Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Childbirth

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

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Baby born in sac - I'm confused

32 replies

jenrose29 · 08/06/2012 13:27

I had my beautiful baby a few days ago. About 15 minutes before she was born my waters broke and I then climbed onto the bed and within a few pushes she was out. However, she was born still in the sac. I was wondering how this can be if my waters broke? Does it mean they only partially broke?? I was under the impression that being born in the sac is very rare because hospitals break your waters for you if they don't break by themselves, but I don't understand how I did both?? Apologies if it's a really stupid question!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Righteousdude · 08/06/2012 13:33

My daughter was born 'in the caul'

Apparently it means she will never drown

My sac and waters were intact until her head touched the floor. Then there was a tsunami I am told

Righteousdude · 08/06/2012 13:34

Oh and congratulations :)

ThePathanKhansWitch · 08/06/2012 13:35

Did you keep them? I've heard sailors will pay a ransom for them.

booksandchoc · 08/06/2012 13:36

I was told they will only break your waters if your labour isn't progressing. So if your progressing fine then they wont do it. And it is very lucky!

PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling · 08/06/2012 13:39

Are there not fore and hind waters? No medic tho!

jenrose29 · 08/06/2012 13:39

But they did break and then when she was born she was in the sac...so am confused as to how both can be the case?

OP posts:
jenrose29 · 08/06/2012 13:40

There are yes, I had considered that could be the case but wasn't sure?

OP posts:
jojane · 08/06/2012 13:50

I think there is the sac which the baby is in and another sac of waters to help coushion the baby as with my daughter I felt something come out and it was an intact sac of waters which the midwife then burst.

Lunarlyte · 08/06/2012 14:10

I'm confused, too. My waters didn't 'go' and they weren't broken until just before she was vaccuumed out via ventouse.

I'm told by DH that when I was pushing, he could see DD1 through a "cloudy membrane", which was also being pushed out (and then slipping back in, hence the need for assistance). I assume this must have been the sac?

How that man found me attractive enough after that to go on to make another baby with me will forever be a mystery, too!

skrullandcrossbones · 08/06/2012 14:12

There are two layers of membrane, and I think most of the water is between them - so maybe the outer layer broke and the inner one didn't. Not a medic though so might be wrong!

Righteousdude · 08/06/2012 15:04

Or maybe your waters broke but the remnants if the sac were still around your baby

Dp said our dd looked like she was in a condom Hmm

VictoriaWould · 08/06/2012 22:24

Its like the baby is in a balloon. When your waters broke, a hole would have appeared in the balloon but the balloon stayed around your baby when she was born iyswim.

JaneaneGruffalo · 08/06/2012 22:29

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caul#Notable_people_born_.22in_the_caul.22

Byron and Freud no less! Smile am ignoring Liberace Wink

JaneaneGruffalo · 08/06/2012 22:29

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caul#Notable_people_born_.22in_the_caul.22

gah!

MarsLady · 08/06/2012 22:35

I wonder if it was your hind waters that went.

You don't have to have your waters broken if they don't go on their own.

I've seen a baby born in the caul, in fact, I caught her. It's the birth that remains etched in my mind.

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter.

PestoPenguin · 08/06/2012 22:39

Mars -can you explain what hind waters actually are please? I've seen this term before, but don't understand what it means.

HRHOliviaMumsnet · 08/06/2012 22:43

HELLO MARS!

HRHOliviaMumsnet · 08/06/2012 22:45

Congrats OP!

Grin
MarsLady · 08/06/2012 22:46

Hind waters are the waters behind the baby that tend to come after the baby exits the birth canal.

MarsLady · 08/06/2012 22:47

Olivia... if you go for number 3, I'm happy to give you a call to explain exactly how that birth will go. Grin

DameHermione · 08/06/2012 22:50

Imagine a baloon. Baby is inside the ballon. Head is down plugging the only way out.

You can have a littele hole at the top end and a 'hindwater' leak. With lots of the rest of the water still around the baby. And in particular a bubble of intact membrane in front of babys head (forewaters).

So you could have a 'waters gone' from a little hole up the top. But when babys head comes out it is still in a bubble. Of waters. And born 'in the caul'.

It is very beautiful and lovely to see.

DameHermione · 08/06/2012 22:51

So many spelling mistakes. Sorry.

MarsLady · 08/06/2012 22:51

DameHermione nails it! Grin

blueberryboybait · 08/06/2012 22:54

My DD2 was born in her intact bag of waters into the hands of a wonderful student MW doing her first 'catch' (as she described it) I was a little freaked initially by it as I expected a baby shaped baby not a baby in the bag. Now I realise it was an amazing thing to see.

PestoPenguin · 08/06/2012 22:55

Thank you! That's a brilliant description. I'm now puzzling as to what on earth could generate a hole high up? I'd always assumed (perhaps wrongly) that it was the presenting part and front end of the sac being squashed against the cervix that causes the pop.