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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Waters broken, no contractions...

50 replies

Koop · 15/12/2011 10:17

Morning all.
My waters broke at 3.15am, midwife checked me over just now and confirmed - but no contractions yet. If I don't go into labour naturally today, I have to be induced tomorrow morning. Was planning a home birth too :(

Anyone had this happen to them and started having good strong contractions? It's been 7 hours and nothing. Wonder if the cough I've picked up has helped the waters break?

OP posts:

sittinginthesun · 15/12/2011 17:54

Hope things are moving now. This happened to me with DS2. I was out with friends and DS1. I drove home, made tea, washed up, then phoned the hospital - midwives slightly cross I hadn't come straight in as I was only 36 weeks, so technically prem.

I didn't feel a contraction for 8 hours, but when they checked me, I was already 5cm...

ArlingtonStringham · 15/12/2011 20:04

Koop, if you have to go in and have the drip it isn't necessarily awful and painful. I too was planning home birth, waters broke, contractions started a while afterbut I got 'stuck' at 8cm with slowing down contractions after 2 days labouring happily at home. Was gutted I had to go in and have drip, but it was actually amazing, was only on it for 1.5 hours and pushed my son out in 38 minutes! The contractions were strong immediately the drip started, but didn't feel like I couldn't cope, they felt like what my body had been wanting to do all along - just had gas & air fir pain relief, never felt like I needed an epidural. Just sharing another perspective! Best of luck, I'm sure you won't need it :)

BleachBoys · 15/12/2011 20:18

Clary sage oil on my bump kicked mine into gear in similar circumstances. My waters broke about the same time of night as yours, not much happened till late afternoon when I did the oil. DD born that evening.
Good luck! Hope the silence from you is because you are otherwise engaged

naturalbaby · 15/12/2011 21:11

my mw knew i was desperate for a homebirth so even though i really didn't want one, she gave me a very thorough stretch and sweep. first contraction an hour later, baby 6 hours later at home.

it was a bit intense and i always wondered how long it would have taken if she didn't do the stretch and sweep but knowing the clock was ticking i'm glad she did.

Original poster

Koop · 15/12/2011 21:31

Afraid the silence is just from feeling crappy and needing a snooze!
No progress, still leaking waters but nothing else. Just twiddling my thumbs now.

Good to hear a few positive stories about going on the drip though! Guess it's just different for everyone and I will just have to see how it goes.

OP posts:

working9while5 · 15/12/2011 22:27

I had this too, labour itself was fine though instrumental delivery as he was back to back, the monkey... it wasn't all that bad! Good luck!

nerdgirl72 · 15/12/2011 23:36

Probably too late to help, but my waters broke about 6am on a Weds morning, and contractions started about 3am the following morning, so it can still happen!!

I was determined not to be induced after reading the leaflet the MWs gave me when they checked me, so went home and kept very active, cleaned the kitchen floor, went up and down stairs, bounced on the ball, ate pineapple and some very spicy jerk chicken. Who knows if any combination of these helped or it was just luck, but labour did start spontaneously. But like a poster above got stuck at 8cm, so ended up on drip anyway, epidural and a forceps delivery, but it was all OK.

Whatever happens, hope it all goes well.

idlevice · 16/12/2011 03:32

Do you know if baby is in a less than optimum position? Ideally there should be pressure from the head on the cervix/pelvis at a certain angle to encourage contractions so you could try getting into some favourable positions to see if this will trigger anything.

I had waters breaks 24hrs before a 24hr period of stop-start contractions due to back-to-back baby. I had synto without epidural cos no dilation, so def consider an epidural if you have to have the dreaded drip - altho if you have dilated quite a bit beforehand you may be able to get through without the epi. If you have the drip without an epidural make sure you or birth partner are asking about the rate they have set it at - don't let them get away with ramping it up & forgetting about it. I think you can have an epidural sited first without actually starting it which may be advantageous but I don't know the details of this.

PotteringAlong · 16/12/2011 03:43

Just to say I ended up being induced with both a syncto drip and an epidural and my birth experience was still a positive one even though it wasn't thewater birth I'd planned!

Original poster

Koop · 16/12/2011 08:07

Thanks for all the messages, really useful advice. Still no action here so I'm off to the hospital to be checked over and probably get the ball rolling.
The baby is in a good position, but no idea how far dilated I am (if at all!).

OP posts:

naturalbaby · 16/12/2011 09:11

good luck for today. i would try a stretch and sweep first (worked really well for me).
let us know how it goes, you'll have a baby in your arms soon!

