If you had a SROM the first time round.....

[wasabipeanut]

.....are you likely to have it occur with a second birth?

Or is it completely random? I am nearly 33 weeks and starting to worry that history (SROM, failed induction, em-cs) is going to repeat itself.

Well, it won't because I can't be induced this time round so I'll have to go straight to cs if labour doesn't start.

Just wondered if there was a pattern?

Sorry, what is SROM? Something rupture of membranes?

Slow Rupture of Membranes - they leaked but didn't go properly so labour didn't start.

NHS deadline from leak to delivery - 72 hours.

I am no health professional, but here are my thoughts and experiences.

ds1 - ARM whilst in established labour, which ended in emerg csection.

ds2 - slow and small leak of waters a few hours before labour started. Proper waters must have gone within the last 1/2 hour of labour (I don't know for sure because I was in a pool and a MW only arrived 10 minutes before the birth so I wasn't being observed.)

Lack of waters leaking/rupturing won't stop you from going into labour - many babies are born with the sac still intact (me included!)

Are you having a bit of a wobble about a vbac?

No, not at all I'm really committed to a VBAC. However, the fact is that last time round this happenned and I didn't go into labour - my waters started leaking in the early hours of a Monday morning and the synto drip went in on Wednesday teatime. They wanted to start on the Tuesday but I said no.

I suppose I just want to prepare myself for the worst case scenario. My midwife has been really supportive and is getting my hospital notes written up to inform that I will be declining CFM so I hopefully have less of a fight when I go in.

I don't know. As time ticks on I get more scared - my DS's birth took a year and a half and some counselling to get over.

SROM - spontaneous rupture of membranes - totally normal and what the majority of mothers experience.

It's normal to be scared and to have a bit of panic - I know I did many times. I was totally committed but still had moments of 'oh crap'

You sound like you have a great MW

SROM is spontaneous rupture of membranes, I think you mean PROM pre-labour rupture of membranes? No way of knowing if it will happen again tbh, but it has a lot to do with position of baby. If the head is not well applied to the cervix your waters may go but labour not start. Some hospitals will induce a previous section with prostin so that may be an option? Please be prepared for a major guilt trip over declining a CTG, although there is no evidence that it improves outcomes, they will give you grief about it as it is common practice for VBACs.

I had PROM with DC1 but went into labour within 24 hours

With DC2 I was almost fully dilated when my water went

Thanks for your thoughts everyone - much appreciated. Reikizen, my midwife warned me I would get some grief, hence her promise to get it signed off in advance. She said there was no evidence it improved outcomes either and my own research agreed with that.

It may sound like a silly question but if there is no evidence that it improves outcomes why is it "standard" procedure?

Because they like you to sit nice and still somewhere and rely on a machine to do the work, rather than having a rl human being checking and monitoring a labouring lady.

How cynical of me. However I really do think there is some truth in it.

I had SPROM with my first.. found out at a 28weeks scan not sure when they started to go DRs reckoned about 22weks due to the shape of DDs head as it was getting squashed from the pressure in the womb.(dolicopholous i think they called it). was kept in hospital until delivery which eventually happened at 35+5weeks via c section..

My other 2 pgs the waters broke in labour..(obviously both VBACS) with the last they broke with the first push. Waiting to see what happens with this one..

I was also givern a sweep to inducew the last two labours which both worked within 24hrs.. with in 36-48hrs of sweeps i was holding my babies.. Have been told they will do the same on my due date this time too if i want them too..
HTH

It's not silly, it's a good question! Because it has become standard practice, and is recommended by RCOG and NICE, in a court case it would most likely be judged to be negligent not to do it. See the recent publicity about the Albany practice in London where woman (with informed consent) has a VBAC in water. I think the baby died and now the Albany Practice has been suspended from carrying out their home birth service. The midwives, with maternal consent, listened in intermittently rather than run a CTG.
Don't know if the mum has taken the case to court or not.
And, as Iliketo has it, they do not have to staff the labour wards properly if machines are monitoring the babies rather than midwives. Sad isn't it?

All very interesting - thanks for your replies everyone. I have to say I was already thinking that resources (or rather lack of them) may have something to do with it as well as the legal aspect. God it's depressing.

I hate the thought that I am going to have to justify this but I'm a good 45 mins plus away from a hospital so my DH and I decided a home birth was maybe a fraction too risky if an emergency occured. Oh well, we'll see what happens!

I had SROM with ds and I went into labour 48 hours later.

dd was the complete opposite and born in a caul.

I think a lot has to with the position of the baby in the womb. My mother who is a retired midwife told me that early ruputre of menbranes is more likely to happen if the baby is posterior.

I suggest that you read up on optimal fetal positioning.

Thanks Reallytired. I have been diligently swotting on said subject. I did last time too and interestingly DS was recorded as being LOA when I started leaking last time and remained in that position until some point during labour when he seemed to get stuck - hence the failure to progress. That's why I was so frustrated - he was perfectly positioned and my labour still didn't start.

I have this fear that my body just doesn't know what do to. Completely irrational I know!

Don't let the fear and doubt in Wasabie, you can do this. Trust yourself and your baby. Take time to shut out the world and connect with your baby, telling them how much you are looking forward to them being here. Visualise how you want the birth to go and focus on the positive.

I know it all sounds very hippyish, but it does work.

I used some hypnobirthing cd's that were for vbac. I used them as a relaxtion technique and they helped me release the negative feelings I was holding onto surrounding ds1 birth.

Thanks Moveit - that's a really nice message. You are right of course and most of the time I do feel really positive. I just have moments of "oh shit I can't do this." I have done some hypnotherapy (ironically to get over my birth experience with DS)so will revisit those techniques to calm myself and focus on the positive.

No problem

Before the birth my mw used to say that she could visualise where the pool is going to be and how the birth will go and I can't tell you how much having positive comments from her helped. Having someone other than me and dh believing I could do it was a real boost.