Premature Rupture Of Membranes

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is a condition in which fluid leaks from your amniotic sac before labor begins. You may feel a trickle or gush of warm fluid from your vagina. Labor is when you begin having contractions (uterus tightens and relaxes) in order to deliver (push out) your baby. Your amniotic sac is located in your uterus (womb) and holds your unborn baby. There is fluid in the amniotic sac that cushions your baby and allows him to move around. The fluid also takes away his body waste and helps to protect him from infection. Usually the membranes (amniotic sac tissue) rupture and cause the fluid to leak out after labor has started. Ask your caregiver for more information about labor.
  
  
• PROM can happen very close to your due date, or it can happen earlier in your pregnancy. With PROM, you are likely to deliver your baby soon, often within a few hours or days. When PROM happens before 37 weeks, it is called preterm PROM (PPROM). PROM and PPROM can cause serious health problems for you, such as infection. It can also cause problems for your unborn baby, such as difficulty breathing. PROM that happens close to your due date may not cause any problems. Certain conditions, such as an infection or problems with your pregnancy, may make you more likely to have PROM. Caregivers may want to deliver your baby right away or they may want to delay the birth if your baby is not ready to be born. Treatment may help prevent problems for you and your baby and help you have a safe delivery.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Take your medicine as directed:

Call your primary healthcare provider if you think your medicine is not working as expected. Tell him if you are allergic to any medicine. Keep a current list of the medicines, vitamins, and herbs you take. Include the amounts, and when, how, and why you take them. Take the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits. Carry your medicine list with you in case of an emergency. Throw away old medicine lists.

Ask for information about where and when to go for follow-up visits:

For continuing care, treatments, or home services, ask for more information.

Activity:

Your caregiver may suggest the following:

• Bed rest: You may need to stay in bed all the time, getting up only to go to the bathroom.
  
  
• Pelvic rest: This means you should not put anything in your vagina, such as tampons. Do not have sex.
  
  
• Temperature monitoring: Your caregiver may ask you to check your temperature each day to make sure you do not have a fever. A fever may be a sign of infection.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• You have discharge from your vagina that smells bad.
  
  
• You have a fever.
  
  
• Your uterus feels tender (painful to the touch).
  
  
• Your heart is beating very fast.
  
  
• Your weight is staying the same, or you are losing weight.
  
  
• You have questions or concerns about your pregnancy or medicine.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• You have chest pain or trouble breathing that is getting worse over time.
  
  
• You are having contractions. This is when you have pain in your abdomen that comes and goes.
  
  
• You feel a gush or trickle of fluid leaking from your vagina.
  
  
• You are bleeding from your vagina.
  
  
• You have strong pains in your abdomen.
  
  
• Your arm or leg feels warm, tender, and painful. It may look swollen and red.
  
  
• You suddenly feel lightheaded and have trouble breathing.
  
  
• You have new and sudden chest pain. You may have more pain when you take deep breaths or cough. You may cough up blood.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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