My waters went last night, advice please.

[LAF77]

My waters went at 10PM last night, but nothing seems to have kicked off. I had to go in for monitoring this afternoon. Baby is fine, but I have been booked for an induction tomorrow at 12 if labour isn't established. My cervix is thinning, but not dilating yet. Baby's head is still 3/5 engaged.

I'm hoping that I can avoid this, but if I can't, I'm not sure what to do. I was thinking that I should ask to be examined to see how I am going. If nothing seems to be happening, would it be better to ask for ELCS than go through induction? Could something be wrong like the cord wrapped around him that is preventing him from descending?

I'd just hate to go down the induction route and end up with an EMCS. I think that it could be more possible if my body and baby aren't working together. It seems that the people I know who have done induction when their bodies aren't ready end up with EMCS. Surely ELCS is safer for baby than EMCS.

Hopefully, it will be a moot point, but if not, I want to know what is realistic.

Thanks!

I was in the same situation but they did let me go to Monday morning 11am when waters went 2am Saturday.

I was 2cm dilated so induction was with syntocin drip. I went for epidural after 3 hours of breathing through (gas and air didn't agree with me and I don't like the ides of pethidine/diamorphine). I would have had the epidural before they started if I had my time again.

Delivery was ventouse but baby and I were OK.

I would ask if you could kneel and be monitored rather than just on back like I was.

Chances are if you ask for an ELCS you wont be given one unless there is a medical reason. As far as I know 'normal' practise is to induce.

I was induced after my waters broke but contractions didnt start. My waters went at 6am on thursday. I was given two lots of gel in pessary form (1 about 10pm Friday, next one 6am Saturday), as my cervix wasnt open and my hospital policy is they wont give syntocin drip until you are 3-4 cm. I was examined at lunch time Saturday & told I was 1-2cm and would be put back down on the ward and they'd start again with the gel the next day. However, I'm sure they must have done a pretty good sweep because within an hour of that my contractions started on their own. I was fully dilated by midnight, and my baby arrived at 3.02am on Sunday morning with the help of forceps (this was due to my personal circumstances - nothing to do with the induction process).

I personally think if your waters have gone then your body is starting to do what it should so you are pretty much ready.

By all means ask for an examination (they'll do that if you have gel pessary). They dont generally like to do too many internal examinations as the risk of infection increases. I think you can refuse induction and ask for monitoring but you also need to remember that your baby's environment has now changed.

In the mean time, keep moving to try to encourage things naturally (bounce on a ball, climb the stairs a few times) and try to rest also as you will seriously need your energy.

Either way, you are going to meet your little baby very soon.

Good luck

LAF haven't anything useful to say, but am very excited that you're so close to meeting your baby!!! Am thinking of you and will be looking out for your birth story. Xxx

Sorry, I should have said my waters went on A Thursday, not last thursday . My DS is 5 months old now

Same story with me - had 2 x pessaries. I was advised to take the drip but argued for a couple of hours' grace to see if labour would progress more if I was allowed some active labour and baby was born within the 2 hours - all that stuff about moving around really is the truth... no interventions.
Induction doesn't necessarily mean an ELCS, but if you need the drip, have the epidural at the same time, that's all I'd say.
Good luck.

I've had 2 x pessary inductions both quick labours, ds1 was 3 hours, ds2 20 mins! Neither ended in emcs, good luck!!

Thanks for all of your feedback. Forewarned is forearmed! I will ask for the gel first if nothing has happened. I don't really feel I can decline induction as my waters have gone. I did pay privately for the strep b test last week, so I know I am clear from that. But of course, exams are risky.

My birth plan says active labour and do not want induction, but what will be, will be. I will push for the gel first and to be active after the gel. I would rather not have an epidural, but it is more of a possibility with an induction.

Thanks for your kind wishes digi I can't believe I am this close!

If you would rather not have an epidural why don't you see how you go even if they do induce with the drip. I was induced with DD1 after PROM. I was left for 2 nights and was induced with the drip as I was 3 cm. I'd always not wanted an epidural so I decided to see how I went. the drip was up at 10 and I was fully dilated by 2pm. I'm not saying it wasn't painful but I did it with no pain relief (think I'm just really strange and kept putting off having anything). Depends on why you don't want an epidural. If its because you want to be able to move around then you may as well have one as you won't be that mobile if induced with the drip anyway. Mine was due to HUGE fear of having aneedle in my back so thats why I went without. TBH I was lucky and things happened quickly if I hadn't been fully dilated when I was I would have had one I think as I was starting to lose it. Good luck!

As cravingcake says, it is possible to postpone the induction if you want to and you're showing no signs of infection (ie no discharge problems, no raised temperature, baby showing no signs of distress upon monitoring)

Some areas offer induction at 24 hours, others at 48 and some at 72 hours.

