If you waters break, do you really have to ring the hospital?

[beartime]

All the midwives said if your waters break, ring. But I would be scared of having to be induced (I want a homebirth) and you supposedly can wait 96 hrs according to NICE guidelines before induction is strongly recommended. But if you ring them they will probably make you be induced after 24hrs.
So I was just thinking, if my waters break, do I really have to let them know, or is it safe to wait a day or two if I take my temperature etc. to make sure I'm not getting an infection, and wait and see if I go into labour naturally?

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OK, I s'pose I'm not too confident in my powers of resistance though!

Do you have to ring as soon as you know?

This happened to me was told to come in in next few hours, monitored for a bit and sent home, to come back next day for induction (was due for induction then as overdue already) I was in labour by the time I turned up the nextday but did have to have antibiotics.

I wouldn't want to put my baby at risk for anything, so yes I would ring up. My waters did break with ds1 and I was admitted to hospital and induced the next day. It wasn't a great experience, but I wasn't confident enough to make any alternative decisions.

I know I was 2/5 engaged 2 weeks ago - does that mean the cord wouldn't come down.

I am feeling something leaking out - which is why I am asking!!

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i was induced 3 days after my waters broke with ds1. i negotiated with them to extend their 24-48hr policy, but then i caved! i was 3cm dilated and in mild labour, they just sped it up.
i just got a bit worried in the end....it all went ok, but wasn't exactly what i wanted, ie waterbirth with lovely music,blah blah.

maybe nurses could but in here - but i would think its probaly a good thing to tell the hospital to prepare - so its not out of the blue should youhave to go in

if your waters break then you are at risk of infection. taking your temperature will not ensure that you don't have an infection!

If your waters break in all likelihood you will go into labour anyway

why are you worried about this?

For both my ds's my waters broke while at home and i went into full labour within 2 hours of arriving at the hospital. I (maybe because of my experiences) would always always say ring and go get checked etc

Wot's the difference if it's hindwaters then - you don't have to ring? And that's scary about becoming unengaged! What causes that?

Noops, my lovely MW friend said tonight that even if you go into labour naturally after 24hrs they like to give you antibiotics i.v. while in labour, so I guess my home birth would be out then anyway!

I'm just worried cos I want to have homebirth and can't if I'm induced - that's all. But oh well, it's not the end of the world anyway.

yes you needn't necessarily be induced
there are risks of infection, esp Strep B. IMHO I would think it's best to tell them the truth and deal with whatever they recommend in an active way. whatever they suggest - have you heard of BRAN??
what are the benefits?
Risks?
Alternatives?
what if we do nothing?
hth

SL, all the hospital are likely to do is send the mum home telling her to take her temp regularly. Temperatures are a good way of telling if infections are present. However, the hospital will be able to tell you (reasonably accurately what kind of waters have gone and if indeed they have at all. They will also want to take a swab and therefore be able to tell you how dilated you are. That can be useful. I was allowed to swab myself, but afterwards I wished I had asked them to do it so they could see what was going on.

This is what happened to me. And I was also told by the midwife that something like 70% of women go into labour naturally within 24hrs. Just like I did. Good luck!

thanks for all your help everyone, no I haven't heard of bran. No more leakage since, so maybe hindwaters?

Hi Hun,
I can definetely see where you are coming from as I have been at labours where they have ended up in hospital because waters have been broken for more than 24 hours. I think 80% of women go into labour within 24 hrs and another 10% by 48 hrs (and yes NICE guidelines say you can wait up to 96 hours before being induced).
You can check the colour of the waters (should be clear) and not smelly (if so then call the hospital). Make sure you avoid all internal examinations as they can push bacteria from the vagina up to the womb and cause infection (and only seve to put pressure on you're labour to progress). I think it is sensible to stay home and wait for you're labour to progress (keep sleeping and eating if possible). Maybe you can talk to one of you're midwives (if there is one you are comfortable with).
Good Luck!
Love Selina

My waters broke (13 days early) with DS1 - and they really broke - all of my mums bathroom floor - was going to be induced the following day after spenidng the night in hospital no contractions at all - not even Braxton Hicks....long story but I ended up with a CS (which in retrospect I feel was unescessary - but it's so long ago I don't care).

With DS2 my waters started leaking 6 days before EDD, and I went into hospital (called them and asked - and said I'd go in on the condition that I would be allowed home again ). They monitored me for a while (was having mild contractions - but it was false labour grrrr) and then let me home, with an appointment for the Wednesday to be induced if nothing had happened before then (this was the Sunday afternoon). Mild contractions went on all night at very regular intervals.....then stopped. Then had nothing at all, went in on the Wednesday, examined and found that my cervix hadn't even come foward, let alone started to dilate and I was induced that day - DS2 arrived the following lunchtime.

My waters went 15 days early with DD went in got checked out my cervix was completely closed, had a swab taken and sent home with temperature sticks and told to come back 48 hours later for induction.

Started having contractions in the car going home, spent about 30 mins at home and had to go back in, DD born 4 hours later.

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my waters broke a week before I went into labour and I spent a very boring but stressful 6 nights in hospital before being allowed out only to go into labour that night - she was born 3 days later ! Definitely worth phoning in though

when my waters broke I was on the way to an ante-natal and when I got there and told them I wasn't allowed to move anywhere! they told once the waters break there's chance of infection and I was wheel-chaired and ambulanced acrossed to the maternity unit - mind you this was donkeys years ago!

You wouldn't catch me going into hospital.
I know I'll be accused of being mad and irresponsible but I wouldn't pander to the hospital's over caution. They just want to make sure they're not going to be sued.

God I get the feeling I'm really for it now.
It's just my view.

Anyway, you're more likely to get an infection in hospital than in your own home.

My waters broke at 8pm and baby born at 8.40pm. Although I knew I was in labour before the waters broke, after that the contractions were serious and we only just made it to the hospital in time.

B-strep infection is nothing to do with being in hospitals. It is something you are a carrier of or not. It is also something your visitors can have on their hands.
A quarter of women have it harmless in there bodies.
My son nearlly died of it. They didn't know i carried it. They do now and are very cautious. If my waters break, there is not waiting at all. I have to go straight in for IV antibiotics.
Now i know the risks and been through hell before. There is no way i would be stubborn enough to risk my babies life.
I would loooove a home birth, but no way now.