37+1, watery trickle - will I need antibiotics if waters have ruptured?

[Mimiwish]

Hi all,

This morning, when I went to the bathroom, I had a small trickle of water run down my leg. It was clear and didn't smell of urine. I can't say whether it smelled sweet at this time - perhaps it wasn't enough.

I've put a pad in to get some sense of whether this is a continuous leak or not. I haven't lost my mucus plug yet. Baby was moving a lot this morning.

Has anyone had something like this before? Do I need to go in to be checked just for a small trickle, and does it always mean a risk of infection?

Or could this just be the early start of labour? Would be interested in any views.

Thx :)

yes you need to call the ward, they might need you to come in. iirc after 25 hours of open membrane iv ab are given to prevent infection.
good luck!

I had this with DS1 - a couple of hours after the trickle, the waters came out in a flood! And he was born that evening. I’d get your hospital bag ready and prepare for baby’s arrival! Agree you should call the labour ward.

Oh and I was 36 weeks so they didn’t let me home again after I turned up to be checked out. But all was fine and very straightforward

I had a trickle, after I had emptied my bladder, and sorry for TMI but it reached the floor and was quite obviously not urine. Went to the hospital who told me that my waters had not broken. I was 9 days overdue and absolutely gutted. I insisted on a scan as I was certain that the waters had started leaking and there was still some water around the baby so they sent me home.
Got to the car park and they went gush. Turns out they had broken, but the baby was so low down her head was plugging it.
So yeah do get checked out. And have your bags ready. And good luck!

Thank you for all the responses! I'll call and see what they say. Thanks for the luck! Baby is big, so it wouldn't surprise me if she wanted to come early - - but that may be wishful thinking on my part!

Let us know how you get on

Hiya,

I have an update but it's not a very satisfactory one.

They did make me come in and I had a swab test called an Amnisure test: aghealth.co.uk/amnisure/

The midwife hadn't done one before - it seemed - and needed to follow the steps. She was really nice, but we did disagree on the result because I saw a clear second line, albeit faint, and she said it was just a broken line, probably because she left it too long to read the result. She said it didn't count as it didn't go all the way down.

I've been to the website and it clearly says that ANY kind of second line, broken or faint, should count as a positive. But she sent me home anyway - - I didn't feel like I could argue.

Midwifes and Doctors - does anyone know what the risk of infection to baby is if an amniotic rupture isn't picked up? I trust my eyes and I trust the website: I now feel at a bit of a loss about what to do except for hope that labour happens over the coming days. I'm concerned and feel a bit stuck!

She said to come back if any more fluid leaks. Is it possible for a rupture to heal itself and baby to be fine?

M x

I'd go back again.

Tbh if it were me I would go back later on tonight and say you've had another trickle. Have you had any further leaks on a pad??

If they ask about the test explain exactly what you've said here. Hopefully they do another one.

I'd definitely either be calling your midwife or going back in

Call again, ask to have the test repeated. Kick up a fuss if you need to. Like you say, you know what you saw.

at that gestation it's not likely to heal itself.
baby is ready 'cooked' and full term.
go back once the 24 hours had passed (you might encounter a different midwife), take your bag.
good luck!

Wouldn't like to comment fully without seeing the test but as a midwife myself, I view any second line as a +ve. I would say you've had more loss and would like to be reassessed. If your waters have broken then they will recommend inducing you 24 hours from the time they ruptured.

This happened to me at 37 weeks, I too went to triage and midwife thought all was fine and no leak and sent me home. It was only the smallest amount that I had noticed so I guess they couldn't see anything much at the time.
I was still convinced it wasn't normal so I went back the next day. This time they asked me to lay still for a couple of hours before doing a speculum at which point they could see that the waters had pooled a little. I was induced that evening as it had already been leaking for over 24hrs. Like a previous poster the babys head was blocking the rest of the waters so once the midwife broke them fully labour was very fast.
Trust your instincts and keep bothering them.

It's not possible for a rupture to heal itself. It's possible for the baby's head to plug the hole in the membranes so that no further water leaks out. It's also possible for the membranes to rupture at the top near your ribs, rather than the bottom near your cervix (called a hindwater leak). This can sometimes result in a little trickle and not much else.
I have the stats somewhere on infection rates following SROM (spontaneous rupture of membranes) - I'll try and find them for you.
The NICE guidelines state "Women with prelabour rupture of membranes at term (at or over 37 weeks) should be offered a choice of induction of labour with vaginal PGE2 or expectant management.
Induction of labour is appropriate approximately 24 hours after prelabour rupture of the membranes at term." That is to say, if your waters have broken, you should be offered either to wait 24 hours and see if Labour starts (and if it doesn't, have an induction), or to start the induction straight away.
If you don't feel comfortable disagreeing with the midwife who saw you, I would phone back and say you've had another trickle.

Thank you so much, everyone. Yes, I had thought about saying I'd had more... And that is so interesting @littlemissalwaystired - that you would count any line as a +. That was my instinct too - I think it comes from reading so many pregnancy test strips!

I'll give it a few hours and see what else happens... and I'll push for more investigation tomorrow. @Nannylp it sounds like you experienced exactly the same thing as me.

Mx

Do keep pushing to be reassessed. I had similar happen to me when I was 41 weeks and was sent home by the midwife 'to keep an eye' on things. Finally had the baby 5 days later, but by that time we had both been infected and had suspected sepsis. We both had to stay in hospital for seven days to do the antibiotics course. That week in hospital was incredibly hard and isolating at that time, I shudder to think how it would be with Covid and no visitors.
Good luck!

Hi, I had the same thing and had to be induced as it was my waters leaking.
You are normally allowed 24 hours before the risk of infection is really high.
So I'd call your maternity ward and tell them.

As long as they're born within the 24 hours or there abouts.
I wasn't put on antibiotics but was kept overnight just incase of infection.

@MaryMashedThem - thank you so much for your response. I think you posted as I was writing - I would be so interested to see the infection rates information. I can also see if I can dig this out. Also, really useful to hear the NICE guidelines... I guess I can wait a bit, but perhaps not too long...

Mx

I had a hind water rupture at 27 weeks which was brushed off as me having wet myself, I knew I hadn’t but I was younger at the time and didn’t feel like I could question them. I was sent to hospital at 37 weeks because my daughter was measuring a week behind. After an internal exam the rupture was picked up and I was induced that evening. My daughter had been at risk of infection for 10 weeks and had to stay in hospital for 3 days to have course of antibiotics. I would definitely be heading back and getting a second opinion