I am not saying don't be induced, I am merely saying that not being induced is an option :)

My waters broke with dc1 at 37 weeks and while u had some contractions, labour was very slow and I didn't dilate. I had an epidural for pain relief after a horrendous night, and they put me on the drip. I did not end up with any intervention - they wore Epi off for delivery that evening. Induction and Epi does not at all automatically end in assisted delivery or emcs

My waters broke at 10pm one night then next day I went to hospital and they said if nothing has happened then had to be induced on the wednesday. I had no signs at all then the next day at 6pm fell asleep on settee for hour woke up having contractions and dd was born 6am the next day. Even though my waters broke I had no signs until after that sleep it was strange!

Thanks so much for a your replies. It has been a big comfort. I don't want a CS. A close friend was induced and labour was never established after 48 hours of induction and she ended up with an EMCS under GA cos they didn't properly numb the area, so that has been playing in my mind.

I guess the difference for me is that my waters have broken, but hers didn't happen naturally.

Thanks for the advice about declining the induction, but I think that I won't do it in these circumstances with the waters breaking. The waiting is hard and DH keeps checking me all the time for signs of a fever or infection, so it is annoying me too. He is keen to meet the baby!

Not much seems to have happened overnight for me. I did get some reasonable sleep last night, well as well as late pregnancy gives you.

I'm going to go on a long walk this morning before going into hospital and hope that baby sees the light.

Oh laf I can't believe your so close to having this baby!

No advice from me sorry. just sending lots of good luck and dilating vibes your way.

I can't wait to hear all about ds.

Good luck!

Good luck LAF77. Good advice here. All I would add is by all means go for a walk etc but please don't wear yourself out - if you are induced you're going to need a good reserve of energy I was in your position 9 years ago and with the benefit of hindsight wish I hadn't overdone it so much with plodding up and down the stairs all weekend!

Just to say you can request to wait and see for 96 hours in some trusts. Just keep an eye on your temp, any waters trickling down should be clear and obviously if you feel unwell/think you have an infection go straight in.

You can request to be scanned if you think there may be a positioning problem too

Good luck!

Just to say, you can still be mobile even if you have the drip for induction. I was with two of my labours. I've been induced for all 3 and past the actual induction all births were intervention free. DD1 was a water birth after induction with a pessary :o

Be firm about what you want, and they will try and take into account your wishes. Good luck!

Thank you all for your support. I'm at the hospital and will be here overnight which is rubbish. I had the first pessary 5 hours ago, had a few irregular contractions and not much else. My cervix is still closed, but I'm still leaking fluid. DH has gone home and I've been bawling my eyes out. It's not the birth experience I wanted, but baby seems active and healthy and that is my primary concern. I'm due to get checked again in an hour so hopefully, it isn't still clamped shut. I will have 4 rounds of pessaries in 24 hours, so wait and see for the results of round 2.

Sorry to hear it goes as you hoped laf

I don't have any experience of induction, but will keep my fingers crossed things get going soon.

When I had dd1 my waters went and I was told I would need to be induced. I showed no sign of going into labour myself and there was meconium in my waters.

I went from zero to having dd in 8 hours with no intervention at all.

It is possible.

Good luck x

Good luck!

If you need to have continuous monitoring you could see if you can sit on a birth ball for it rather than lying on your back or sitting with your feet up. If you do need to be on your back, finding that you need to go to the loo v frequently can be a way to get yourself upright at least part of the time. Sometimes sitting on the loo is v comfy too , so no need to rush those trips. Some mums negotiate monitoring for spells of time mixed in with intervals off the monitor.

Some of the risks of induction leading to assisted birth or CS are to do with the semi-reclined position women get put into for long periods of time, especially if they find they need an epidural.

Look forward to reading your birth announcement .

Thanks mumatron I feel a bit hopeless at the moment with my bishops score of 1.

pesto thanks for the tip. I will ask if I can do the next round of monitoring on my ball.

Well, any score sounds like some progress . Do you have anything you can do to help you chill out? Would they think a nice relaxing bath or shower a good idea? Labour hormones work best if you are not stressed and anxious, so anything you can do to relax and take your mind off it might help. I realise that this is far far easier said than done. Has your DH gone home for the night? Lots of labours kick off in the wee small hours, so if so I hope you'll be calling him back soon . Think positive!

Thanks pesto I am cheered up because my cervix has made progress. It is moving forward and thinning so no pessary for me, they will let me progress until the next check at 6.

How you doing this morning LAF?

I'm trying not to be frustrated fliss they put me on the monitor at 6:15, baby was sleeping as i had just woken and took some time to wake, like his mum, so the MW on shift wasn't able to examine me and give me the next pessary. I had a few strong irregular contractions last night, but I'm not in established labour. I've been waiting 2 hours to be seen again

Thinking of you LAF hope it doesn't take too long and you can avoid next stage of induction.

I've not been induced before but I remember my NCT teacher (who you'd think would be all hippy dippy) recommending an epidural if you get to the drip stage of induction...as it can bring contractions on very fast and furious. My friend was induced at 38 weeks due to crippling SPD. She had an epidural and pushed her 9lb plus baby out easily with no intervention - so it can be done! She even said she enjoyed the pushing stage! Not that I'm advocating an epi - just didn't want you to think it was the worst thing in the world if you got to that stage.