Anyone's labour kick off at full-term or thereabouts, with spontaneous ROM?

[Curtsey]

I'm not pregnant, but for some reason DC's birth has been on my mind a lot today!

It was a good birth, all told, but I guess I'm mulling over how different it was to everything I had been told to expect. I guess this is always the way - you can't possibly predict how any birth will go or what it will feel like. My waters broke EVERYWHERE as I was getting into bed one night, and then within minutes there came what felt like very bad period pain, which then became strong contractions with very little time in between. It all caught me rather on the hop, to be honest.


Anyway, I've only had one DC and haven't met anyone else in RL whose labour began this way, although I believe it's quite common? So - if your waters broke first, what was your birth like? (No point to this thread, I'm just being nosy, and enjoy hearing others' stories.)

[bellamysbride]

My waters broke as I lost my temper with DS. Almost straight after that contractions started. Four hours later DD was born. Refreshingly textbook after DS's delivery (was still damned uncomfortable though).

[Curtsey]

Oh Lord, bella, that must have been a stressful morning/afternoon for you! Over and done with in 4 hours - wow.

[cbeebiesatemybrain]

My labour with dc1 started like this, it really made me jump! Labour was over and done with in under 4 hours, only 30 minutes of that was in hospital as mw didn't believe I was in labour it was all rather scary!

With dc2 waters broke at 5cm as the mw was doing a ve!

[NAR4]

My waters broke 2 days after my EDD with number 4, but I needed a drip after 14 hours to get things moving as labour wasn't progressing. Took a total of 38.5 hours in the end.

[verylittlecarrot]

Both my labours started with my waters going, not a gigantic splash, more a drip drip.
First one followed with 48 hours of contractions and very slow painful progress.
Second one was straight into huge contractions and 5 hours to baby. After the slow first labour I didn't believe people who told me the second might be quicker for me. Ha.

[squidkid]

My labour started at 40+3 with waters breaking dramatically everywhere. Contractions started immediately, 3-4 minutes apart. Baby born 30 hours later! At home, no interventions, v straightforward but disappointingly lengthy and very painful!

[dinkystinky]

My labour with DS2 started that way - 38 plus 6 days, just getting up from kitchen table to get DS1's yoghurt out the fridge and my waters broke everywhere. DS1 told me I was naughty and should have used the potty (we were half heartedly potty training him at the time) - contractions kicked in about 30 minutes later and DS2 was in my arms within 5 hours of my waters breaking.

[CelineMcBean]

Both of mine started with waters breaking in loo after getting a funny feeling after waking up, then period type pains, then contractions, then straightforward, uncomplicated births.

Second time was quicker although baby was back to back. If dc hasn't been I would probably have shaved another couple of hours off the time.

I was surprised at just how similar both labours were.

[NightLark]

First two started with my waters going (not a gush though, more a squelch!). Then a calm period of a few hours until proper contractions.

Then first labour was 24 hours from waters breaking (about 20 of which were very painful), cascade of intervention, finishing with ventouse, epidural, flat on back etc.

2nd labour was textbook lovely - 12 hours from waters to baby, only 4-5 hours of proper contractions and always manageable with TENS and birth pool.

[Bunbaker]

What does ROM mean?

I'd had a show at 7.30 so was wearing a sanitary towel. Just as well as my waters went with a pop at 2pm and I dashed to the loo and sat there for ages while they gushed out. OH came home from trying to get to the supermarket and I sat on a pile of old towels to get to the hospital.

DD was born exactly 6 hours after my waters went, after what the midwife described as a textbook labour.

I bumped into the midwife several weeks later as both of our children were in hospital. She told me she remembered me because very few labours are as straightforward as the one I had.

[notcitrus]

Well all soap labours begin with waters breaking dramatically...

I was a day before due, not sure if my first BH were just getting worse and more regular, had a bath and got out thinking I must be in labour and shouldn't it hurt more, and ended up drying myself and drying and drying... then 32 more hours of labour.

Dd's waters vanished between our car in the car park and the delivery suite waiting area.

[Curtsey]

Interesting to hear a few of you say it's happened twice! I was about 15 hours in labour too, all told, though it would have been only about 8 if I hadn't gotten the epidural I reckon. Was surprised at how very painful it all was from the start, but it does sound like a labour that happens this way usually ends up straightforward.

Lovely stories, thanks for sharing. So true about soap opera births starting with dramatic splashes everywhere- either that or with a woman suddenly moaning loudly and putting her hand to her stomach -'the baby's coming!'

[Curtsey]

Rupture of Membranes, Bunbaker, though maybe I've got the acronym wrong...

[annelid]

I was 40+8 with ds3. I had just done the school run, got home and my waters broke and ds arrived 20 mins later! Midwives arrived 5 minutes afterwards.

[Curtsey]

Omg annelid. I am fascinated by stories like yours. Was there anyone there (OH, your mum?) to help deliver the baby? Did you have the place set up to give birth?

[annelid]

curtsey fortunately DH office was only a 10 min walk away at that time, so I rang him and a pal dropped him home in 5 minutes. We did have everything ready for a homebirth, DH got the plastic sheet on the floor and grabbed the towels/sheet and phoned midwives and then DS arrived. DH just guided him out.

I really didn't expect it to be so quick, the one before this had been about 3 hours. It was great but also slightly scary - afterwards you start thinking about all the what ifs... like.. what would I have done if my waters went in the playground

I am expecting a baby in 4 weeks and am planning a HB again - midwife is not very supportive though.

[Chocchip88]

Mine started like that with both labours. Still shocked at the amount of fluid Contractions every 2 mins from the start. 1st labour ended with EMCS after 33 hours, second ended with EMCS after a much more civilised 8 hours!
Both boys had knots in their cords and even at 9cm were really high up.

[MadameJosephine]

I woke up at 12.30am feeling a bit damp. Got up and ent to the loo and the back to bed but felt another trickle about 1am, not even enough to wet the sheets, I just felt wet. I got up, put a pad on and pottered about for an hour or so, felt a few tightenings and more trickles so woke DP and my mw up at 2.30 and we met mw in hospital at 3am by which time I was having contractions 5 mins apart and was 4cm. Put TENS on and walked round the delivery suite with DP, contractions were 3 mins apart by 4.30, 2 mins by 5am. Had gas and air from about 8am and delivered DD at 10.01. Was very civilised really, couldn't have wished for better.

[MadameJosephine]

Sorry forgot to say I was 39+6
(was due to be induced at term so she beat them to it!)

[DeekeyDoo]

My dc1 was born at 39+5 after waters went with a gush. I'd been to the loo in the middle of the night and they just went pop as I got back into bed. Contractions came immediately every three minutes and baby was with us less than five hours from waters breaking.

Waters didn't go with DC2 until I was pushing!

[ellangirl]

My labour with DD started with waters breaking early morning on the due date. Had first contractions about 2 hours later. DD born about 3.5 hours after that. Very straightforward labour and birth.
I was surprised it happened that way, as my waters with DS were broken for me when I was fully dilated. My DD was back to back, and I've heard that it is more common for waters to go first when baby is back to back. Anyone else found that?