Contents:
- Medical Video: Amniocentesis (Amniotic Fluid Test)
- What are the features of a ruptured amniotic sac?
- What happens if the amniotic sac breaks?
- 1. After 37 weeks
- 2. Between 34 and 37 weeks
- 3. Before 34 weeks
- What causes premature rupture of the membranes?
- When should amniotic rupture be concerned?
Medical Video: Amniocentesis (Amniotic Fluid Test)
Amniotic fluid is the water that surrounds the baby in the womb. Membrane or tissue layer that keeps the amniotic water referred to as the amniotic sac. Often, the amniotic sac breaks during labor. Sometimes these sacs rupture prematurely, called premature rupture of membranes (KPD). Most women will give birth less than 24 hours after the amniotic sac ruptures, but there are also those who experience ruptured membranes before the 37th week of pregnancy, and this is commonly referred to as premature premature rupture of membranes (KPDP).
Premature rupture of the membranes can have a serious impact on you and your baby, so you must be careful during pregnancy. However, what will happen when the amniotic sac breaks? What should you do? See the full below.
What are the features of a ruptured amniotic sac?
During pregnancy, the amniotic sac has a large role in protecting the baby, but when the sac breaks, the amniotic fluid will come out. Amniotic fluid is characterized by a wet sensation in the vagina or perineum. The liquid can come out constantly or intermittently, and slowly or spray. The color of amniotic fluid is usually clear or pale yellow. When the amniotic fluid leaks out slowly, women sometimes consider it as urine. So, if you see fluid coming out, partially accommodate it using any object. Look carefully and kiss it. Amniotic water is usually clear and does not smell like urine (the smell of amniotic fluid is much sweeter).
What happens if the amniotic sac breaks?
At the hospital, a simple test can be done to check if your membranes have broken. The nurse will examine your cervix to see if it has softened and enlarged. And this is what will happen if the membranes rupture within a certain time, namely:
1. After 37 weeks
If the membranes rupture during your pregnancy at 37 weeks, your baby is ready to be released. So, you must be prepared to give birth. The longer the time needed in the birth process, the greater the chance you get an infection. You can wait a while before pushing on your own or induced. Women who give birth within 24 hours after ruptured membranes tend to get an infection. So, if labor cannot begin with its own strength, it is better induced.
2. Between 34 and 37 weeks
If you experience ruptured membranes between 34 and 37 weeks, the nurse will tend to advise you to be induced. This is safer for a baby who will be born a few weeks earlier than you have an infection.
3. Before 34 weeks
If the membranes are damaged before 34 weeks, this is a more serious condition. When there are no signs of infection, the nurse may try to keep you from giving birth and make you rest. Steroid medicines are given to help the baby's lungs grow quickly. Babies will grow well if their lungs have time to develop before they are born.
You will also receive antibiotics to help prevent infection. You and your baby will be closely monitored in the hospital. The nurse can do a test to check the baby's lungs. When the lungs have grown sufficiently, the nurse will induce labor.
What causes premature rupture of the membranes?
If the amniotic sac ruptures before 37 weeks' gestation, this can be triggered by:
- History of ruptured membranes early in previous pregnancy.
- Inflammation of the fetal membrane (intra-amniotic infection).
- Vaginal bleeding during the second and third trimesters.
- Smoking or using illegal drugs during pregnancy.
- Malnutrition.
- Short size of cervix.
Potential complications when you experience premature rupture of membranes are infection of the mother or fetus, placental abruption (when the skin placenta falls from the uterine wall before labor), and the problem of umbilical cord. Babies are also at risk of complications due to premature birth.
When should amniotic rupture be concerned?
Rupture of the amniotic sac is indeed a natural thing that will happen to the body of a pregnant woman. However, some of the conditions below are the most dangerous and must seek immediate medical help, namely:
- Amniotic water leaks less than 37 weeks.
- Amniotic water is foul smelling, greenish or blackish in color, or stained with lots of blood.
- There are no contractions within 24 hours after the membranes rupture.
These three things can make you and your baby in danger, so don't underestimate the various conditions that occur to you.
READ ALSO:
- Normal Childbirth: Here's the Process and Stages
- 5 Ways to Overcome Postpartum Depression After Childbirth
- List that must be prepared when the delivery time is near
