If you're 37 weeks+ and your waters break do you have to go the hospital straight away?

[nappyaddict]

Because for some people it can still be another 2 days before they go into established labour.

My waters went at 3am. I went back to bed and called the hospital about 7am the next morning.

I had to go in to be checked over, but as I had no temperature, and no signs of anything happening imminently I went back home with instructions to go back the next day if nothing had happened to be induced (due to the risk of infection).

My tightenings started about lunchime and ds2 arrived at 5pm.

Have yours broken??

Have your watersw broken? I think you should phone your midwive or labour ward and get advice. I think most place's policy is not to let more than 24hrs pass between waters going and labor starting properly, but I'm not sure.

no, not as far as i know.

37 weeks is considered term, so presumably no different than if you were 40 weeks?

i think most people would ring the delivery suite or midwife ad check tho?

My waters have beeen the first sign of labour with all of my DC's. I called the hospital to make them aware, DC's 1&2 I was told to go in so they could check it was def waters - DD3 I wasn't but was different hospital. Then just had to wait it out until contractions started.

Good luck

24 hr thing is right. I was told each time that if contractions hadn't started themself by a certain time I would have to go in and helped along

You may be vulnerable to infection once your waters have gone - so I would def ring the midwife ASAP.

generally the hospital will want to see you to check you and baby are ok and colour of liquor.
If you arent contracting, then generally they will book an induction time for you - which varies between hospitals - some are 12 hours , some are 48hours!!
If you dont labour by that time, then you would go back to hospital for induction.
Once your waters have gone, there is a greater risk of infection for baby.

In general, most people woild labour themselves within 48hours, although not everyone will

mine went at 37wks (well 10pm the night before) and when we called the maternity ward they said come in and we will check you over and probably send you home. I hadn't had any contractions at that point.
ds1 was born at at 0.36am.

ds2 was similar, 11.35pm at 36+6. He arrived at 11.55pm

Some hospitals are still letting you go 60 hours so theoretically you should deliver by the 96 hours.

Has anything else happened yet? I expect you've done this already by now, but the MW said I was to ring the hospital if my waters broke and go in to be checked over just so they can be sure there's no meconium or any other worrying symptoms, even if they do just send me straight home again to wait for 48 hours.