Why Does Premature Water Breaking Happen?

It's common for a woman to go into labour before her due date. There have been instances where a woman has given birth earlier than intended, causing an emergency.

One cause of this is the premature rupture of your water bag, an amniotic sac that houses a baby and is surrounded by amniotic fluid. When your water bag ruptures before the anticipated due date, it is known as a premature rupture of the membranes, or PROM.

Anyone's pregnancy may experience premature water breaking. Most of the time, doctors cannot identify the cause. There are various potential reasons for a PROM; in this article, you will learn about the most likely ones.

When Does it Become too Early to Have Your PROM?

Your waters usually break just before or during labour. Preterm rupture of membranes is the medical term for when your waters break before labour begins when you are fewer than 37 weeks pregnant. Up to three out of every hundred (or three per cent), pregnant women may experience this.

Causes of Premature Water Breaking

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)  

The most definitive cause of a preterm water breaking could be a UTI. UTIs can induce your amniotic fluid sac to leak and the water to run out. If an infection transits from the vagina to the cervix, it can drive your sac to shatter, putting one up for premature labour.

Vaginal Infections

We know that UTIs and vaginal infections might sound the same, but here we are talking about a particular kind of infection, i.e. Group B streptococcus (GBS). It is a bacterial infection that occurs commonly during pregnancy and populates in the rectum and vagina. 

Sometimes even the mother can transmit the infection to the baby during labour. Your doctor might do a screening to discover this infection between the 35th to 37th week of your pregnancy by employing a vaginal swab. The most expected effect of this infection is PROM. 

Having Multiple Pregnancies

The risks involved in multiple pregnancies might be various, one of which is preterm water breaking. So when a mother carries multiple fetuses, she may be at high risk. Further, having twins or triplets makes it difficult for your pregnancy to reach the expected delivery date and causes early water bag damage.  

Surplus Amniotic Fluid in the Sac

This condition is known as polyhydramnios, which refers to excess water in your sac. It can be a reason for PROM. Also, surplus amniotic fluid may occur due to multiple pregnancies, making your sac distend beyond its limit and shatter.

Bodily Trauma

Any type of physical trauma that induces pressure on your abdomen, such as a road journey or holding weights, especially during the last weeks of your pregnancy, might cause a PROM.

Some more causes of PROM include:

• Smoking
• If you had surgery on your cervix
• If you have a short cervix
• If you have experienced placental abruption earlier
• If you had a previous pregnancy with PROM or premature birth

How Will you Know When Your Waters Has Broken?

As opposed to when you urinate, the bursting of your waters may feel like a minor popping sensation followed by an uncontrollable trickle or flood of fluid. 

Your fluid loss may vary in volume. You might not feel the actual "breaking," in which case the trickle of fluid would only indicate that your waters had indeed broken. Also, the breaking of your waters does not hurt.

What Should you do if Your Waters Break Early?

If you experience your waters might have broken, you should talk to your midwife or doctor or go to the hospital immediately.

Amniotic fluid appears as a clear and faint straw colour. Also, it might be a little pinkish if it includes some blood. You should speak to your doctor if your water seems smelly or coloured and if you are experiencing bleeding.  

It implies that you and your baby require urgent medical attention. Wear a pad rather than a tampon if you believe you are leaking vaginal fluid so your doctor or midwife may assess the volume and hue of your waters.

How to Diagnose PROM?

• PROM diagnoses via a vaginal examination. Your doctor will employ a sterile speculum to separate the walls of your vagina, as per your consent, and look at the cervix to watch whether the leaking liquid is amniotic fluid.
• A swab test of the fluid might also help to determine whether your waters have been damaged.
• An ultrasound examination can assist in calculating the amount of fluid close to your baby is sometimes helpful.

What Treatments Can Help to Prevent Early Water Breaking?

Some treatments that might be given to you to prevent the risk of early water breaking would include:

• The practice of having antibiotic tablets reduces the risk of an infection spreading into your uterus. Antibiotics can also aid in delaying labour
• The steroid injections can assist in your baby’s growth and lower the chances of preterm water breaking
• A doctor might offer you a medication, i.e. magnesium sulfate, if your baby is at high risk of being born prematurely.
• If you are in preterm labour, your doctor can give you intravenous antibiotics to decrease the chance of early-onset group B Streptococcus infection.

Conclusion 

Before your delivery date or in the middle of your pregnancy, a water rupture could be life-threatening for you and your unborn child and necessitate immediate medical attention.

So, you should take your early water breaking very seriously. And whenever you notice gushing out before the due date, don't ignore the symptom. 

Moreover, suppose you have concerns about PROM condition during pregnancy and want recommendations for it. In that case, you can contact Antenate and speak with our Fertility Professional & Gynecologist, Dr Shesha Sinha.