My waters have broken at 35 weeks, what's going to happen

[GoGiYerHeedAWobble]

As the title says really. I'm 5 weeks early, my waters went this morning and I have no clue what to expect. I'm frightened for my little girl, none of my other children have been this early I'm in hospital now, but it's a bit of a waiting game as I'm not really contracting yet.

Don't be frightened 37 weeks is classed as full term so you are only two weeks earlier than some planned c sections/ inductions. Your baby will probably need to go into special care for some help with breathing and may be jaundiced so need to go under heat lamps. If you don't go into labour within a couple if days you should be induced because if possible infections.

OP. You are in the best place. I believe they will be giving you steroids to help your little ones lungs, ooh and maybe a trace to check your dad is not distressed in there. Sure someone more knowledgeable will be along to give you more info soon. Try and relax if that is not too stupid a thing to say! At 35 weeks her outlook is sunny. The midwives thought my waters had broken at 35 weeks and they were pretty reassuring about it ( no question that it wouldn't be a good outcome). Turns out my toddler must have peed on me in the night ( just to give you a giggle at my expense!)

Dd not dad!

My son was born at 35 weeks 7 weeks ago, my waters just went spontaneously too. Waters went at 8am and proper contractions (as opposed to uncomfortable tightening) started at 2am and ds was born at 11am the next day (29 hours after water broke).

Try not to worry too much, I know easier said than done. My ds spent 8 days in neonatal and then came home and he has been absolutely fine since. Although he did need help breathing for the first 6 days (more at first and decreasing gradually) he was jaundiced and spent two sets of 48hrs under the lights. In my case the reason my waters broke was because of an undiagnosed infection (strep b) which was only found out after birth, luckily my ds was already on a precautionary course of antibiotics he did develop a chest infection and stayed on antibiotics for 5 days. He had a few other minor issues but honestly you would be amazed at how fast these can and often resolve themselves in newborn babies, every day seem like a totaly new beginning.

A couple of things I would like to mention (which may or may not be relevant to you depending on how your baby is at birth)

1. They may do a routine brain scan on your baby on day 1-2, if they find bleeding on the brain try not to panic, apparently varying degree of bleeding on the brain is perfectly normal and harmless in premature babies (even as late as 35 weeks). My ds had bleeding on the brain and I absolutely panicked because no one told me until 3 days later (when they repeated the scan) that this was actually perfectly normal and nothing to worry about in most cases and that they were only monitoring. We had to go back to hospital at 4 weeks to have the scan repeated again to make sure it was continuing to resolved itself and in our case it was gone and normal.

1. If your dd spends any amount of time in neonatal try if you can to be there for the doctors rounds because you get the whole history from birth everyday day and you get to hear everything they are planning, have done and all the issues that have already resolved themselves. Ask as many questions as you like and make your presence known to the doctors so that they in turn communicate with you.

I hope I'm not scaring you, it really isn't my intention, I just wanted to share my experience because when my ds was born I really wasn't prepared for how it would be. He is my second and when dd was born she was with me all the time and it was very hard to watch him go to the neonatal ward before I was even stitched all up. It's not fun and it's hard but in many cases it a very brief period and soon baby will be all well and strong and back home before you know it. Also neonate units can be very intimating, with all the machines, tubes and beeping, it pays to remember that although you dd may look very unwell (if she needs a tube for breathing for example) she probably isn't as poorly as she looks and she probably is much stronger too.

On the other hand she may be absolutely fine and require no help or very little help. Sorry I'm rambling, I'm just very aware that this is all very imminent for you and you are probably really scared and I don't want to make it worse I just sometimes it helps to be prepared.

Hope you are feeling ok and that it all goes really well for you and your dd, I wish you both all the best.

Good luck, OP

My dd was born at 35 weeks and weighed 5.13, she was the same size as ds2 who was born at 37 weeks. I'm tiny so had small babies, I'm sure you will be fine and you are in the right place.

I was born at almost 36 weeks 32 years ago and I was completely fine, with no intervention needed other than a few extra days in hospital.

One of my friends sons was born at 34 weeks and was only treated for jaundice, and is a very bright, perfectly fine and happy child.

And another friends son was born at 30 weeks and needed to be in special care for a few weeks but again, is perfectly fine.

I'm sure it's worrying but 35 weeks is not too concerning

Hi Gogi, firstly don't worry, 35 weeks is OK. My first DC was born at 33+4, I'd had some contractions on the Christmas Eve so they gave me the steroid injections to mature baby's lungs, they may do this for you today. My waters went on the New Year's Eve, around 8am, it wasn't a trickle, was the full lot. They told me then that I would be staying at the hospital until baby was born. Contractions started just after lunch on New Years Day, so 36 hours after my waters had gone, baby was born about 12 hours later. He was absolutely fine, didn't need to go to the premie unit, we did stay in for around 10 days and he spent some time on the Bili machine as he was jaundiced. We struggled to establish feeding as he just didn't know how to suck but once that was established we went home. He weighed 5lb 12ozs so was huge for a 33 weeker.

Wishing you lots of luck, try and keep calm and just shout out on here with any questions or frustrations, is it your first DC?

Oh yes and as Oscar said be prepared to spend a fair amount of time on a trace to monitor baby until you go in actual established labour. I was monitored 4 times, each for about an hour, between arriving at hospital at 11am and going in labour at 2am. Also you will probably have to be monitored thought labour. I was on a trace the whole time but this may vary from hospital to hospital. Ask if they have the option for a wireless trace, that's what I had during labour so I could stay mobile, until I decided I wanted an epidural because I'm a big of a wuss, .

