Not sure what to do now - possibly waters going at 35 weeks sent home from hospital

[Ellisisland]

Long so apologies in advance. Am 35 weeks pregnant with DC2 Early Friday morning got a gush of water as I woke up. Thought I had maybe peed myself so put a pad on. About an hour or so later it was wet through and running down my leg so I called the midwifes and went into to hospital.
They monitored me and said the baby heartbeat had some drops in it but overall was ok. I was not having contractions and when they examined me they said they couldn't say for sure if it was my waters or not and to wait for the doctor.
6 hours later I got to see a doctor who didn't examine but said she was happy I wasn't having the baby and they would do one more monitoring and then send me home. How ever she then changed her mind after seeing the CTG and said I would need to stay in overnight.
Cue this morning I had another CTG and they said heartbeat was fine a few dips but nothing to keep me in for. Midwife said to be extra cautious I was to go home this morning and then call the day assessment unit myself tomorrow explain what had happened and ask them to monitor me and also do a scam to check the fluid around the baby.
So came home and have soaked through 4 pads twice having it run down my legs. It smells of nothing. Is def not urine. Just clear fluid.
So I don't know what to do. Baby is moving as normal. Do I call them again and spend another night on a monitor or just wait until tomorrow morning and see if they will scan me then? They don't do scans at the weekend. Am really confused as to what is going on so any advice would help thank you

Call them again. Insist on going back.

I would definitely ring and emphasise your concern that if your waters have gone there is an infection risk. Better safe than sorry.

With a definitive history of waters going like yours, you definitely need to go back . No question. You need a plan of care.

Also dips on a non labouring ctg are always abnormal and I'd be concerned that by the sounds of it you've had two ctgs with dips. In conjunction with a srom, a not very through exam by the dr and no plan in place.

Not really sure what they're hoping to gain from a scan. Even if there's a normal amount of fluid it doesn't mean that your waters haven't gone. Sometimes you just lose a small amount.

Sorry for all the 'definite'!

Hi all thank you for the responses. Just to update I went back in and had he same response as last time which was monitored, speculum, couldn't see much so they discharged me saying to ring this morning about getting a scan today. I have rung in and been told that I can't just ring up for a scan despite being referred by the delivery suite so am going to ring again in a few minutes to see if I can talk to someone else and if not I will go back into the hospital and refuse to leave ! Soaked through 3 more pads last night so the water is coming from somewhere I just want them to do something. Plus it will have been three days since this started and am getting worried about possible infections

Thanks again for your responses

I would demand that they do something about it because it seems like what they are doing at the moment is very negligent. Like others said, there is an infection risk if the waters break but labour doesn't progress.

OMG can't believe how negligent your MWs and Doctors are being!? Make a doctor write a note, saying they will take full responsibility if infection occurs and baby is born poorly. This is just disgraceful treatment!!

Thanks all. Good to know I am not over reacting. Well after ringing several times they have finally given me a scan appt for 1:30 this afternoon.
I took all my pads in yesterday and they showed no interest whatsoever but I will take my over night ones again today just in case.
I asked the midwife on the phone about infections etc and she said not to worry as my membranes and placenta would keep producing and the baby would be ok total opposite info I have been given everywhere else so just really confused now.
Thanks again for the replies

Keep asking to see more senior people until you get a proper plan in place. This is appalling

Right, they clearly haven't explained themselves well so I would keep going back and be very specific about pinning them down for answers eg have my waters gone (if they say no then ask why they think that giving what you are saying). However, either by luck or judgement (but with very poor communication) they are following normal procedure for a PPROM at 35 weeks. It is best to examine you as little as possible to reduce the risk of infection. You are not normally induced before 36 weeks for PPROM unless baby is in distress. You are at less risk of infection in your home environment surrounded by your own bugs that you have immunity to rather than in hospital. They are also (finally) monitoring your fluid levels with a scan although you will continue to make more fluid and baby's lungs aren't as much of a worry at this gestation. I assume they have told you no baths, no sex, no 'self examination'? Also when you start contracting you want to be going in sooner than you might normally as a 35 weeker can deliver quicker than a 40 weeker and baby may need a bit of care from the paediatricians at birth.

I hope that helps. But, regardless, keep on phoning or going in until they communicate with you fully about what is going on and what their plan is (eg will they induce at 36 weeks?).

Having said that, you are still likely to go into labour by yourself at some point soon.

I would call again.

With DS1, my waters broke at 33 weeks. I was given steroids to help with lung development (perhaps less of an issue at 35 weeks), and started on antibiotics because there's a risk of infection to the baby once the waters have gone.

The consultant told me that they would induce labour at 37 weeks but not before that unless I was showing signs of infection or baby seemed distressed. They kept me in for 2 days to monitor me, but as all seemed normal I was then discharged with a stack of antibiotics and temperature strips, and told i would have to come in for weekly scans and observations until baby was born. (Unless I started feeling poorly or got a temperature, in which case they wanted me to contact them asap to get checked out)

DS1 was born at 34 weeks after labour started spontaneously, and he was admitted to the neo-natal unit, where, among other things, he received intravenous antibiotics as a precautionary measure until test results showing whether or not he had an infection as a result of my waters breaking early came back.

So the response you're getting from the medical team doesn't sound good at all to me, especially being fobbed off about the risk of infection. I was told that even if the membranes resealed themselves it would be possible for an infection to have got in while the membranes were broken.

Just wanted to wish you all the best - and be persistent!
x

Totally agree. Go back. Stay and be properly monitored.

I had something similar happen to me when I had my lb 7 months ago, waters broke at 34 weeks, confirmed by a vaginal swab. Kept in hospital for 48 hours, had 2 doses of Steroids for babies lungs. I was then sent home for a few days and went back in at 35+2 for induction. They told me that they didn't want to induce until 35 weeks as that's when the deemed the risks of prematurity to reduce. When I was on the antenatal award though several midwives all told me that they sometimes keep women going with regular check ups until 37 weeks. Good luck this afternoon.

If you don't already have a plan of care put in place, please ring your maternity unit and ask to speak to the on call Supervisor of Midwives and tell her everything that has happened.

That's really bad! I thought if your waters went baby had to be here in 48hours or they would induce you! I would keep going on at them till they do something! Feel for you let us know how you get on. Good luck x

Another person pushing you to be pushy... My waters started leaking at 38 weeks. Hospital convinced I had just wet myself. Was my first so wasn't pushy enough, and ended up with horrendous sepsis, EMCS and a week in hospital. DS was fine but I wish I has been pushier as it was a horrible experience.

Right update went back to the hospital and got a scan at the day assessment unit. The sonographer said there was plenty of fluid around the baby and went of to find a midwife to talk to me. Luckily this midwife was really cross that I had been sent all over the place and got a registrar to see me. She did swabs and said my waters had definitely gone and admitted me straight away.
Spent 2 nights in hospital being monitored and on antibiotics. Am now under consultant care who has allowed me home with antibiotics and an induction booked for next week.
Feel much better about having a plan in place.
Thanks so much for all the advice and responses. you all definitely helped me be more assertive with the medical staff.