82: Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) and the 24 Hour Rule
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Episode 82 Content and Overview
The technical term for your water breaking before labor starts is premature rupture of membranes (PROM). The amniotic sac and amniotic fluid serve a lot of purposes like protecting your baby from infection, cushioning your baby from bumps and injury, and maintaining a constant temperature. The majority of expecting moms will have their water break during labor. For about 1 in 10 it will happen before labor, prior to the onset of contractions. For decades it was a common rule that you had to give birth within 24 hours of your water breaking, even if that meant having a cesarean section. Today we have a lot more research in this arena and are more educated about the risks of employing interventions vs. expectant management. This episode talks about the signs of your water breaking, and the risks, options, and evidence in relation to the time between premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and birth.
Included in This Episode
- Amniotic sac (amnion and chorion)
- Amniotic fluid
- Rupture of membranes, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM)
- C.O.A.T. (Color, Odor, Amount, Time)
- Notifying your doctor or midwife
- Causes of rupture of membranes
- Vaginal exams
- Relationship of antepartum pelvic examinations to premature rupture of the membranes
- Premature rupture of the membranes with routine cervical exams
- Chorioamnionitis
- Review on routine antibiotics and PROM
- Group B strep
- 24 hour rule
- Evidence Based Birth article on the evidence for inducing labor once your water breaks
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommendation
- Induction of Labor Compared with Expectant Management for Prelabor Rupture of the Membranes at Term
- Premature rupture of membranes at term in low risk women: how long should we wait in the “latent phase”?
- Prelabor rupture of membranes at term in low-risk women: induce or wait?
- Cochrane Review that compared applying interventions versus expectant management
- Electronic fetal monitoring
- Talking to your doctor or midwife
- Your Birth Plan book
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