there as long as possible and is as healthy as possible when he/she decides to come.

Keep us updated.

[mom2_3birds]

HUGS!!!! Hope you stay pregnant as long as possible and can check out at 36 weeks! Fellow March/April 08 Mama here!

[shelbean91]

Not in your ddc- saw this on new posts. w/dd, I sprung a leak like you're describing at 31w6d. Was admitted to the hospital. Had 2 rounds of steroids and oral antibiotics, just in case. I had an IV the first weekend, b/c it was a weekend and my regular doc was out of town, but as soon as he got back and it wsa clear I didn't any labor stopping drugs (i had 1 or 2 doses of terbutaline, nothing more serious), that came out. It was mostly like bed rest at home, but at home, I would have been tempted to get up more often.

DD was born at 35 1/2 weeks, perfectly healthy, on her own. We had done an amnio the morning of her birthday to check for lung maturity and were going to induce the next morning (of course, I didn't know what I know now or that wouldn't have been an option), but she had plans of her own. With the leak, I think I had 3 vag checks the whole 3 1/2 weeks I was there, with the last one figuring out i was in fact in labor and 6 cm dilated.

Good luck- rest- keep cooking.

[flapjack]

Oh, crap I'm so sorry, honey. As Spark says, here's hoping that your leak reseals naturally anyhow while you're in there, that some intelligent doctor has enough sense to prescribe you probiotics to go with the abx so you don't get thrush on top of everything else, and that this baby stays in until the perfect time to be born. Which is NOT now, or even particularly soon...
We're here for you if you want to talk about your feelings, you know? I can't imagine what it must be like being in hospital if you're not sick .

[Mommyofalmost6]

Julie, I am thinking of you and your baby hun. I posted to heather on the sheknows board but since I ran in to you here I thought i would post to you personally. Your a great mama and yoru baby is lucky! I cant imagin how this situation must feel after two homebirths and the extensive converstation we had on the DIM board about homebirths and such. I hope baby bakes for as long as possible. Get rest and good luck navigating the un needed stuff in the hospital. I am so glad to hear you have someone there to help!

[ScarletBegonias]

:

hey mama, i saw your post and have been thinking about you. i admire your very level head!

[salt_phoenix]

Originally Posted by Mommyofalmost6

I cant imagin how this situation must feel after two homebirths and the extensive converstation we had on the DIM board about homebirths and such.

it feels unnatural and certainly nothing beautiful about it... just as i said it would.
yet here I am... and no one had to drag me kicking and screaming, much to dh's surprise. he even asked me when he got here, "what made you decide to come in?".
My answer?
The volume of fluid that has come out +
The intuition that it will be a very quick birth. (I live over 1 hour from civilization, where I am mostly alone all day) +
My desire to get the steroids to the baby. (i can't do that at home)+
Knowing that I'll never actually get full bed rest at home.

Fortunately, I'm not in labor as of yet and I can't help but wish I'm going to be in that 'lil 'ole 6% that won't? ha... a girl can hope, can't she?
I had a long discussion with my mw... after all this, the rupture, the abx, the steroids... if I manage to stay pregnant for 4 more weeks? I really AM checking out and going home.
No, I'm not banking on it. :
I WAS happy to hear they would not be inducing me unless there is infection present... which means I'm still closer to delivering naturally than I could be.
'cept here I am sitting in a cesspool of germs... aka: a hospital. bleh.

I feel fine. but can't sleep. not my bed, attached to abx tubes and external monitor, both of which can come off in the am, as long as all is the same.
I DID bring my own yogurt.

you mamas rock... thanks for letting me muck up the UC thread with my crappy medical situation. :

[LoveChild421]

Just wanted to give you a

I'm glad to hear they aren't pushing induction and your babe now has the benefit of the steroids. Is there any way you can get your dh to sneak in some probiotic capsules and some Vit. C? If you're on heavy duty abx yogurt alone might not be enough to keep thrush at bay (unless its the awesome homemade kind).

Take care and keep us posted, you'll be in my thoughts.

[Teenytoona]

OH man, Salt Phoenix, what a wild ride. It's wonderful you've got your sister there with you through it all...

We're all pulling for you, with healthy baby, momma and healthy and optimal birth vibes!!!:::

[lovetobemama]

Just wanted to send healthy baby vibes your way! Ans healthy mental state vibes to you, as well! I was on a bit of bed rest with DS, and though I was happy to do it to buy every day i could, it was still hard. hang in there!!! By this summer, you and your healthy, chubby little infant will barely even think about this crazy winter speedbump!!!

[Spark]

Originally Posted by salt_phoenix

I DID bring my own yogurt.

That's wise! The thing is, yes, you're there, but you can still claim this as your pregnancy. You can still treat PROM the way you would have at home if you want. In my heart, just from my own experience (PROM followed by PTL at 31 weeks, that was stopped, resealed, refilled & then went onto birth at 41.5 weeks all from homecare) I'm ambivalent about how hospitals routinely treat PROM. Some of it is just so counterintuitive. But, you don't have to follow everything if you don't want to.

Just some suggestions for treating yourself, take them or leave them:
- Inversion. Get your feet propped up higher than your head/butt. It just has to be slight, like a few inches. If your bed can't do that, mechanically lay your bed flat, then see if a friend will put a few big books under the bed near your feet. Try to sleep like that at night & as much during the day.
- Probiotics. I know you're taking yogurt, which is SO good, but with all those ABX, you'll need even more. Unless you're eating 2 giant family sized tubs of yogurt a day. You'll take 1 tablet/capsule every 2-3 hours.
- If you can have someone go to the health food store and pick up Wild Yam Root, False Unicorn & Red Raspberry Leaf tinctures. You will take one dropper full of each (in a small amt of water or in hot water if you like that taste) every 6 hours for an entire week.
- While at the health food store, grab Ruta & Arnica homeopathics. Preferably 300C, but go with what they have. You'll take 3 pellets each every 4 hours.
- Vitamin C, lots of it every 4 hours. This is to help infection. While you are on ABX, sometimes there's nothing like extra C to help strengthen your own immune system instead of relying on only ABX.
- Drink water with lemon
- Have raw nuts brought in for you to snack on. Raw (not roasted) have a lot of healing properties to encourage resealing of the membranes.
- Avoid Soy.

You do not have to get permission to do these. This is your baby & your heath.

Originally Posted by salt_phoenix

'lil 'ole 6%

That's B/S in my mind. The MW I used when my water gushed to the floor over the years has helped 30+ women with broken membranes. NONE of them delivered before 37 weeks. And, she is NOT alone. Clearly, there's something wrong with the protocol that hospitals follow... not with PROM. Just another reason to strongly encourage you to treat yourself. There's nothing listed above that would interfere with the steroids your on or the ABX. You don't need the Dr's permission to treat as you would at home, it's your body and your baby's health that's at risk. You can beat that 6% stat! I believe in you & your body!

I know how rough it is to be in the hospital when you really want to be home (hospitalized for HG in the 1st trimester my last pregnancy). Can you contact someone who likes hospitals to ask them how to make it more livable? Maybe a cooler with your own food, an ipod, ear plugs, etc.

Sending you hugs, love & support to treat yourself following a better than 6% method.