I am likely to need to end this pregnancy over the next few weeks due to very early and complete rupture of membranes.

[Methe]

Basically, I am 15+4 and on Friday at 14+5 my waters went just after having a laparoscopic cervical cerclage placed due to cervical incompetence. There is no fluid around the baby at all and although we are hoping for a miracle this is, realistically, unlikely to change. Without fluid the babys lungs will not develop and there is a likely hood of limb deformity not to mention prematurity an the risks this poses to my body.

I have had several scans and the baby is alive, I can hear it with my doppler and feel it from time to time too. The baby also appeared absolutely perfect :( I had been so excited about this pregnancy and am gutted beyond words that I am going through this again. My previous pregnancies we're both cut short by prom, at 30 and 22 weeks although thankfully both of by children are ok, despite being born prematurely. I have also had 4 miscarriages.

I just can't get it straight in my mind what is likely to happen. There is the (slim) possibility of the membranes resealing and the water re accumulating and as such we have decided to wait 3 weeks and see what happens. If after 3 weeks there is not an improvement in the amount of fluid then we have no option but to remove the stitch and induce labour. We are living in limbo :(

When you end a pregnancy at 17/18 weeks, what happens?

What bird said. Wishing you the best of outcomes.

hi, I have had two terminations. one at 26 weeks and one at 14 weeks. I believe that at 17 weeks it would be similar to the experience at 14 weeks. I am not sure if you have a stitch removed whether it would come naturally but I had antiprogesterone tablets to stimulate labour. Because i have had previous sections I then stayed in hospital and gave birth after a 24 hour wait and a pessary. I had to get to two cm dilated so labour was about an hour max from the pessary. In our hospital it is always done on a gyne ward before 20 weeks rather than the delivery suite.

I was able to see my baby and although he had some deformaties it was not horrible seeing him and I found it quite emotionally healing for me. I also took photos and there was a service for him with other babies which me and dh attended.

I am really sorry you are going through this with a wanted pregnancy and a well baby. I really hope you don't need to end your pregnancy or that it ends with a happier outcome. good luck. x

Thank you Birds and Dowager :)

Manitz, thank you for sharing your stories, I am so sorry you have had to go though it twice :(

I am hoping that i'll be able to see the baby, I am not scared of that at all although i know my DH is apprehensive about it. I am also hoping we'll be abe to spend some time with him after delivery. My consultant mentioned something about having to stop the babies heart before starting the induction procedure and i must admit I don't know if thats normal? Having a surgical termination is absolutely out of the question.

I so want this baby, its just not fair :(

i had the heart stopped at the 26 week termination. it is an injection through your tummy into the baby's heart. it was horrible and I was really really upset. I have since found out that others were given sedatives (valium or something) it would have been beneficial as because I was crying I was also contracting and the baby's heart was moving with each sob/contraction and it took several goes. I thought though that that was for gestation of over 20/24 weeks dependant on hospital.

I spent time with both babies. dh was not at the 14 week termination as he was doing childcare. He didn't want to see the babies but was supportive of my wish. I don't hthink you could have surgical, I wasnt allowed over 12 weeks but that could have been because of cs scars.

Sorry it is really shit.

ps all staff were excellent and really treated me with care and sympathy. I think they come into their own in these situations. My wishes were paramount regarding spending time with them etc. However the camera had been stolen luckily we had our own.

Oh I am so sorry, I really hope that you have a good outcome. Rest as much as you can.

I'm so sorry. I have my fingers crossed for you that things turn out ok.

I think that if you don't want to stop the heart then they should let you give birth to a live baby and let it pass away naturally. I'm so sorry.

I'm really sorry to hear this Methe.

I really hope that the sac reseals and your waters replenish.

I have had m/cs at both 16 and 20 weeks. In both cases I had contractions, felt like a normal labour. Delivering the baby was easier physically as they were small than my term babies.
With my 16 week baby I still have a cervical sutrue in place, I must admit it was agony. There wasn't time to remove it beofre i delivered the baby.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

i am so very sorry, thoughts and prayers are with you

So very sorry to hear about your news, I have no experience to add but hoping that your miracle works and your waters reseal. X

I am so sorry methe - hoping for the best possible outcome.

Sorry to hear this

I'm really sorry.
But, it's not over 'till its over. You still have hope.

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I agree that it isn't over yet though. So rest as much as you possibly can. I really hope that this ends well for you! X

My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Miracles do exist. Keep faith.

