Waters not breaking until baby is born

[juniper9]

Just wondering if anyone knows of this? I gave birth on Wednesday morning but my waters didn't break until she plopped out.

Is that normal procedure? I feel like I'm still trying to make sense of the birth in lots of ways, and this aspect just seems... unusual. Don't they normally break your waters?

Incidentally, baby is beautiful not biased and healthy

Congratulations

I think it is fairly common for membranes not to burst until the pressure of childbirth pops them. Some babies are even still born inside their membranes (which is meant to be very lucky and mean they will not drown).

In the case of my DC2, we never did find out where or when his waters broke. MWs kept asking me, but I honestly have no idea.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby!

Being "born in the caul" used to be considered good luck for the baby and protect against drowning. Sailors who had been born in their caul used to carry it dried in a little pouch I believe.

It's not all that common but certainly not uncommon iyswim. Most people's water go at some point beforehand. If the labour is slow, staff might break the waters to speed things up- I guess your labour progressed normally so there was no need to break them.

With ds2 my waters broke about 2 minutes before he came out.

It was a fast labour but I didn't realise how close I was to giving birth. Waters went when I was on the loo in the ensuite for the delivery room. Midwife said "quick, up on the bed, here comes the baby". I thought "no way you crazy lady, there's ages yet" but 3 pushes later he was born .

Congratulations!

First time, waters were burst just before third stage as they were bulging out in a big balloon. The midwives regretted it as they got soaked.

Second time they burst at the moment of birth. Didn't seem to be much.

Third time there was some kind of explosion and tidal wave all over the room and baby was born three minutes later. She's always had a lovely round head, I think because she was floating around and not engaged at all. This would also explain me going overdue and labour taking a while to establish.

The reasons for bursting waters are to accelerate labour by putting pressure on the cervix. I guess you didn't need it.

It varies - first 2, waters broke as baby came out. Last one, water broke & labour started a wee while later.

Congratulations on your new baby.

I am not getting the idea that your baby was born in the cawl; that is pretty unusual.

Waters breaking at birth (like in the notes at birth minus 1 minute) happened to me with both mine; as I had very unremarkable pregnancies and births I would say therefore it's quite normal.

I freaked my midwife out! I was having a contraction and put my hand between my legs and felt her head! Midwife wasn't expecting me to be so far along and went 'eep'!

Waters shouldn't be broken unless there's either an indication to break them or the baby is out on the bed/floor/wherever still inside them.

Congratulations.

Mine were broken for me first time round; second time round, they broke on my second push, into the birth pool, was a bit like a muffled gun. She was born on the third push and continues to be the easiest most beautiful and fuss free baby, ever.

We were god at our antenatal class that your waters should only break at the last minute, that's why if they break and you don't go into labour they induce you. Sounds like yours worked perfectly and protected your little one right to the end ! Many congratulations x

• we were told - not god!

Well, I am some one whose waters did not break and my DS was born in a caul. The midwife told me that it was unusual and she hadn't seen it before. It's supposed to be lucky :)

OP - congratulations - please don't worry about your waters and when they went, every labour is different, there is no such thing as a 'text book' labour. :)

Both mine had their waters broken because they showed signs of distress. With DS1 it didn't accelerate my labour.
With DS2 I went woosh from 2cm dilated to transition in about half an hour!

Very common

Same thing happened to me when I gave birth last month. It was a water birth, don't know if that had something to do with it

I think they only break your waters if they need to move things along. If labour is progressing well then they don't need to. Mine broke only minutes before baby arrived. Congratulations!

I think because in the movies all births start with your waters breaking, that's what everyone expects. But for me, that only happened with DD3 (so totally surprised me!) With DD1 they broke them to speed up her induction, and DD2 burst hers on her way out - and that labour was the easiest by a mile, though I imagine there's no real correlation.

With my first 3 my waters were at 8/9:cm.

My 4th dc was born in his bag. It was a water birth & the most amazing experience.

5th was also a water birth but no idea when my waters went with him as the pools was clear but they hadn't popped before I got in the pool.

my waters popped as my sons head was crowning.

'DD2 burst hers on her way out - and that labour was the easiest by a mile, though I imagine there's no real correlation.'

There is. A water-filled bubble is gentler on your cervix than a hard scull and births where waters break close to the end are usually less painful and more manageable.

One of the reasons why I an anti-sweep, anti-VEs and against interference in that region in general.

I don't know when my waters broke! They certainly didn't go beforehand and I don't remember them going during the birth either. I've always assumed they broke as he was coming out but I never thought to ask.

He's here and he's healthy so it hasn't really bothered me - I'm just glad they didn't break in bed/on the sofa/in the car and given us more work to do :-)