Home birth, waters have gone, when do I ring

[LouM10]

I presume it is my waters as I've been trickling since 7 am this morning. No sign of any contractions yet.

I have read that if you don't get going within 24-48 hrs you may need to be induced. Should I just wait until contractions have started before ringing midwife or if I don't get any contractions within 48 hrs, ring the

Ahem, this is probably controversial, but my doula suggested not telling the midwives as soon as my waters go as they essentially start a countdown to no homebirth and induction. She has told me to keep an eye on it myself, and when I phone in with the contractions close together either mention it then, or just wait til they arrive and pretend they go in the birth pool.

There is an increased infection risk after 24hrs, but it's pretty negligible - or rather, I think it is, I know plenty of people would be more worried by it.

Should also point out that I haven't had to go through this yet, but I plan on not letting them know at least until I phone in, or if I'm well over 24hrs with no contractions.

HTH and good luck :)

Mine only came out at a trickle too and kept coming hours later once in established labour too. I found i started contracting an hour or so after waters first started going!
They will only induce if you have no water left and will monitor you so don't worry. Just rest loads now and wait and see.
If in doubt always ring - they really don't mind!
Good Luck

I would wait a bit and then see how you feel. No need to ring yet you could be contracting hard in a couple of hours! Can you feel baby moving ok and the waters are clear?

OOhhh thank you. Might go and get a shower and see what I'm like by tonight. Fingers crossed I'll be in my birthing pool in agony hugging the entonox cannisters haha :)

Hey LouM10 - my waters went at 7am this morning too, and I'm also planning a homebirth! However, they went with a bit more of a gush, so I've already had the midwife out to check on me. She's booked me in for an induction tomorrow morning if nothing's happened by then, but I really want to avoid it. I was going to start a thread asking for tips, as the midwife just told me to relax and potter about until things get going.

ooooh, a double homebirth thread. This could be exciting.

I was induced after waters trickling but know that some women go longer.

What is your midwife like? If she is very supportive of HB then I would phone her and be honest with her.

OOOh a double homebirth thread - what are the chances!

Wem - You hear a lot about nipple tweeking on here (sorry) and going sideways up and down stairs - not necessarily at the same time .

Good luck to both of you.

Good timing wem haha. Started with lower back ache, and feels like I have period pains so hopefully, this is gonna start soon.
Well, good luck wem. Have you felt any niggles or anything yet? And good luck to myself as well, think I'm going to need it.

Wem and Lou - how exciting, good luck!

Just to say that you don't have to have an induction tomorrow if you don't want one. Infection risks after 24 hours jump from 0.5% to 1% and are vastly increased by being in hospital and having VEs.

Monitor your temperature and keep an eye on the baby moving. Try staying active (but get rest in between, drink and eat plenty). Lots of time on your birth ball, a few stairs, try some nipple stimulation and sniff some clary sage. If you get braxton hicks try stomping through them (like you are having a tantrum with your feet hip width apart). This should help get things going.

If you haven't gone in to labour after 24 hours and you don't want to go to hospital and be induced this is your right. You'll have to be assertive and be aware of the facts (do a bit of googling as I don't have time to post links at the mo). They will try and persuade you to come in but if they come out and monitor heart rate and your temp is fine you should feel confident to stand your ground.

I recently supported a couple who had a lovely home birth after the 24 hour cut off. They had to be very firm, but they were very glad they didn't go in.

Good luck to both of you! Lou my contractions started exactly like that after my waters broke so it sounds like things are happening for you. I read somewhere that over 80% of women will go into labour naturally after their waters break so there is every chance you'll both get your homebirth.

Good luck Lou, sounds promising. No niggles here, just a few braxton hicks. My parents came over to pick up DD, but they were hanging round and stressing me out so just packed them off, so hopefully I can relax and focus on getting things going.

haha. My mam was at the caravan 2 hrs away so rang her to tell her to come back. She ws sort of wanting to come round, but I was like no no mam I'll be fine. I'll just ring you afterwards. Then she started rambling on about a baby hedgehog she rescued last night ?!?! Think she's panicking more than me lol. Well I'll let you all know how it goes, and hope you will do the same wem. Good luck!!

Thank you for all the well wishes too. EEhhhhh not long till I have an ACTUAL baby. :)

Hi my youngest is 12 weeks old.

My waters went Tuesday 7pm, also planned home water birth. Labour did not start. Cue lots of research on expectant management. Learning was check own temperature every 4 hours - nothing to enter the vagina at all - no baths, no self exams, no mw exams.

I also decided that risk of infection was higher in hospital, and I didn't want the clock to start ticking and pestering to start re impending induction. (which incidentally I would have declined)

Did lots of resting, walking, squatting, birth balling.

6:15pm on Thursday started to get twingy.
6:45 twinges were now regular 2min twinges and feeling like braxton hicks. I called the mw.

7:15 mw arrives, by now braxtons have turned to contractions.
8:16 baby born at home in the pool (just about - had a mass panic to fill it quickly)

My mw wasn't at all surprised that I didn't tell them about my waters going. I don't "do" silly timescales imposed by the NHS. I look for evidence, studies, WHO guidelines, and to my own instincts and decide accordingly.

GOOD LUCK for great births - both of you.

Congratulations Mungo!

Any news ladies?

thanks mungogerry. If nothing happens, I think I'll just do that. I have written firmly in my birth plan that under no circumstances do I want an induction. If they need to intervene, it will have to be a cs. Thanks for the good luck :)

Some good tips here-
spinningbabies.com/techniques/during-labor/335-induction-or-how-to-get-labor-going
FAST circles on birth ball (vigerous).
I use a rebozo for 10 mins then try the inversion.
Good luck both of you.
S x

How are you getting on? Anything doing?

Nothing happening here, hope Lou is having better luck. I've just started another thread asking for positive induction stories as it's feeling somewhat inevitable now. Just feels like for some reason my waters have gone too early and the rest of the process is going to need a bit of kickstarting.

Oh just saw this

wem please do not worry about induction my first 2 were induced and had really quick labours but fingers crossed you'll get your homebirth

Good luck to LouM too

Thanks Plum, having curry for dinner, so perhaps that particular old wives' tale will have an effect :)

So far I think i am having contractions. It's like bad period pain which comes and goes. Not sure if these are contractions though so going to start timing them soon to see. :/

good luck ladies
re: induction - you can have up to 96 hours for labour to start.
what hospitals are you booked into?

Ooh, good luck Lou and Wem!!

LouM10 - yes that is how it starts, with low down period pain. Ooooh very exciting, keep us posted if you can bear to and lots of luck and good wishes to you and Wem xx

I am booked in at the RVI in Newcastle. Still like bad period pain. Getting worse, but aren't getting any closer together. Got a feeling it's gonna be a long night :0 haha