Original poster

Koop · 16/12/2011 13:45

Looks like I've got a hind water leak, fore waters still intact. Waiting for space on the labour ward now.
All I need now is a big mac and a pint of lager. (What an inappropriate time to develop a craving!)

OP posts:

naturalbaby · 16/12/2011 13:57

are you going to give us live labour/birth updates?!

Flisspaps · 16/12/2011 13:58

Keep moving Koop, get bouncing and walking whilst you're waiting!

Are they going to break your forewaters in the hope that shifts baby onto your cervix and gets ctx going?

Original poster

Koop · 16/12/2011 14:37

Yes, looks like the plan is to break 'em and see what happens!
Might give the occasional update if the ward they move me to has good phone reception.

OP posts:

elliejjtiny · 16/12/2011 18:13

Good luck.

This happened to me twice. With DS2 waters broke and nothing. was meant to be having a homebirth. DS1 went to inlaws. MW came and said I had 48 hours and then I had to go in for monitoring. Went in for monitoring, nothing happening, just a few niggles although I was convinced I'd go on my own if they would stop telling me he needed to be born asap. I got myself into a right state and was missing my ds1. Midwife came out again and told DH that the stress wasn't doing me any good and that I needed to see ds1. Inlaws brought DS1 and a chinese takeaway . Next day chilled out with ds1, sniffed clary sage and dh drove me round the countryside looking for hills. DS1 back to inlaws for the night. That night things were happening so I called midwife and she came out. 2cm dilated most of the night. Reluctantly agreed to go to bed for a few hours and go to hospital in the morning to be induced. Next morning I felt things were happening so phoned mw who came out and said I was 2cm. I felt loads of pressure so 45 mins later she checked me again and I was 4cm but with meconium staining and ds2 had gone back to back. Clearly he was as determined to be born in hospital as I was to have him at home . Agreed to go to hospital. Ambulance arrived at same time as inlaws. DH brought DS1 into the ambulance to kiss me goodbye and off we went with DH following in the car. 90 mins after arriving in hospital DS2 was born, 104 hours after ROM. DS2 has obviously inherited my stubborn streak!

DS3 was much more straight forward. Waters broke, nothing happened. Was planning a natural hospital birth with just gas and air. Was originally planning to send dh to work but realised that I couldn't do the school run with a bath towel between my legs or leaving a trail of fluid behind me. So DH did that and then took me to my appointment at the hospital that I had anyway. Had monitoring and then agreed to induction after 48 hours. DH wanted inlaws to collect ds1 and ds2. I said no. DH said he couldn't look after all 3 of us and I said I can look after the children and myself if he could do the school run. DH in a flap. In the end Inlaws agree to take ds1 and 2 to theirs for the night and bring back ds2 after morning school run. Spent next day chilling with inlaws, dh and ds2. Children back to inlaws for the night. Next morning a few niggles but thats it. Went to hospital to find I am 3cm and can go straight on the drip as soon as there is a bed on labour ward. Spend whole day on antenatal ward waiting. By the time there is a bed I'm 5cm so they agree to hold off with the drip and wait a couple of hours. By then DS3 is here, 69 hours after ROM.

Hope everything goes well for you. I was bouncing on a birth ball while attached to heartbeat monitor both times so you don't always have to lie in bed.

Flisspaps · 17/12/2011 09:29

Morning Koop - hope things are progressing for you :)

Original poster

Koop · 17/12/2011 22:06

Hello!
No need to be induced, 36 hours after waters broke (turned out it was a hindwater leak) while being monitored in hospital started to get strong contractions and after a 5 hour labour DS arrived at 5am today, weighing in at 8lbs 9oz.
Stuck with gas and air throughout, but would probably go for more pain relief if I did this again (unlikely!).
I got through it, but it was awful, made worse by the gas and air echoing the relentless screams of the woman in the neighbouring delivery room. (shudder)

Thanks for all your support, I'm sore but happy.

OP posts:

ZhenTheHallsWithBoughsOfHolly · 17/12/2011 22:13

Congratulations Koop glad it all happened naturally for you in the end

Flisspaps · 17/12/2011 23:09

Absolutely brilliant news, I am over the moon for you

Welcome to the world baby boy Koop :)

mousysantamouse · 17/12/2011 23:49

congrats koop

MrsHoolie · 18/12/2011 08:03

Congratulations!

cravingcake · 18/12/2011 08:56

Congratulations and well done you!

elliejjtiny · 18/12/2011 09:35

Congratulations. I quite enjoyed hearing the lady next door screaming, made me feel comforted that someone else was going though the same thing. I wouldn't have wanted to hear that near the beginning though.

naturalbaby · 18/12/2011 19:33

well done you! have a good rest and enjoy those precious firsts.

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