# Waters break, leak stops, water refills and bag reseals -?



## cwaddick (Oct 16, 2002)

Hi yall,

I'm counseling a first-time mama. She desperately wants and needs a homebirth (for health reasons- she has multiple chemical sensitivity). She is 36-1/2 weeks. Her amniotic fluid started leaking Sunday night, then she had mild contractions 3-5 minutes apart. Then, she stopped leaking and the contractions stopped.

On Tuesday, she had an ultrasound and everything looks fine; the amniotic fluid seems to be replenishing. She has no signs of infection, but she has begun to take antibiotics (erythromyacin) to prevent a potential infection, even though the antibiotics make her sick in other ways.

Her HB midwives and her doctor (a family practitioner) have agreed that for legal reasons, she should immediately go to the hospital for an induction (Pitocin, probably), which could lead to a C-section. But, for health reasons, just being at the hospital (all the toxic chemicals) could make her really sick in and of itself. She really needs to stay at home.

So: what do you think?

Is she healthy and she can stay at home and continue in her pregnancy, despite some mild contractions (Braxton-Hicks?). Or, should she be induced immediately at the hospital? Or, could she continue in her pregnancy with frequent ultrasounds to monitor the amniotic fluid in her uterus? Should she continue methods of induction at home (Moxi, acupuncture, blue cohosh: she tried these on Monday/Tuesday, and they didn't help).

Does any research support the idea that she could loose a 2-4 cups of amniotic fluid and then have the water bag re-seal for a healthy pregnancy that would continue to term?

Cheers,
Caitlin

__________________________
Proud Mommy to Ursula (12/01) and Anika (12/03) and DC (due 06/05) The right of women to gestate and breastfeed their babies toxic free is the greatest human rights issue of the millennium.


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## cmb123 (Dec 30, 2004)

For what reason other than legal, do they think she should induce? If everything looks OK on the u/s fluid wise etc...what is concerning them?


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## sarajane (Oct 20, 2004)

All I can say is that if it were me, I would let it play out on its own. 36 1/2 weeks and everything fine.....a little leaky fluid wouldn't get me to the hospital. No way.


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## Full Heart (Apr 27, 2004)

With chemical sensitivity I would try to stay far away from the hospital unless the babies life was in danger. Because putting her there could put her life in danger. So I would suggest she either needs to get a second opinion or really discuss this with her dr. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself. If her water burst at 30 weeks they wouldn't be inducing I would guess they would have her on bedrest trying to keep the baby in as long as possible (I know I have seen that enough on Baby Story, and Birth Day or whatever other medical pg shows there are).

If it were me, I would stay home monitor my temp (for signs of infection), check for any more fluid leakage and the color there of. I would keep track of fetal movements. But at 36 weeks I would have no qualms about delivering at home. I would just be careful not to introduce infection. Which would be NO internals, no sex, be careful after bms, no baths. I don't think I would do antibiotcs unless there was an infection. If she is really concrned I would keep trying to natural methods of induction.

check out the pp homebirth board. You'll probably have to do a search for it, but there was a lady who went through the same thing. Her water would break and reseal and did this several times. She had a homebirth, but can't remember what week.
HTH, michelle


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## Hayes (Nov 20, 2001)

If she has plenty of fluid and no internal exams have been performed, then the risk of infections is practically nil. I know several people, in real life, one my enxt door neighbor whose birth I attended, who had water break, then reseal and went on to be pregnant for another couple of weeks.

I see very little reason for the antibiotics or the induction.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

so why did the bag of water break? was this confirmed that it broke? The thing is that it is very unusual that near term a bag breaks and labor doesn't start with 48 hrs. It happens rarely- as long as mom is convinced that the water was broke- and not just one layer of the bag with a little pocket of water--- then medical care providers have to treat that perception as fully as possible- KWIM--- so the main reason beyond blunt trauma and impending labor is infection(sometimes even with labor) so a doc or midwife would have to assume that this is a high possibility and act on that- now if she were 32 weeks they would be conservative and try to help the baby get to an older age but at the time close to term- what are you preserving verses what you could be risking. this is what the reasoning is- The baby and mom may ultimately fine but if the baby is born and is sick- they are in a very bad position-- not just legally but they probably would feel that they knew better than to wait and gamble that they were wrong.
Maybe she would want to try to get things going at home-- sex- nipple stim------


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## sarajane (Oct 20, 2004)

I've got what may be a dumb question....

What exactly do you mean legal reasons?


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## Full Heart (Apr 27, 2004)

In some states you can't have a homebirth before 37 weeks. They have restrictions on how long you can go with your water broken before you have to transfer. And a dr can drop a midwife, refuse to be her back up ob, if the patient does not do what the OB thinks the patient should.

Michelle


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## Bestbirths (Jan 18, 2003)

My water broke similar to what the OP described. The bag resealed, and labor didn't begin for another 16 days afterwards. My husband has multiple chemical sensitivity and we have strong reasons for wanting a homebirth because the hospital environment makes him so ill. We used precautions, no baths, nothing in the yoni, no sex, being careful wiping after bm's, taking my temperature, drinking lot's of water and emergen'C, taking echinachea, eating really healthy (like grilled salmon and organic salad with oranges in it). No more lifting. My water broke from lifting a heavy dresser up the stairs. We had just moved and I had done a lot of lifting. I was like (((oops))), then I didn't lift anything else heavy from then on and I was fine, with no more leakage. Labor began normally 16 days after the reseal with no interventions. The baby was born healthy with no infection. I did have a uterine infection after the birth, which I think was related to placenta problems (retained succenturiate placental lobe and other placental material), and occurred after a D&C three weeks after the birth. I don't think my uterine infection after the birth had anything to do with the bag of waters breaking and resealing, but that is a risk factor that the medical establishment says is higher for women with PROM.


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