Should I put down a plastic sheet in bed for waters breaking?

[Alexandersmummy]

Hi, I'm 38 weeks pg with my second baby and suddenly thought last night at about 5am, "what if my waters break in bed?" Should I put a plastic sheet down, if so should I do this on my sofa too?
With my first pregnancy my waters broke in labour so didn't have to worry about this.
Someone told me that your waters can really destroy your matress.
God, I'm really stressing about this now!!
Any advice???

[margoandjerry]

my waters did break in bed (a month early). I suggest a mattress topper. You can get them in John Lewis for about £25. Much nicer than sleeping on a plastic sheet. Good for afterwards too as my daughter was forever spitting up on the bed. Good luck.

[whomovedmychocolate]

I got some of those maternity mat things from the supermarket, you can put them under the sheet and they will absorb a fair chunk of gunk!

Also you can use them in the car and for later on at home when your radiators start leaking (handy)!

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Rather than a manky plastic sheet (eeww sweaty), use one of those absorbant sheets that people use for kids who aren't always 100% dry at night.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Maternity mats btw are £5 - £6 for four. Boots and Sainsburys sell them.

[wotz]

sorry, but what about a thick bath towel that you have already, or an I just being an old tight fecker!

[MumtoBen]

Both my labours started with my waters breaking in bed. Both times I felt a pop and ran to the bathroom so managed not to get a drop in the bed. I did have some maternity mats ready, and one in the car too, just in case.

[wotz]

Mine went in bed and the old towel trick worked, you don;t lie in it, it wakes you up when it happens!

[manamana]

Mine went in bed and had luckily planned ahead and was already sleeping on thick old towel. You do wake up straight away although I know some people have described their waters breaking as a 'huge gush' which i guess may require plastic! My problem was the stagger from bed to bathroom so would recommend having another old towel next to bed for clamping between thighs enroute!!!!

[wobbegong]

manamana wrote the exact post which I would have written. We had just bought a brand new mattress so I was a bit worried. However, a couple of beach towels under the sheet were perfect when my waters broke at 1 am, but then there was the small matter of making it to the bathroom over the lovely cream carpet- DH had to leap out of bed, nip to the laundry cupboard and lay down a trail of towels!!

[MrsTittleMouse]

I don't have any experience of maternity mats in the winter, it may be completely different to the summer. BUT, I found that I sweated on them really badly, even though they had the absorbant stuff over the plastic. I would stick to them and it was really uncomfortable. We had a new mattress though, so I refused to give them up. I wish I'd known about old beach towels, I got little enough sleep as it was!

[Maidamess]

Get theeself to Ikea for one of their £1 shower curtains and use that. Makes a great mattress protector when your little darling starts to wet the bed too!

[Nbg]

I had a home birth 4 weeks ago and we just had those Pampers sheets.

They could soak up the atlantic they are that good.

[Shitemum]

Yes. And leave it on for the various body-fluids, yours and other peoples' that will otherwise be soaking into your mattress for the next few years!

[Maidamess]

Ewwww

[chunkypudding]

Debenhams have waterproof mattress protectors that are in their sale at the mo. They are quite cheap anyway, £10 for a double I think, and are 20% off at the mo. I just bought a superking size for £10.50...

I felt a bit hot sleeping on it last night but then I'm 40+5 and feeling a bit on the sweaty side!

[mummypig]

My waters broke in bed with ds2 but not with ds1. The plastic sheet I bought the first time round was horrible, so I much prefer the mattress protectors we have for ds1's nighttime incontinence. We have ones made from cotton flannelette with a hidden waterproof layer, from hippychick, and thicker ones which are more absorbent which we got from Boots here.

[gingermumi]

Hiya

I put down one of my granny's incon pad-sheets and you guessed it - i missed it completely! Washed the bedding(or rather dh did) and used 1001 on mattress. Seems fine.