About pPROM

My water broke when I was just about 17 weeks pregnant and ever since the only thing I've been told I can do is wait. So here is some basic information, along with other invaluable resources I have relied upon while I waited.

What is pPROM?

Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes. PROM is the rupture of membranes prior to going into labor (the classic, “My water broke! Time to have a baby!”) pPROM is when that happens any time before 37 weeks.

What Causes pPROM?

Common causes are Uterine infection (most common), over stretching (often associated with carrying multiples), trauma, or from a leak that doesn't heal (sometimes associated with amniocentesis). I had none of these; so we are just guessing it had to do with the heavy bleeding I experienced early on in my pregnancy.

What Happens Next?

After it was confirmed that my water broke, I was sent to see a perinatologist. They confirmed what the midwives had told me earlier that morning. There was no fluid surrounding the baby and I would likely go into labor within a week (2 weeks tops). The baby still had a heart beat so I couldn't be induced until it stopped. I went in for weekly check ups to see if there had been any change. There is the option to terminate the pregnancy; but this typically can't be done in the doctors office since it is considered a late stage abortion. So those were the only options originally offered to me: wait to go into labor naturally, wait for the heart to stop beating and get induced or terminate the pregnancy at a clinic.

The final option I didn't hear about until 3 weeks later when the baby still had a heart beat and continued to grow as if nothing had changed. If I made it to 24 weeks (when a baby is considered viable if the mother goes into labor) then I would be admitted to the hospital and started on a series of antibiotics and steroid injections (to help stimulate lung development). At this point there are two goals: holding off labor as long as possible and not getting an infection.

Resources:

Here are some of the sites I went to early on for support and to just learn from other women going through similar situations.

http://www.inkan.se/pprom/   By far the site I visited the most, it has lots of information and stories submitted by women about when their water broke, when they went into labor, and how the baby did. 

www.tcoyf.com - This site goes hand in hand with the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler and has forums for everything. Basic charting help, charting to conceive, charting as birth control, complications in pregnancy etc.

BabyCenter Forums- again another place where women can talk about pPROM and share their experiences

http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/preterm-premature-rupture-of-membranes   This site was full of useful background information related to causes, statistics, and complications that can occur after pPROM.