Premature Rupture of Membranes

What is it?

The "bag of waters" is the water-like sac that is around your baby during pregnancy. This bag is also called the "membranes" or amniotic sac and keeps your baby safe. The bag usually breaks several hours before labor starts or some time during labor. It may burst or get a leak any time while you are pregnant. Labor usually starts 12 to 24 hours after your membranes break. It is called premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) if labor does not start.

Causes:

It is not known what causes the membranes to break early. Some causes may be having had many babies or having a vaginal infection. The membranes may break early if the baby is in a breech position (feet first). You may be more likely to have PROM after having an amniocentesis (am-nee-o-sen-t-sus).

Signs and Symptoms:

You may feel a slow trickle of fluid from your vagina. Or you may feel a sudden gush of warm fluid.

Care:

Your caregiver may want to check you. He may take a sample of your fluid to test. This may tell him if your bag of waters has broken. An ultrasound may be done to check the amount of fluid around your baby. You may need to be put in the hospital for tests and treatment.