What can be done if waters break at 18 weeks?

[chickenrice]

Does anyone have any experience or know of someone whose waters have broken at 18 weeks? Can anything be done to help the pregnancy proceed to term or can the baby survive if the mother goes into pre-term labour? I've heard of premature babies of 28 weeks making it through but would appreciate any info anyone might have on premature rupture of membranes (PROM) under 20 weeks. Thanks

Sorry chickenrice, know nothing about this. Hopefully some wise mumsnetter will be able to advise. Is the info for you?

They can try to keep the mother on bedrest and see if they can make it to viability, but in the majority of cases of premature rupture of membranes the woman will deliver within 2 weeks, so at 18 weeks the outlook is not at all good.

I don't know anyone in real life that this happened to but it happened to someone I was in a buddy group with on another site whose dd was due at the same time as my ds. She had premature rupture of membranes somewhere around 20 weeks and sadly went into labour about a week later and her dd (otherwise perfect in every way) did not survive.

Sorry not to be the bearer of better news.

No Redtartanlass, it is for someone else who is too upset to post. Her amniotic fluid is extremely low and she is still leaking but the baby's heart beat is fine at the moment. Thanks LeahE for the info. This is what I expected to hear but I am still wishing for a miracle.

Anyone else have any info?

No Redtartanlass, it is for someone else who is too upset to post. Her amniotic fluid is extremely low and she is still leaking but the baby's heart beat is fine at the moment. Thanks LeahE for the info. This is what I expected to hear but I am still wishing for a miracle.

Anyone else have any info?

no baths

anti biotics

steriod drugs for lungs

bed rest

went from 23 to 27 weeks

good luck to her and {{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}

it is possible afaik for membranes to re-seal and also renew themselves.
however i don't know how likely that is.
so there is a chance that all will be well... but as leahe says, outlook may not be good.

i don't think there is anything anyone can DO to fix it iyswim?

PLEASE make sure the hospital is not giving her metrondiazole sp? its an antibiotic they give you for preterm labour and when membranes rupture although new research shows that it causes preterm birth!!
tommys research
she needs to get to 24 weeks before the baby will stand a chance of survival and before most hospitals will resusitate. it is possible im sure so im wishing her and you luck

Good luck to her, I will be thinking of her...just adding my support (((((())))))

Good luck to your friend

One of my friends had minor premature rupture (hindwater) with both her pregnancies, and made it to term, both times. I don't know how early her rupture was, but she stayed pregnant for months afterwards, I think.

I don't know from personal experience, but in my last pg (in and out with pre-eclampsia), there was somebody on the antenatal ward who had PROM. Hers went well before 24 weeks, and they kept her in on a/b's and bedrest to get to 24 weeks. The baby was fine during this time, but she continued to leak fluid. She did get past 24 weeks in the end, so presumably had the baby been born, they would have resuscitated, but I don't know the final outcome.

It was very hard on her, as she had other children at home, but she continued to feel the baby kicking, so felt that she had to do everything she could to give that baby the best chance.

Best wishes to your friend

chickenrice - my thoughts and good wishes to your friend.

A friend of my sisters went into labour at 22 weeks, though not sure if her waters broke, they managed to stop her labour and put a stitch in her womb, she went on to full term.

Got a friend whose waters were leaking from 16 weeks after an amnio - she was expecting twins - the leak was from one of the sacs but the worry was that if she lost one she may lose both.

Anyway, she had to keep on going in for regular scans (and kept on leaking) one of the twins were doing fine but the one with the leak was smaller - was a worry that even if she made it it wouldn't be known until after the birth if the lungs of the 'leaking twin' had developed enough.

Anyway, she had an emergency c-section at the end of Nov (she was 31 weeks) and both twins are fine at 4.2 and 4.10 (my friend is a big girl. They are both now nearly 9lbs and weren't due until the 10th Jan.

So not all is lost. xx

Thanks everyone.

She is now in hospital. No amniotic fluid left and expected to deliver the baby soon. Hoping for a miracle.

Oh hell

Oh no

sending her hugs {{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}

more {{{Hugs}}}}

Oh no what sad news, my thoughts are with them tonight.

bless her makes me moaning about going overdue seem really silly

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chickenrice - how's your friend

Bad news, I am afraid. She was sent home from the hospital with instructions to return if she has a fever or pain and more bleeding. The baby's heart is still beating. The doctor says it might take up to two weeks before she delivers. It's a very difficult time as you'd expect as they can do nothing for her or the baby and are not going to intervene while the baby's still alive.

Message withdrawn

I am so sorry for your friend