Waters broken before contractions!

[Nicknamegoeshere]

I'm 39 + 1 and mine started to go at 6 am this morning. Lots now, lovely and clear. But no contractions as yet! Did similar happen to anyone else? My midwife (home birth) says just to chill but that is easier said than done!!!

Can’t your IM come round sooner?

I think you need to tell her what you are thinking.

@ineedaholidaynow She's currently on a visit and is a hour away.

@Nicknamegoeshere I’m so sorry. I know how consuming anxiety can be. I agree I think you need to speak to your midwife. Do you have any mindfulness techniques you can practice to try and bring the anxiety under control so your body can take over and do what it needs to. Focus on your surroundings, bring yourself into the now to try and distract your mind from going down the worst case path. Sending an unmumsnetty hug

Tell your midwife to come and see you as soon as she is able to. You need support and you are paying for it.

It might help you to make a plan of what would make going into hospital more bearable for you. I presume your crap local hospital is where you had your previous traumatic births. I know I could not go back to where I had DS. Is there another hospital you could be taken to. You don’t want to be induced . Fine. If you baby needs to be born quickly there is little point in it. Would a c-section be a better option for you, if you needed it? If you make a plan b that is acceptable to you then you will feel more in control and I think you need that. You say you don’t want to go without your partner but he doesn’t sound that supportive.

Similar situation. Waters went with a gush at 5.30am on a Friday morning. My contractions did start pretty much straight away but they were not regular, never became regular and were so manageable we went for breakfast, then to the shops, then to Costa 🤣

But 26 hours later my MW turned up (I was also not with NHS, was with One to One and aiming for a HB). She had been on annual leave and the MW who should have come to do check just kept in contact on the phone which apparently she shouldn't have and I should have been checked.

I took myself off to the hospital, and like you the one thing I was against was induction with a drip. As soon as they said that I told them I wanted an epidural before they even started. On examining me they discovered baby was actually breech and I was taken off for a section, I don't think they'd ever seen someone more happy to have one.

Baby had also pooped so be wary for merconium, mine wasn't obvious and was still more of a straw colour, which I'd described over the phone to the buddy MW and she had told me sounded normal 😑

Like you I was told I could wait and monitor temperature at home by my own MW but by this point I'd lost faith having been left without anyone checking in on baby for so long.

I was told at that point prior to going in that most women will labour within 12 hours so I hope things get moving for you, just keep a close eye out for infection or merconium and be wary that there may be reasons why things aren't progressing x

Yep mine broke at home 23 hours after having a sweep. But I had a patronising cow of a midwife on the phone who said I had imagined it (despite it very clearly being my waters as it was a pop followed by a huge gush covering my sofa and carpet) as 'it isn't like films where women's waters just burst spontaneously, that very rarely happens, so I highly doubt it happened to you it was probably just urine '
But obviously it was my waters and contractions started about 4 hours after they went and I then gave birth with no complications 42 hours after my waters broke.

Thanks all. Reading all of your responses is lovely, but for most of you it would seem you didn't have long to wait for contractions to begin after your waters started to go?

I went into labour naturally with my second son (admittedly I was 10 years younger) so just kind of thought this one would be easier?

With my first mine went and mild contractions for the next 24 hours, not officially in labour until the next day then 10 hours later he was here. Just let the midwife know as there is a risk of infection if they have gone but labour not started for too long

nickname, I had exactly the same scenario. Went into labour normally with second baby. With third baby, waters went and.....nothing happened. I was carefully monitored by my midwife and had a scan in hospital and they were perfectly happy to wait up to 72 hours for labour to start as long as there was no sign of infection. Labour started at home about 40 hours after waters went and baby was born at home (in a birthing pool) 3 hours later. All perfectly fine.
We ended up in hospital later that day anyway because she developed jaundice due to rhesus disease but that was completely unrelated.

@Lozz22 Thank you so much for your kind post at this highly stressful time. The safest place to have my baby is at home still, and I shall be clarifying this with my IM later. Are you a medical professional if you don't mind me asking?

@WoollyFoolly My second son had exactly the same! Turns our my husband was A- and I was O+. Son was A neg same as his dad.

Hope she is all OK now? We were in for a week and almost at transfusion level. He's fine now except for a few hearing complications.

I am assuming if there is a risk of sepsis then hospital would be the safest place to be.

If you do have to go into hospital OP can your IM come with you?

You need to breath, and relax OP! Your anxiety will be very counterproductive, I know it's easier said than done but it will really help. Close your eyes, take lots of deep breaths put your favourite programme on TV or get a playlist of your favourite songs and maybe something nice to eat, boost your mood and reduce your stress levs as much as you can! You can do this and you will do this, whatever happens from now ❤️

@ineedaholidaynow From what I understand, there would be signs if sepsis was likely? Things like temp up etc. I've been advised to take every four hours and monitor colour of my waters. I think IM will be happy to leave me for longer but I will go on her advice.

IM definitely not allowed in to hospital with me, she would have to leave me at the doors to go in alone. Partner allowed in only in established labour but not sure how they'd figure this without a VE?

I don't know what hospital can offer really if I decline induction? I guess scanning?

When I went in with second son they were convinced I wasn't dilated as I was so calm and he was born very soon afterwards!

How are you doing now?

You may need antibiotics for yourself and the baby if you get an infection. That would be one thing you would get in hospital. Another thing would be c-section. I noticed that you have been avoiding all mention of that so you are probably scared of that too.

Hope you are doing well and you get to see your baby soon.

Sorry that last post sounded odd. You asked what you would get in hospital? And antibiotics and a c-section are likely.

Are you also declining them monitoring the baby’s heartbeat? I think that is a bit more risky in your situation.

@GreenWillowTree Yes, definitely want too avoid a C-section unless an absolute emergency. Had two vaginal deliveries before so this should put me in a good position I hope. I will let IM listen in but I am aware that this causes distress to baby and it uses ultrasound so will keep this to a minimum also. I had no idea until recently how loud it is to baby and that's why they often wriggle around and kick lots!

Have you had no checks at all during your pregnancy?

@Nicknamegoeshere

An ultrasound will not harm your baby.

Is baby moving like normal?

I'm sorry but how can listening into the baby cause harm? As 9 said before I didn't have a temp yet I had a bad infection. I was induced on a drip and DS was born less than 2 hours later. We went home same day.

I'm sorry OP but surely baby being born healthy is paramount to any other feeling?

No matter how you feel your priority should be getting baby out in a safe matter?

Your mental health would be a hell of a lot worse if you didn't.

Just had a visit from my IM. All checks done and all normal. But yes, the doppler isn't great for the baby. It's very loud from inside the womb and can be quite alarming! She did have a quick listen in.

She's happy to leave me well alone but obviously I must report any signs of infection or changes in foetal movement.

How long is she willing to leave it?