Was your waters breaking preceded by the feeling of your baby 'bearing down?'

[Bellyrub1980]

As far as I understand it's the baby putting pressure on the amniotic sac that eventually ruptures it and breaks the membrane?

For several weeks now (I'm 40+5) I have felt my baby bearing down into my pelvis strongly. I can't help thinking that eventually this will make my waters break!

Or is this just wishful thinking?!

If his is the case, is there anything I can do to help encourage it? Any positions that might help the baby burrow down?

Not in my case (all four times!). It was preceded by more movement, but they mostly they kicked/nudged their way through. Waters breaking was the first sign of labour in each pregnancy for me. But apparently they don't break until much later in labour for most women.

Not here. Spent the day before I was due to be induced doing lots of walking and bouncing/leaning over my gym ball. Waters (hind) broke suddenly that evening while I was just sitting on the sofa, fortunately with a towel underneath me! Few cramps that evening, proper contractions the next morning. Good luck, hope there's movement soon!

I do get the occasional really forceful kick down onto my cervix. (I say kick, but it must be the babys head... Had a sweep which confirmed she's very much engaged). It's like she'll get a massive burst of energy, go for it at full pelt and it feels like soooo much pressure!! But nothing actually happens.

oranges okay, so that kind of confirms it then!! It just happens if it's going to happen regardless of what the baby is doing!

I have wondered of I should be protecting our (virtually white!!) sofa with a towel....

Just keep as active as you can. Squatting, or kneeling leaning over something are apparently good for getting baby in a good position.

Nope! Woke up feeling a bit funny, waddled to bathroom and then gushed on floor - thank god I made it onto the vinyl! Didn't go into labour and had to be induced after 24 hours due to infection risk.

For most women waters break in labour. If not broken artificially the most common time is towards the end of the first stage.

Not here either - ds was constantly rolling around downtown so low I thought laoir was imminent but waters didn't go until I was 5cm when they were broken (overdue)

My hind waters broke day before labour, got all excited and was extremely disappointed to be told I wasn't in labour! then proper waters went at 5am all over my bed and baby was born at 4.03pm same day

My waters didn't break until I was actually pushing the baby out! that was after 8 or 9 hours of labour. Felt the baby bearing down from that morning. Can't be long for you!

No, it was preceded by the most massive contraction that scared the shit out of me!