Water birth / induction questions

[hethajf]

FTM... I'm 40+5 and had my first sweep today. The midwife said my cervix is nice and soft and I'm about 1.5cm dilated so fingers crossed I won't get to the induction point BUT she also said that if I am induced, they won't need to use a pessary (i presume because my cervix is already soft?) and that they will be able to break my waters. Of course, the minute I left the surgery all of the questions that I couldn't think of at the time started popping into my head...

Does it hurt to have your waters broken? I know I've got worse to come but I'd like to know what it feels like!

If they break my waters for me and that gets things going, will I still be able to use a birthing pool or will i find myself stuck on dry land?

How long will they leave me before they put me on the drip?

Hopefully none of this will matter and i will labour naturally but I think i need to prepare myself mentally just in case. Thank you all in advance for any advice!

It's uncomfortable having your waters broken, but doesn't actually hurt.
At my hospital they checked progress 4 hours after they'd broken my waters, things were moving along slowly as I was 3cm dilated, so I asked not to be put on the drip and they agreed saying they'd check again in 4 hours. So I think as long as things are progressing they'll be happy to let things move along naturally if you want.
And yes you can use water pool after having waters broken. I'm not sure about if you gave a drip though.
(As it happens mybaby was born before they had chance to check again, but it was second baby, and first was quite quick too).

When getting waters broken you can have gas and air if you like. I will say it's uncomfortable not necessarily painful but it depends on how easy it is to break your waters.

How long they leave you before drip varies by hospital I think it's six hours at mine but you xan bargain/ask for more time. They won't want to go longer than 24hrs though.

If you go into labour then yes you can use birth pool, I did.

I have been induced with all madthings, with number one it was long and drawn out but with next four they just broke my waters and I was away.

Now 34+ wks with Dc6 and assuming I will go to 42wks and they will do the same. I actually can't have the gel/pessary as am allergic to it but having waters broken has worked each time.

They will moniter you for twenty mins after they break your waters to check baby is Ok, once that's done get mobile is my tip, rock on birth ball, go for a walk, up and down stairs is good. Just helps to encourage labour.

Good luck.

That's brill, thank you for responding so soon! Will I need to be in the consultant led ward or can I stay mid wife led in the birthing unit?

You will need be on delivery ward/consultant led unit but you will still have midwife care. They will break your waters on delivery in a birthing room, they won't do that on ward.

Or ar least that is my hospitals policy. They do vary so worth asking and if labour starts Ok once waters broken and you and baby are Ok you can ask about mlu, it will depend on their policy. At mine I will have to stay on delivery ward rather than use the mlu which is literally just along the corridor! But there are still birthing pools etc on delivery floor and can still have natural active birth with just midwives, Dr's only get involved if complications.

Super duper, thanks again. I'll just have to ask nicely I think... there's only one room with a birthing pool on the consultant led unit but most of the rooms in the mid wife led bit have them so fingers crossed.

Just to say, I was in a similar situation, and was theoretically given the OK to use the birthing pool, however when they broke my waters there was meconium in it (presumably as DS was 17 days late), so in that circumstance they don't allow you to use the pool unfortunately. Just in case you get your hopes up and this happens.. I was really disappointed.

Oh yes storm is right re meconium.

All the madthings have been late and induced, ds3 was 18 or 21 days late they couldn't decide on my dates.. But I haven't had meconium with any of them.

But if you do have meconium they will likely want you on continuous monitoring so no pool. But even with continuous monitoring,no pool you can still have an active labour. Stay mobile, use birth ball etc it's just a bit tricky with wires. Some hospitals have wireless ministers though so again something to ask about.

Fingers crossed this is all irrelevant though and you go into labour on your own :)

I feel a bit jealous of people who got into the birthing pool after waters were broken! My midwife refused the pool after she'd broken my waters because I needed to be monitored closely. Pah. She was a control freak and I would never have consented to my waters broken if I'd known that.

The act of waters breaking doesn't hurt, but not having that cushion between baby's head and my cervix made contractions a LOT more intense. I didn't get much buildup to strong contractions because of it.

Ooh I hadn't even thought of that! But then, it would be the same situation re meconium whether my waters had gone naturally or not anyway, just one of those things I guess.