Ready to give up!

[Pom505]

I'm 34+4 with my second baby. First baby born at 34 weeks. Today my waters went all over the kitchen floor soaked myself the stairs on the way to bathroom and continued to leak alot while I sat on the loo for over 10 mins. Ive never pee'd that much in my life. Since I'd been having contractions every 3-5 mins and they are pretty intense. I put in a sanitary towel and went to the hospital. I was basically called a liar after an hour on the monitor (which showed up the contractions clearly) and sent home. I've lost all faith in the hospital and my midwifes who have continously made mistakes. Like they failed to mention or see that my baby was too big since 24 weeks and so I've only just (yesterday) been diagnosed with gestational diabetes after I visited my GP for something else, who bought it up and suggested a glucose test. I'm really fed up! The water leakage and contractions have continued and got stronger since leaving the hospital. I'd rather deliver this baby myself than go back there!! Is this normal to feel like this....

Someone more knowledgeable than me will hopefully be along with some better practical advice soon but didn't want to read and run. It sounds like you're in the early stages of your labour and need to access care, I'd think your options are probably to ring your community midwives for advice, and if not happy then could you ask for a senior one? I know it's late in the day to ask for a home birth if originally you were scheduled for a hospital birth, but could you ask for a midwife to come to your house and try a home birth with that support if you feel safer there? Or you could of course go back to hospital in the hope you'll be further along and kept in this time. Do you have anyone with you for support (partner, mum, friend?) who could even make some of these calls for you and advocate on your behalf?

My partner should have been with me but decided work was more important, then a shower, then food, by which point I'd been released. He's useless! I can't rely on him. I have no one else very close by as we moved recently miles from my home town. Ive had a really bad night, very little sleep between contractions which are still coming though they haven't intensified much more from last night. Not much more in the way of leakage. Feel sure I've run out of fluids. What else can I do? I've been in when it was at its worst and sent home. Now i have no fluids to show and contractions which obviously aren't enough. I'm so disappointed with my medical service. I really don't feel like I can approach any one for help now. 😓

That's a very clear history of SROM. Did you see a doctor when you went into hospital? Did they do an internal speculum examination? You should have been admitted and be given steroids to help baby's lungs as you are still pre-term. You need to go back to hospital and insist on seeing a doctor if the midwife wants to discharge you. Good luck!

They did a spec, but there was no pooling and I wasn't dilating. They did a swab but didn't even wait for results before discharging me. This is what happened with first baby waters went in the night but I had to have my contractions bought on. I might go to another hospital later today if I continue to have these contractions. The other thing I noticed in my notes is my pH levels I have consistently been a 5.5 throughout my pregnancy yesterday it was a 7.5. I'm not sure how much you can rely on Internet but everything I've read says this is a sign of amniotic fluid?

Amniotic fluid does have a higher pH. At the hospital where I work (I'm a midwife) we would also perform an Amnisure test which can detect an enzyme only present in amniotic fluid and is about 99% accurate. A speculum alone is not a fail safe diagnosis.
Also, if you do not go into active labour, but your waters have gone, you need to start on antibiotics to protect against infection.
In any event, even without your history of membrane rupture, as you are having pain, you should have been admitted for observation, especially in view of your history. Most babies born at 34 weeks will do well, but some may need extra support. I would get yourself back to the hospital this morning. x

As much as I hate hospitals due to previous birth you need to get to a hospital like chomp said. For antibiotics and observation. BUT there is still no need for induction! A woman's waters can be broken for 96 hours and there is still no need for induction. As long as you and baby are showing no sign of infection you are fine to continue. They may try and push you into being induced but you have the right to decline. NO VEs and nothing inside vagina t prevent risk of infection. Hospital will be pushy but stand your ground if you are willing to continue as you are. I've heard waters can reseal with conservative management.

How are you Pom505?

I've been speaking to my health visitor who I feel is the only one I trust. She is going to call the hospital on my behalf and find out my test results and why tests weren't done as she felt they should have done more or at least watched me longer. She and a community midwife are coming to see me at home later today. Thanks everyone for your comments. At least I'm not alone in thinking they didn't do enough to be sure it wasn't my waters. I'm still certain it was. Hopefully I'll have a better idea of what's going on later.

Hi Pom505 really hope you get some help and medical advice. Pls let us know how you are later. Good luck

just want to give you courage... you did first time... you will do this second time too... dont give up...
ask for your rights.. dont be put off by any thing.. you want yourself and baby safe happily in your arms ... keep your guns up

Any update Pom? Glad you were able to get support from your health visitor and she's been able to move things along for you.

Been checked over assured that everything is going OK. The midwife believed my waters probably did go but as I've not leaked much today she thinks baby is blocking the leak and I should be OK and baby generates more fluid. Been advised on preventing infection as much as possible and I'm to call the duty phone if anything, no matter how small changes, and they will call the hospital for me. I feel much better after seeing them and not just being fobbed off. Now i have their support the hospital should be more careful with the care they give me. They are waiting for report back from the people that I saw originally at the hospital and will let me know as soon as they know why more investigations weren't done at the time. Contractions are still present though not getting worse or closer together pretty much the same as last night. Again I'm to call if they change, stronger, longer or more frequent. Feel so much better today.

I'm glad your now being looked after. It's terrible treatment you received from the hospital, have you made a complaint?
Wishing you well.

Hi Pom - glad that you're feeling reassured but I really feel your treatment so far has been very incompetent. I don't know whereabouts you are but it's pretty standard treatment for preterm rupture of membranes to have a course of steroid injections and erythromycin oral antibiotics for 10 days. This is also according to NICE guidelines. Yes the fluid can regenerate and you may not go into active labour any time soon, but this can't be predicted with certainty. You should also be given a scan (for growth in view of GDM diagnosis and to check for liquor volume). If you had presented at my hospital with rupture of membranes at 34 weeks I can say with 100% certainty you would be admitted, for the above medication, regular blood tests to check for infection markers, twice/three times daily CTG monitoring and a scan as soon as possible. You should go back to your hospital (or another one if you think they'll still send you away). Keep us updated and good luck!