Thank you all. They were deciding whether to slow things down or speed them up, as she is moving plenty and her heartbeat is fine they have decided to speed things up, they are about to put me on a drip and she should be born today or early tomorrow.

I hadn't even packed my hospital bag and her dad isn't here until next week

Thank you so much for all the reassurance. My other dc have all been between 8lb and 9lb 2 so it's going to be strange having a teeny one.

I guess I'd better go do this labour/giving birth thing now.

I'll hopefully dave a lovely squidgy newborn update for you all by the morning

Don't worry OP. Your DD will be fine. My DS was born at 35 weeks, weighed 5lb2, and is now a strapping 17 yr old six footer.

I have had two at 35 weeks. Both had a brief stint in special care and both were quite jaundiced and one has a few issues regulating blood sugar but no other issues. Try and get some prem nappies and teeny tiny hats - anything else can just be a bit big but it's easier if those fit properly.

Hope it all goes well op
You are in the best place

Hope you're ok op and you're not all alone - even if you are we're with you in spirit!

Good luck op. My waters went at 35 weeks and I went into labour 36 h later in hospital. DD was fine and we only had to stay in a few days because she was jaundiced. We took a while to establish breastfeeding and I had to top her up with expressed milk in a cup but they were the only issues.

Best wishes OP. There's a premature birth forum on here as well if you need us.

I had a 36 weeker last year and not much was explained to me about what that would involve.
I'd say expect everything to happen from due date (it's called corrected age) so expect smiles etc 5 weeks later as your baby is 5 weeks early. Expect to have to remind health professionals of this a lot - I've got it written in block caps on the growth chart in my red book!
I found newborn behaviour to go on longer e.g. clingyness, wobbly head etc
Feeding was a nightmare, DS would just fall asleep and lost weight.
They might take longer go do certain things but most delays have evened out by the time they're 2.
The first first winter is tough DS seemed to catch everything going
Bliss do good leaflets on weaning etc when you come to it
As you've already got DCs I think that'll help as it was all new to me about what was 'normal' and what wasn't

I think that's everything I can think off. As others have said outcomes are very good at 35 weeks.

DD2 was born at 35 weeks after reduced movement. She currently 18weeks and asleep in my chest

She had to go to NICU ( her birth was "traumatic" because she was stuck) and we ended up staying for nearly 3 weeks due to her getting an infection. If she hadn't if got the infection we'd prob had been home in 4days.

Be prepared if baby does need to go NICU it can feel very scary with lots of machines and alarms but the nurses are great and will answer any questions. Don't be afraid to tell them how much you want to be involved in LOs care. I daftLy presumed I wouldn't be allowed to do things like changing nappies

Good luck for a smooth easy birth

Oh and they might not be teeny tiny, DS was 6lb 9! So he was in tiny baby, but we didn't need the premature sizes. Newborn was a bit big but I stuffed him into it

Not much to add, just wanted to say good luck OP
Do you have anyone with you?

My waters broke at 35 w and my baby was born 4 days later. Had to stay in the hospital because of jaundice but not in the nicu.

Have a happy birth op :)

My waters also broke at 35 weeks. The hospital didn't bat an eyelid (not in UK)
Ds was born very quickly and was fine. He's 4 now

Best of luck with your labour

my ds1 was born at 35 weeks, 14 years ago. The doctor then told me that 35 weekers have just the same survival rate as full termers.

He spent a few days in scbu, but that was to get feeding established as he didnt know how to suck, but that could have been because id had pethidine too. He had a bit of jaundice, but it was fine.

and best of luck xx

Good luck, op! My waters went at 34 weeks & ds arrived at 34+1.. He spent a couple of hours with oxygen help and had two sessions under the phototherapy light for jaundice. He was in the neonatal ward for 16 days, mainly to ensure bf was established. He's now 11 weeks old and AWESOME You're in the best place, op. Try and relax (easier said than done, I know!).

This happened to me. I was kept in hospital and advised to go on a drip after 24 hours as i was only having irregular contractions. However, I declined, and within a few more hours was in full blown labour, with dd eventually born three days after my waters broke.

I was able to cuddle dd for a short time after she was born, then she was taken to scbu. Like others above she needed a little bit of help feeding (via an ng tube), and treatment for jaundice. She was there for a week while I stayed on the postnatal ward.

For the first few weeks she was very sleepy and had to be woken for feeds. For the first few months she was a month behind other babies, ie. She did things according to her corrected age rather than her actual age.

She is now two and completely perfect fine. I am pregnant again and have to see a consultant in a few weeks to discuss premature labour. However they never worked out why my waters broke, so I don't know whether it is likely to happen again in my case

If you want to breastfeed then you may have to be very proactive and insist that you are supported to do this - scbu nurses were fabulous in many ways but weren't always knowledgeable or enthusiastic about breastfeeding. You will probably have to express for the first few days to build up your supply until the baby has developed their suck reflex. I also fought the midwives who wanted to discharge me without dd, preferring to stay in so that I could try to give regular feeds.

Please ask if there is anything else you want to know.

Thank you all so much for the reassurance.

I am now sitting feeding my little girl who was born a couple of hours ago and is 7lb 1oz

They are keeping an eye on her temp as she is a bit cold, and my milk doesn't seem to have quite come in enough yet, but aside from that all is really well.

Hopefully t.hings stay the same, they need to do a few tests and keep an eye on her, but all being well we should be out on monday.