Water Broke at 18 Weeks

I am currently in the hospital and have been for one month.  My water broke at 18 weeks and I am now 22w4d pregnant.  I have 1 week to go before I can be transferred to Rockford Memorial Hospital's level 3 trauma neonatal unit.  My baby continues to produce amniotic fluid, but I also continue to lose it.  My ultrasounds show between 1 and 4 cm of fluid each time.  Is this enough to get his lungs developed?  His bladder and stomach are always full in the ultrasounds.  Doc says these are good signs.  I just wonder how long my baby can go without fluid.  I have no cramping, no contractions.  Can I go to term with him?  Or would he be better off living outside the womb because of no fluid?  I am on antibiotics to prevent infection and complete bedrest.  So far everything is going good except the low fluid.

[Yao Sun, MD, PhD]

The fact that there is some amniotic fluid and that the bladder is full is encouraging.  The risk for underdevelopment of the lungs is higher when there is no or minimal amniotic fluid.

In general, the longer you can safely maintain the pregnancy, the better in terms of the risks of prematurity.  Your doctor will be monitoring the baby's growth and health carefully, and will let you know if they think that continuing the pregnancy presents a higher risk to the baby than delivery.  

[cherbonn]

Just had an ultrasound and had 1.8cm of fluid plus the baby had a full bladder.  The ultrasound estimates the baby to be 1 pound (454 grams).  Everything looks good except the amnio fluid.

[babygirlava]

i just had my 2nd 27 weeker and she is doing great there are a couple of 26 weekers next to her. they gave me steroid injections to develope her lungs. the 26 weekers are only 1lb.13oz and my baby is 2lb.8ozs so if you can safely go to at least 26 weeks you should be good. talk to the neonatoligist at the better hospital when you get there. they are experts and will decide what is best for baby every day counts. i almost had mine at 23 weeks and made it to 27. 24 weekers do survive but at the preemie reunion i go to only one is normal the rest all seem to have disabilities. i hope you can get to 26 weeks 28 would be awsome for you but 26 is better than 23. just stay on your back try to move as little as possible. are you on i-v fluids and drinking lots of water. when my levels were dropping they had me do that and they did go up some.

[cherbonn]

I drink lots of water.  Doc had me on an IV the first week I was in here.  That was primarily for the antibiotic and in case something happened and I went into labor.  Now I am on oral antibiotics.  I have been on my back for 4 1/2 weeks.  I've had no contractions or cramping at all in this time.  Doc says everything looks good.

Why did you deliver early?  Did your water break early?