Northflex

BUSINESS INSIGHTS: Wall Street opened lower on Thursday as oil prices rose on fading peace hopes . Meanwhile, Nvidia beat earnings expectations and announced an $80 billion buyback.

- Northflex

BREAKING NEWS:

US-Iran Negotiations: President Trump states the US is in the "final stages" of talks with Iran, giving diplomacy "one last shot" to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz . However, a report that Iran's leader opposes sending uranium abroad has raised doubts, causing oil prices to rebound.

- Northflex

HEALTHCARE: Your Water Breaking Early.

You feel a small trickle of fluid running down your leg. Not a gush like in the movies. Just a little wetness. You are thirty two weeks pregnant. You think maybe you peed a little. It happens, right. You change your underwear and go back to what you were doing.

This is a mistake that costs babies their lives.

Your water breaking before labor starts is called premature rupture of membranes. When it happens before thirty seven weeks, it is called preterm premature rupture of membranes. And it is one of the most dangerous things that can happen in pregnancy, even though it often feels like nothing.

The fluid that leaks out is the baby's protection. That clear or pale yellow liquid cushions the baby, keeps the umbilical cord from being compressed, and prevents bacteria from reaching the baby. Once that bag breaks, the baby is exposed to the outside world. Bacteria can travel up through the opening and infect the baby, the placenta, and you. The baby can develop sepsis, a overwhelming infection that kills quickly. The umbilical cord can slip down through the opening, a cord prolapse, which cuts off the baby's blood supply. The baby can be born too early because once the bag is open, labor often follows within hours or days.

But here is the thing. The leak can be so small that you barely notice it. You might feel a trickle when you stand up or cough or sneeze. You might feel damp but not soaked. You might think it is urine. You might think it is normal discharge. You might be too embarrassed to tell anyone. And all the while, the clock is ticking.

The signs to watch for. Any fluid that leaks from your va**na that is not thick and white like normal discharge. It may be clear or pale yellow. It may have a sweet or musty smell, different from urine. You cannot stop the flow by squeezing your pelvic muscles the way you can with urine. If you lie down for twenty minutes and then stand up, you may feel another trickle. This is because the fluid pools in the back of your va**na when you lie down and then runs out when you stand.

If you think your water might be leaking, do not wait. Do not finish your chores. Do not go to work and see if it stops. Go to a health facility immediately. The test is simple. A nurse places a speculum in your va**na and looks to see if fluid is coming from the opening in your cervix. They may touch a test strip to the fluid to see if it turns blue, which means it is amniotic fluid. They may look under a microscope. All of this takes minutes.

What happens next depends on how far along you are. If you are near your due date, they will probably induce labor. If you are earlier, they will try to keep the baby inside as long as it is safe. You will be admitted to the hospital. You will be given antibiotics to prevent infection. You will be given steroid shots to help the baby's lungs mature faster. You will be watched closely for signs of infection. If infection develops, or if the baby is in distress, or if labor starts on its own, the baby will be delivered, no matter how early.

The hardest part is that you may feel fine. You may have no fever, no pain, no sign that anything is wrong. But infection can start inside you without any symptoms until it is very advanced. A baby can go from healthy to dead in hours. This is not something to watch and wait on.

Who is at risk. Women who have had a previous baby born early. Women who have had an infection in their uterus or va**na. Women who smoke during pregnancy. Women who are underweight or malnourished. Women with too much amniotic fluid. Women carrying twins or triplets. Women with a short cervix. Women who have had bleeding during pregnancy. But like many things in pregnancy, it can happen to anyone.

What you can do. If you feel wetness, put on a clean pad and go to the hospital. Do not use a tampon. Do not have s*x. Do not put anything in your va**na. Do not take a bath, because bathwater can carry bacteria inside. A quick shower is fine. The pad you wore can be tested by the doctor to confirm the fluid is amniotic.

And do not let anyone tell you that you are overreacting. Do not let a nurse or a family member say it is probably nothing. Insist on being examined. Insist on the test. Your baby has no voice. You must be that voice.

CAUTION:

This media space is not a hospital. I am not your doctor. What you have read is about premature rupture of membranes, but it does not replace real medical advice from someone who can examine you. If you are pregnant and you feel any fluid leaking from your va**na, no matter how small, go to a health facility immediately. No online post can test your fluid or listen to your baby's heartbeat. Only real medical care can tell you if your water has broken and what to do next. Do not wait. Do not hope it is nothing. Go.

- Northflex. | Cc: Mother Rising.