# Preventing premature rupture of membranes?



## leamc (Sep 21, 2007)

A friend of mine is pregnant with her 8th child. She has had premature rupture of membranes with all of her pregnancies. Some were at 36 weeks, two were at 34 weeks, and one at 35. The two 34 weekers had apnea issues. After her membranes rupture, she has no labor, but needs pitocin to start labor.
She is now currently 31 weeks pregnant and has put herself on couch rest to try to prevent this from happening again. The midwife practice has told her that she cannot prevent this, but that it can't hurt to rest.
I feel that there must be *something* that could help. What would cause this? She is in good health, in her early forties now. Her oldest child is in college, so this happened when she was much younger too.
Has anyone had an experience with this?

Thank you for your help!

Lea


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## NatureMama3 (Feb 25, 2004)

Taking Vitamin C throughout the pregnancy can help strengthen the membranes. Also, she should be tested several times for bacterial vaginosis and group B strep, since those are often a cause of PPROM and may or may not be "active" in the vagina at the time of testing (if only one test is done). If they're able to detect one of those (even if in the urine, that should also be tested as well as the rectum) she could be preventatively treated with antibiotics (yucky as they are, they can serve a purpose).


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## ladyelms (Jun 10, 2005)

Vitamin C! (those emergenC packets) My preceptor midwife gives all her clients w/ this risk factor this protocol.

My membranes ruptured early (37 weeks) w/ #3 possibly due to a mild UTI, so I second nature's suggestion about ruling out all infections. Good luck to her.


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## voicegrrl (Aug 17, 2007)

Water, water, water. One of the main reasons women have preterm labor and PROM with multiples is dehydration so with my twins I drank at least a gallon of water a day. When my midwives ruptured the twins' membranes at 39 weeks, they could hardly break them because each of the girls' sacs were so tough and I'd been 8 1/2 cm for a week at that point.

I agree on emegenC also. I drink it every pregnancy. With my oldest my daughter's water broke during the pushing stage right before she came out and that was 40 weeks 5 days. I will be 40 weeks with this baby on Friday and no sign of water breaking so I attribute it all to healthy diet, TONS OF WATER, and Vit C. Good luck to your friend!


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## coyotemist (Aug 23, 2007)

I have post-cholecystectomy dumping syndrome...basically after gall bladder surgery my intestines work...uh...quicker than normal. Emergen-C quadruples this effect.

I can take other sorts of vitamin C, but the stuff in the drinking form...causes me gobs of problems. I've known other people who have not had their gall bladder out who have had this problem with high doses of vitamin c, in fact in nutrition class diarrhea was mentioned as a side effect to high doses.

So just a warning...if you've never taken it before, drink the glass SLOWLY. And pay attention how your body reacts. A slower acting pill might be for you


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## MKury (May 14, 2007)

PROM can also be helped with an excellent diet. Lots of good veggies, lean meats, adequate healthy fats, eggs, fruits, and whole grains can help to prevent it.


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## kriswrite (Dec 9, 2006)

PROM isn't really understood, but there are guidelines to try. (Be careful with vitamin C, especially in the first trimester. Too much causes miscarriage.) I've written about what I'm doing to prevent PROM (which occured at 20 weeks in my first pregnancy) here: http://www.miraclebabyanastasia.com/Feb08.htm Look at the post for the 26th. There are lots of links to medical materials.

Kristina


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## CallMeMommy (Jun 15, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *coyotemist* 
So just a warning...if you've never taken it before, drink the glass SLOWLY.

Could you have told me this BEFORE I chugged my little glass of Emergen-C?


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## Jennifer-Juniper (Dec 22, 2005)

Another pPROM mom here.









I agree with what the PPs have said. Take extra vitamin C. Get checked for BV (more than once -- mine likes to return silently). Infection is the #1 cause of pPROM. Also, get checked for anemia several times (My iron level was great at 10 weeks, but I was anemic by 20), since it an also be a contributing factor, too.

Tell your friend good luck!


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## sunnydaymom (Feb 10, 2014)

I just read a study that states vitamin c supliments can decrease PROM. I will be trying it since that was the start of what led to my csection.


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