38wks plus 2 days waters broke 11pm last night - what nxt?

[longbay]

Hospital want me to be induced Tomorrow at 10am!
I really don't want too after such a hideous experience when I was 14 days overdue with DD1 and had to be induced.
How long can I be left to try and go in to labour on my own? They say 24hrs. But they let my friend go 5 days as long as she took antibiotics and got monitored at hospital every other day. She was 36 wks.

Induction after waters breaking is very different from induction due to being overdue.

My waters broke with first at 34+5, I was induced 24 hours later but by the time they examined me I was 4cm dilated so they just put me on a drip to 'speed things up', more like augmentation of labour really. Was no problem at all and he was out in about 4 and a half hours.

The risk after your waters break is that you will contract an infection. I was put on an antibiotic drip to prevent this.

Don't be frightened, relax as much as possible, I would say have a bath but they advised me against this, might be different if you're term. I bet you go into labour tonight

some hospitals let you go 48hrs if you have monitering, they may offer antibiotics, they will have wanted your friend who was 36wks to get past 37wks, but you are classed as term as you are past 36wks hence they will want to induce you.

they cant make you be induced and it may be worth trying to bargain for the extra 24hrs. if you do go for it it will be with the syntocin drip, you can still stay mobile, use a birth ball etc, monitering is a bit more tricky then but they can do it, hope it all goes smoothly for you xx

Thanks everyone. Still no contractions. Guess I'll have to wait & see tmw unless baby decides otherwise!

Anyway you can encourage your body to get things moving before the docs wade in? Do you have a ball you can sit and bounce on? Maybe stomp up and down the stairs a bit or do some dancing to the music channel?

Our local hosp let's you go 72 hours before induction.

Ah longbay I am in your boat! Waters went at 530 yesterday and am now bouncing on my ball trying to avoid my induction at 8pm this evening as I really wanted to use the birth centre.

Anyone have any tips for us to speed up contractions?!

My first labour "started" with my waters breaking at 9am. Contractions eventually came that evening and DS was born the following afternoon

I recommend staying distracted with little jobs (Sainsburys shop, household stuff, nothing too energetic), bouncing on a birth ball, walking gently around the park and getting a good sleep in too as well as eating light, slow release energy foods and staying hydrated.

It'll happen when you're not focusing to much on it.

All I'll say is that before DD3's birth I would have agreed with you, but as she and I both got an infection after 3 days of ruptured membranes and she nearly didn't make it through labour, needed a week in nicu and very strong antibiotics, that on balance and with the gift of hindsight I should probably have taken the induction sooner than 48 after the waters going. There was no way she would have made it out other than by CS anyway but we might have progressed to CS sooner and avoided her the stay in nicu. It all turned out well in the end though.

My advice is to avoid letting them do any internals. Go for the monitoring of course, and take the ABs if offered! And also, even though you had a horrid time first time around, remember that your body has given birth before and it might be a completely different experience this time around. All labours are different- there are so many tiny variables. God luck!

In my trust I think it's 48 hours but apparently the NICE guidelines say you can be left for 96 hours (according to our NCT antenatal lady)

Keep an eye on your temperature. Take it and make a note of it every few hours. Have a read of this. Good luck

How re you doing longbay??????