Labour with broken rib

[BaffledMummy]

Has anyone given birth with a cracked rib? Am 30 weeks and thanks to a horrible chest infection coughed so much I've a suspected cracked rib. I can hardly breathe, cough, laugh or sit, bend or lie down without feeling like my insides are ripping apart . I'm only comfortable standing and leaning awkwardly! I can't imagine giving birth with pain like this? Is it even possible? Anyone had similar? How was the birth? Am expecting to be induced due to OC around 37 weeks. Help!

Ooh, that sounds bad enough now, without contemplating labour. But, from experience with cracked rib and sternum, seven weeks should see it sorted, or at the worst, hardly a problem. Do take care of yourself now, the fewer things you do that make it hurt, the quicker it will heal.
cause you hadn't thought of that and yes life hurts at the mo

I think you need medical advice, OP.

Yes I did go to the doctor who told me to take paracetamol and cocodamol if paracetamol weren't strong enough. He thinks it should be ok for Labour but am not convinced given how much pain I'm in now!

hopefully you have another 10 weeks to heal!
I guess a midwife or gynecological consultant are better at giving you options.

Ouch ouch. Are you still coughing? If you are - try gaviscon which, oddly, really helped me with my bad cough in late pregnancy.

Ouch!! I'm sure it will have healed much more by the time you have to labour though and the regular pain relief will help

I had something similar, two weeks of coughing and I felt something in my ribs crack. The pain was horrible, it was three weeks max before the pain started to ease off and now, just six weeks later I just get a niggle every now and then. I don't know if mine was actually cracked as didn't have an x-ray, but no position was comfortable initially. I used a heat pad, but not sure that's advisable when pregnant. Hope the pain eases soon!

Thanks all! A week on and it is much better ...more of a constant dull ache than stabbing pain, except when I sneeze or cough then it still hurts like crazy and quite tricky to find a comfortable sleeping position. Can just about bare the thought of Labour now...last week it was a terrifying prospect!

Glad to hear it is improving for you, I've done the same thing at 37 weeks although I think mine is a torn intercostal muscle from coughing rather than a cracked rib.

Got paracetamol and codeine and told to rest, it is bloody painful!! And really inconvenient with toddler DS running around and wanting to be picked up all the time.

I am dreading the thought of labour with this... fingers crossed yours and mine keep improving.

Captain I feel your pain! Hoping it settles down for you in plenty time too. I've just got twinges now and again when I lift something heavy (toddler DD!) And sneezing is still terrifying but definitely getting better each day and I've a few weeks left to go so feeling a lot better about it now. Fingers crossed for you!

Can you please share with us how did it go and if u went for natural birth or c section? I had 2 fractions at 29weeks and now another one at 35 weeks so i dont know if it will heal before i give birth

Can anyone tell me how their delivery turned out with the fractures? Was it painful? Did it get worse after labor? Did you have to do c section? I'm at 35 weeks with rib fractures from chronic cough. I'm afraid of starting labor with this horrible pain. Or even worse risking a bigger fracture when pushing.

Hi @Epich you poor thing…that sounds painful. I was the OP and I was indeed induced at 37 weeks…by that time ribs had healed and I was totally fine giving birth…no after effects either and pain wise was not worse than giving birth to my first. I don’t recall exactly how long it took to heal but I was surprised at how quickly It did…maybe 3-4 weeks later I didn’t have any pain from it at all. I do hope you have time to recover. Take care and rest up plenty if you can

@Ritafahed im so sorry I missed your message…here’s hoping it went smoothly for you

How did you do at labor after having a fracture at 35 weeks? Thats exactly my situation now... when did you ended having your baby? Week 40? Earlier or later? Was it vaginal birth? How was the pain? I need as much information possible since im planning home birthing.

Thanks for answering. Praying to God everything goes well

I've had cracked ribs several times and I couldn't even contemplate going through labour at the same time 😬😬😬
But seven weeks is ample time to heal, thankfully. You'll be fine.

I was only 30 weeks when I first posted so it was well healed by 37 weeks…from memory it took about 3-4 weeks to heal (although at 30 weeks I thought I was going to crack in half it was so painful!) hopefully you will go full term and I would have thought you will be healed by then. Good luck!

@baffledmummy I'm so glad to hear it was ok in the end. @Epich how did it go for you? I'm also 37 weeks and spent last night in A&E for a suspected cracked rib. I was planning a home birth, as it seems easiest with my toddler, and the midwives on that team are so amazing. However, this pain and the difficulty taking a deep breath (what with the cough that caused it) have thrown a spanner into the works. I went into labour with my first at 39 weeks. Hypnobirthing and a tens machine were the main sources of pain relief. I'm scared I won't have the ability to focus on my breathing and visualisations with this stabbing pain in my side.