A: As much as you don't like waiting for labor to begin, your baby is only 33 weeks now and would definitely benefit from another month of gestation. With your history of fast labor and early cervical dilation, it is quite possible that you could have another early baby. You should immediately tell your doctor about the leaking fluid and remind him/her about your history of rapid labor. Your obstetrician will want to check to see whether you're heading towards a premature delivery. The earlier this is identified, the easier it is to deal with.

If your doctor identifies amniotic fluid as the cause of your leakage, you would need to begin antibiotics to reduce the chance of the baby acquiring an infection. If it seems the bag of water has been ruptured for more than 24 hours, your doctor would need to weigh the risk of neonatal infection against the risk of delivering prematurely. Some doctors recommend inducing labor prematurely to minimize chances of neonatal infection, while others recommend using antibiotics and medications to allow your baby to continue growing in utero.

Even if you are not leaking amniotic fluid, the fact you have dropped twice and have a past history of painless cervical dilation should prompt your doctor to check your cervix now. If your cervix is already dilating, your doctor may recommend reducing activities and spending time resting in bed to decrease the chance of a premature delivery. Giving your baby another month to grow inside of you could be the best birthday present he ever receives!