My thoughts are also with you.
Hoping for the best.

Hoping for the best for you!

Thank you all.

Boris, did you have to have a post mortem or was that something you decided on yourself? It is really kind of you to share what happened to you. I can completely relate to you needing to be there mentally. When my son was born at 27w we expected him to be very very poorly and I needed to know I could remember him being born, I feel the same this time and am considering asking for an epidural instead of any druggy drugs so that I can organise my brain a bit afterwards, memories mean a lot don't they.

Goingtofast, Thank you for sharing. Giving birth with a suture in sounds painful! I have very little cervix and Its been sewn shut from the inside. I dread to think whats will happen if i start miscarrying before it is removed.

Manitz, that sounds horrific :( I could not cope with that at all, poor you :( . At 17 weeks though I expect the baby would pass away as soon as it was born, if not during birth? I was completely shocked when my consultant mentioned the injection, it had just not occurred to me that it woud be necessary.

hi methe. i didn't have any drugs for the 14 week and none for first seven hours with the 26 week. by then I had presumed i would have the baby and couldn't really cope any more. I then had morphine which was really great. it doesn't make you high but it does remove you from the emotion of the experience and that's just what i needed.

I'm sorry that i made the injection sound so bad but it was very upsetting. however I would be extremely surprised if you needed it. If you do just make sure you have soemthing to calm you and hopefully it will be much quicker.

Methe, still hoping you don't need any of this advice. take care. x

Methe my 20 week baby was still alive when he was born. He died within a few minutes, I was holding when he his heart stopped which was upsetting but I am glad I did. My 16 week baby died before he was delivered.

I didn't have a post mortem with my 20 week baby as I felt he had been through enough being born early and as he was alive I felt that the mc was due to my body not his. I then had 2 healthy pregnancies. I did have a post mortem with my 16 week baby as it was my second late mc. Both times it was my choice as the baby wasn't of a viable age, I wasn't pressured either way by staff.

Were your losses caused by cervical problems Going? You don't have to tell me if i'm being nosey.. I am quite a naturally nosey person

methe, I bet I'm more nosey that you!

The first was at 20 weeks and was my first pregnancy. Baby was born alive so dr asumed I had an imcompetant cervix. With my next two pregnancies I had a suture around 12/14 weeks, both pregnancies went to term without any complications.
4th pregnancy I had a suture at 15 weeks. I had quite a big bleed the first time I stood up after the op, midwives told me it was normal (had nothing like it with my first). I was really panicky so was given a sleeping tablet when got up in the mornig I was really dizzy which I assumed was due to the sleeping tablet. When I saw the midwife for my discharge she noticed my face was bright red, dr's were called and they thought I was having a reaction to the antibiotics. I went home and felt awful so crawled to bed. Was very ill with a high temp and sore throat. Gp diagnosed a throat infection. A couple of days later I had a small show and then contractions started. I went to a&e and they thought I had scarllet fever as I was covered in a red rash and despite feeling better that day my temp was 41c. I had a scan which showed the baby had died. I delivered my baby and went home a couple of days later. My girls then showed the same symptoms I had with sore throats and same rash pattern and we were all eventually diagnosed with measles, the high temp I had probably killed my baby but I really feel that the big bleed was a sign tht something went wrong when I had the suture.
I then got pregnant agan and didn't want a stitch so opted to have a san every two weeks. Thankfully my cervix was fine despite having a large baby and excess fluid! I had my son at 38 weeks.

Merge I'm so sorry :( I've been in a similar position. I had a complete ROM at 12+3 in my 6th pregnancy (only one living child at that point). I was advised to terminate the pregnancy as the outcome was universally dire with a PROM so early - I decided to wait & see. In the end the baby died at nearly 15 weeks & I had a placental abruption & huge haemorrhage so was taken straight to theatre for evacuation under GA. The baby was blessed but we didn't see her or have a post mortem or funeral.

In my 8th pregnancy I had in intrauterine death at 17 weeks & labour was induced (anti progesterone tablets & then pessaries). Contractions started at 12pm & the baby was born at 6pm - I had a morphine pump for the last 10 minutes. We held the baby & have lots of pictures (he was recognisably a boy) the hospital organised a funeral & he had a post mortem. I needed an ERPC afterwards because the placenta was retained (very common before 28 weeks apparently) and we stayed in the SANDS suite over night - we were in the SANDS room on labour ward for the induction & delivery.