2nd pregnancy after PPROM at 33 + 2 with first

[Flower0304]

Hi All,

I wonder whether anyone can advise?

I'm currently 4 weeks pregnant with my 2nd. DS was born premature at 33 + 2 after my waters broke suddenly. I immediately lost a lot of blood and contractions started within 10 minutes.

Although he was born a lot later than a lot of prem babies, he had significant problems and spend 3.5 in the NICU alone. We are still having challenges 3 years later.

No-one has ever been able to enlighten me as to why it happened "just one of those things"

I'm absolutely petrified of history repeating itself. Can anyone fill me in on what extra care they had for 2nd pregnancies in a similar situation? Especially if they were under University Hospital of Coventry & Warwickshire?

Thanks in advance!!

Hi Flower

I had PPROM with DD and she was born very quickly - my waters went at 11am and she was born by 2:30pm. We spent almost a month in NNU with her. Like you I was told they didn't know the reason - swabs they took at the time came back clear. When I became pregnant with DS I was very nervous of it happening again. I made sure I highlighted my history and concerns with my midwife at the booking in appointment and she booked me in to see a consultant at my 20 week scan.

The consultant seemed very surprised to see me and basically said there was nothing they could do unless I actually went into premature labour again, so they weren't sure why I was there and I would have no extra scans or appointments.

As it happened I ended up with placenta praevia and so had to have additional scans and consultant appointments for that. I had a fairly major bleed at 32 weeks accompanied by some strong tightenings like contractions. This was taken very seriously because of my history and I was given the steroids and kept in and monitored for 4 days, but in the end nothing came of it and DS was eventually born by ELCS due to the placenta praevia at 39 weeks.

So basically there was no extra care related to my previous premature delivery, but it was taken into account when other issues arose.

Good luck!

Meant to say my PPROM was at 33+2 like yours which is why your post caught my eye!

I had pprom with dc1, later than you at 35 weeks. Not at the same hospital as you though.

I mentioned it at booking in for my second pregnancy and got a consultant appointment at 20 weeks. The consultant scanned my cervix (an internal scan, but it wasn't painful). My cervix was a normal length so I was told that I would be very likely to go to term. If my cervix was short then I could have had a stitch to prevent me from going into prem labour again.

As it happened I had Dc2 at 38 weeks and my labour did start with my waters breaking again.

Despite the consultant's reassurance I was worried about another prem labour and had my bags packed from about 30 weeks. I was so relieved when I got to full term.

Thank you both for your replies, they are much appreciated!

I am panicking at the thought of not having extra monitoring and consultant support. So I'm really hoping they do monitor me!

Purple - were you in Coventry hospital?

X

No sorry I'm in a different part of the country.

I was really nervous of it happening again and quite concerned when they told me all I would get was one consultant appointment at 20 weeks, but when they pointed out that with PPROM there aren't any warning signs before it actually happens, I realised there wasn't much point having any extra appointments as there was nothing they could say or do. Like Lotis I just made sure I had a bag packed from about 30 weeks and also didn't travel anywhere more than 30 minutes drive from my hospital after 30 weeks.

Good luck!

Congratulations on your pregnancy OP Thanks for starting this thread, I had PPROM at 33+3 with DS, I'm very interested to see the responses you get as it's something I worry about too when thinking about TTC.

I was told that there are lots of possible reasons for pprom, but the only known one which is likely to recur in future pregnancies is a short cervix. If they can rule that out, then theoretically you are as likely as anyone to go to term.

Hello

I had PPROM at 33+6 with DD1, followed straight away by contractions and labour like you.

I met with two consultants (separately) to go through my notes and each of them said that it did not seem to be due to any of the "recurring" factors like short cervix or irritable uterus - cervix was still long and closed when labour started, and no contractions till after waters broke. They put it down to a minor infection (although all swabs had been clear) which irritated the amniotic sac wall and weakened it.

I didn't have any extra monitoring except an extra good look at the cervix at my 20 week scan to check it was long. I did some research and there is very little they can do except in cases of short/weak cervix. I believe there is a test called a foetal fibronectin test (??) which shows when you are within 2 weeks of labour, however even if that test is done and shows likely early labour, they can't stop the labour just prepare for it. I didn't have that test.

Anyway as it turns out DD2 was born at 36+6 - exactly the same pattern, waters broke massively followed by labour. But 3 weeks later which made a huge difference. I think my body is just faulty. I had prepared by taking it very easy at work and having quite a few days off from 30 weeks onwards and also packing my bag this time...

Good luck and congratulations!

I had my first at 29 weeks after pprom at 23 weeks. My 2nd, 8 years later, was only 4 weeks early after a pretty smooth pregnancy. Then 2.5 years later I had my 3rd at 30 weeks, pprom at 29 weeks. So, I've absolutely no idea why this happened with 2 and not my middle one?! I'm currently trying to find someone to talk to about this at the hospital. Feel like I need a bit of closure from it.
Good luck

I had PPROM at 32+3 in my second pregnancy and DS was born naturally a few hours later at 32+4 as spontaneous labour followed the waters going. They never found a reason for it all tests for infections etc came back negative. He did quite well in NICU and doesn't appear to have any long term consequences as far as we can tell, he's now 5. In my third pregnancy I saw a consultant at 15 weeks who did swabs and booked me in for cervical length scans at 17 and 20 weeks with a view to stitch the cervix if it was shortening which it didn't. I did have steroids and a drip to calm some preterm contractions when I had a D+V bug at 34 weeks but after that she ended up going overdue to 40+2 and was born at a very uneventful home birth . Currently 19+5 with baby number 4 and have had the same care as last time, cervical length check and swabs at 17 weeks to be repeated on Friday at my anomaly scan. Fingers crossed you can go full term too, with no reason found for the PPROM the odds are good my consultant says!

This thread has been helpful, thank you.
How are you getting on OP?

My DD was born at 35 weeks following PPROM. Unlike many of you, labour didn't start for a good 12 hours after, but it was speedy once it got going. They did find that I had thrush so I wondered if this might have caused it.

It sounds like that this time there won't be much they can do for me. I'm so desperate to have my baby at term and just be able to take it home and spend those first days cuddling and feeding rather than watching them in scbu.

I had my DS due to PPROM I had a slow leak for about 2 weeks without knowing before contractions started and mucus plug came away. I was given steroids and pills to stop labour my son was born 3 days later 30+5. Luckily he was strong and we had him home 4 weeks later. He is one 9 months has caught up with his peers already and I'm currently 5 months along with DS 2. I felt during my pregnancy that my son would come early and I have the same feelings this time only stronger due to the circumstances. I live in northern Ireland and I go every 4 weeks to get cervix scanned and everything is good so far.I. packing a bag at 25 weeks just to be prepared.