Broken waters as mode of induction, talk to me!

[Keepontrudging]

What was your experience of this ladies? All welcome, but particularly second time mums? I hear with second timers they tend to come a lot faster in this instance?

[AnythingNotEverything]

I had my polyhydramnios waters broken with DD. I was already 4cm but no contractions.

I was contracting strongly within 90 minutes and she was born 5 and a bit hours later. It was great.

[tutu100]

My waters started to leak with ds2 but the contractions never started, so after 30 hrs they broke the remaining waters to get everything going. The breaking of the waters was fine, didn't feel anything other than the warm, wet feeling. The contractions started after about 10 mins and came very fast (every 2 mins after that). Ds2 was born exactly an hour after they broke my waters. I was quite freaked out at how quickly the pain intensified as my labour with ds1 had been 27 hours, and I though I was going to be in that pain for ages. Had I know it was only going to be a short time I would have been much calmer.

Ds2 was delivered on the toilet as he took both the midwives and I by surprise. They knew it wouldn't be long so told me to sit on the loo whilst they prepared the bed (the room does have a chair in it now!). The midwife ended up doing a sliding tackle across the floor to grab ds2's head!

Have they tried giving you a sweep yet?

[tutu100]

Forgot to say that when they broke my waters I was already 5cms dialated, just with no real pains.

[TheDetective]

My experience as a second time mum at 42+6 was labour started very quickly.

6 hours from waters breaking to baby arriving. I was having mild braxton hicks prior to it, and they just got stronger and stronger until labour began.

My cervix wasn't particularly favourable either. I was 1cm dilated.

[Keepontrudging]

Thanks for feedback. I will be either 37 weeks or 39 weeks depending on various factors such as babies growth and my BP. I may not even be favourable to have my waters broke, though they think I will as I only had my daughter 19 months prior. I have heard it can be very intense and this scares me (as I was induced by pessary and drip with dd and it was VERY intense) I am leaning more toward an elcs, but I do keep wondering what if...

[LBOCS]

I was a first timer and went in for induction due to preeclampsia. They gave me a gel pessary with the idea that it would soften my cervix enough to break my waters, and then if that didn't work then they'd put me on the drip.

What actually happened was they gave me the gel, I rolled over a few hours later on the bed and my waters went spontaneously. That put me into full labour (I hadn't even had niggles before that and was 38+4) and DD was born 12 hours later. It was fine, the same as your waters going at home and going into labour yourself.

[TheDetective]

My first was a c/s by the way. So my second was my first vaginal birth.

I had an augmented labour (with oxytocin) the first time around, with a c/s at fully for failed ventouse.

[AnythingNotEverything]

I would think it's different to the syntocin though. It feels more natural (although I can't explain that).

It was pretty intense, but in my experience, perfectly manageable. Second babies do tend to be a bit easier ... A road once travelled etc.

[Keepontrudging]

I keep being assured as much, I just don't know if I can take the risk of another long, arduous labour... With a baby who is already going to be slightly compromised (in that he is small and has to come out earlier than he would probably like...)

[Keepontrudging]

(Assured second labours are easier) thanks for feedback ladies. Keep it coming please!

[SlipperyLizard]

DD1 was induced at 38 weeks by breaking my waters (after pessary). Contractions came very fast and very strong, DD born 6 hours later.

Waters went naturally with DD2 at 40 weeks, was about 2 hours from "ooh, there's a trickle" to "here's a baby"!

[FannyFanakapan]

DC3 came 1 hour and 45 mins after having my waters broken. I was fastest birth my MW had attended. (proud!)

I reacted quite strangely though - took off all my clothes and was fierce and aggressive - like I went from that pleasant mrs fanakapan in bay 3 to the snarling woman in transition in a little over an hour.

Previous births had been scaredy cat (dc1) and sobbing snotfest (dc2). Then here I was, "I am woman, hear me roar!"

[Keepontrudging]

Haha, good for you Fanny!

[Ducky23]

I had my waters broken on Sunday morning at 37+3, was 2cm, my cervix was very high and posterior so it was a very uncomfortable experience, they left me for the rest of the day and nothing happened. Then they started me on the drip around 8 at night and ds was born Monday morning at 4am

[dreamingofwineandcheese]

I had my waters broken second time around. I was 3cm, an hour later I felt the need to push and was 10cm, DD was born 40 mins later. Definitely quicker than my first labour and the midwives told me it would be.