To fear my waters breaking in front of class?

[Lemonsqueasy]

I'm a teacher (English as a foreign language) and because I'm not entitled to maternity leave / pay I'll be working til at least 38 weeks.. if I can.
I'm scared about 1) peeing if I laugh/cough and 2) my waters breaking while I'm teaching.. any advice? Start wearing pads every day?
First baby btw in case it wasn't obvious!

I’ve had four children and my waters have never spontaneously burst, ever. They went during labour each time (and quite established labour at that- I pushed them out with DC2&3 just before they were born!)

Most women’s waters do not spontaneously break and even if they do, it’s usually trickles here and there rather than the dramatic movie style bursting all over the floor!

My waters did break just randomly and honestly it wasn't like in films. It's not like it flooded everywhere. It was a bit like wetting myself, but no one would have even known if I'd been wearing a pad (I was in bed, so it wasn't really dramatic. Just got up and changed). I would just wear a thick pad if you're worried.

I sympathise - I am also a teacher and I worried about this too!

As poster above has said, waters rarely ‘burst’ in the way you see in films/on TV. If it did start, you would just need to make a quick exit.

If you’ve been having continence issues then perhaps pads are a good idea?

Do you teach adults or children? If adults, I imagine they’ll be more understanding and less likely to stare/ask daft questions (as many of my pupils did!)

Ah ok thanks.. I'm currently wearing a skirt / dress to work with bare legs cos of the heat so might need to rethink that just in case.

I teach adults so they'd understand, but still..

Waters breaking as a first sign of labour is apparently quite unusual and it's not a huge puddle like in films, at first. I would wear pads or even tena lady if you're really worried and just make your excuses and end leave quickly if this happens.

I taught secondary school up to 37 weeks and I wasnt worried about this. Kids (and even more so with adults) will understand what it means if this happens as and be more sensible than you might think - I found this out when I fainted in class once and the students were SO good.

you can get those period / incontinance pants now which are very comfy - made from soft bamboo and very absorbant.

Why don't you get any maternity leave/pay?

I've had three children and never peed myself or had my waters spontaneously break.

Well, lol, just to be different: I had 4 labours. In 3, my water broke as the first thing that happened before even a tiny contraction. In 1 of these, it was just hind waters and that was a gush that stopped. The other 2 it was exactly like the films - Niagara falls, gushing with every step, completely sodden despite huge brick like towel I changed every 5 mins. However, whilst it soaked my trousers it didn't go all over the floor after the first gush, and both times it happened at night.

Wear dark leggings

Why are you not entitled to statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance ?

www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/families

And every woman is entitled to some maternity leave, in fact you MUST take a minimum of 2 weeks ( or four weeks for some jobs).

My hind waters broke with DC2 and I honestly just thought I had peed myself. It wasnt loads at all. They did trickle for a while so a pad would soak it up. Contractions didnt start for quite a few hours afterwards so plenty of time to prepare.

My waters broke 3 weeks early, very suddenly, and yes it was a huge gush. Wear a large pad and wear patterned clothes so any seeping is less obvious! Was the first I knew I was in labour in 2 of my 3 pregnancies .

Yeah I wasn't expecting my waters to go but I had the full on pop and then gushing. Thankfully I was at home and leapt off sofa, but it was properly gushing out! DP was fretting trying to find a towel and I was just standing there weeping That was my first sign of labour - contractions started 15 mins later.

But apparently that is quite unusual, and first babies are quite often late anyway!

When I was pregnant I read about a woman that carried a jar of pickled onions everywhere (or something equally weird) so that if her waters went she could smash the jar and wail about her onions whilst making a hasty dash away. IIRC she didn’t have to smash the jar.

After 2 days of contractions my midwife had to do a sweep because mine still hadn’t broken. They are adults, they know you are pregnant. Please don’t stress about it.

My waters went 2 days before labour started. I did feel an internal pop as they went so could sit on the edge of the bath (had just finished my 320th visit to the loo overnight and the bath was closer than the loo). It was a bit of a whoosh, but not overwhelming.

I was overdue and the GP had predicted 72 hours or less the day before.

I worry about this a bit too as I'm also a teacher and planning on working pretty much up til my due date- as a previous poster said I think you have to trust that people will understand! I'm sure my students would just be quite excited more than anything- think I would be more embarrassed about my waters breaking in front of my adult colleagues!

@mindutopia This.

My water broke for babies 1 and 3. It's just like a little bit of pee, it's not gushing out of you.

Yes, the film versions seem exaggerated!

You could buy some Tena pants and wear them over your normal pants if you want an insurance policy but honestly, random rupture of membranes causing floods when out and about is pretty unusual indeed.

There used to be an urban myth that if your waters broke in M&S you’d get a free layette. In a very long career in midwifery I never met anyone that this happened to (so maybe it’s true! )

My waters broke with a pop and a gush spontaneously as the first sign of labour! Not until 40+3 though and I worked up until 38 and a half weeks with my first (I'm a teacher too). Pregnant again now and planning on going on maternity at 35 weeks so it's unlikely anything will happen before then but just in case I shall be taking a towel and a pack of maternity pads to work in my bag!

My body is clearly different to everyones. Definetly more like in the movies... randomly burst and was a lot more then 'just like peeing myself'. Thankfully i was at home at the time.
Yes its a worry, but if they do break in this sitiation then hopefully someone will have the sense to help you.

Another one with broken gushing waters but I was at home. I had lots of ‘the show’ coming out before it happened so wondered if it might. I was 37 weeks

Yes definitely wear pads. My waters broke at 38 weeks exactly - I teach as well, worked until I was 36 weeks just because it coincided with the Easter holidays, otherwise I would have stayed in work for longer. That was with my first - when I have my second I’ll definitely finish before 38 weeks again just to be safe!

I'm a teacher too and carried on working till 39 weeks. I had quite a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions in the last few weeks, but I never thought to worry about my waters breaking. My waters didn't break with either of my kids until the midwife broke them in very established labour. Both my kids were late as well, so I needn't have worried about labour at work at all.

Yeah, mine was in no way like peeing myself! Unless I was a racehorse. It was coming out with force and I was amazed at the sheer volume of it! After the initial gush, it leaked more like pee for the next hour or so though.

Teacher. Waters spontaneously burst at 40+1 and I worked until 38 weeks. Proper flood style and I'm very glad I wasn't on a carpeted floor.

I've worked with so so many pregnant teachers and not one has gone in to labour at work! I think often the body just knows!