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!!!

@Nicknamegoeshete I just wanted to chime in and say I'd be making the same choice as you. Infection after waters breaking is much MUCH rarer when you've stayed at home. It's why up until hospital births became the norm, waters would sometimes have broken weeks before birth without anyone getting worried about the baby.

I know what it is to have a birth outside of NHS guidelines, a choice I made based on my own research (and taking into consideration MY risk factors rather than GENERIC PREGNANT LADY's risk factors) and I think a lot of people don't realise how much of the guidelines are guidelines because they are quite literally based on guestimates (albeit by a group of professionals) - and, why would you until you dig into it?! I had an 'overdue' (38+5) twin breech vaginal birth instead of a ceasarean and I absolutely made the right choice for me, despite two consultants coming in during the pushing stage to tell me I needed to be in theatre . Both (esp twin 2) were tiny, and I knew they would be because I knew the babies were dated wrong unless it was an immaculate conception! The breech part was a doddle, and I'd had two babies before so I was confident it wouldnt be a problem (and it wasn't!)

You and your midwife trust that you are making the right decisions for your pregnancy, and I just wanted to chime in in support of that as I know what it is to hear you are endangering your baby/being overly emotional etc at this stage. That said, I hope baby makes their presence known very soon! Best of luck!

You are incredibly irresponsible leaving your baby with no/limited amniotic fluid for so long, I can’t understand why you would be happy risking going unchecked until Wednesday. I hope for a good outcome for you OP but your attitude in all this is very concerning.

I was allowed to wait 96 hours after PROM to see if anything happened before induction due to risk of infection. I ended up being induced and it was absolutely fine.

I've coslept from birth with all of mine. I still wouldn't wait until Wed to be checked, nor would I wait until 43/44 wks if overdue.

Oh gosh OP. Wednesday is such a long time away. If something happens to baby, you'll never forgive yourself and your MH will be so much worse off.

Dopplers do not distress a baby.

Also, I co-slept from birth.

I was induced- waters broke and contractions started straight away

@Littlepoppet1 Do you mind me asking if you are a medical professional? You seem to know more than my midwife so just wondering?

@Spanneroo Thank you. Like you say, I have made my decisions alongside the advice of a very experienced midwife whom I have trust in. Definitely more so than the staff I have experienced within the NHS. I'd understand the criticism of my choices more if I'd have made my decisions without the advice of a HCP or without evaluating the research.

I make no apologies for not following the majority where I deem it preferable, I will challenge protocol. For example, refusing injected Vit K at birth. Most pregnant ladies I have spoken to have not even realised there is an alternative oral route, for example.

As someone said to me once, nobody cares more about baby than the mother herself. So true!

@Starlightstarbright1 I was also induced with firstborn. Horrendous experience. Contractions started almost immediately after pessary and waters went quickly too. Ended up with having every intervention under the sun and vowed never again.

Second son they broke my waters (which they should not have done) and ended up in an emergency situation in which his heart almost stopped. He was very poorly after birth as a direct result and has complications that he will have for life.

@espressoontap I disagree. Also, there is an effect on baby every time ultrasound is used. For example, the more scans a baby has, the more likely they are to be left-handed. We cannot say for sure they are 100% safe and what we do know is that there is an effect of some sort. Again, this is why I opted for scans to be kept to an absolute minimum. And before you say I'm left-handed bashing, I'm a very proud lefty! 😊

Would she come back and do daily checks if you asked her to.

I fully understand why you are reluctant to have an induction but I dont understand why no monitoring until Wednesday.

I’m sorry OP about your anxiety but I think you are being irresponsible

The fact you have resigned yourself that she will born stillborn rather go to the hospital is shocking

How on earth can having scans make a baby left handed

And what is wrong with a left hander?!

My dd is left handed

@Soubriquet

I agree with you

@Nicknamegoeshere no I am not a medical professional I have however had a previous traumatic birth which ended in foetal distress and a EMCS. Without medical intervention my DD wouldn’t be here today so I personally can’t comprehend why you would take what to me seem unnecessary risks. I appreciate you have had a previous traumatic experience also so obviously you make whatever decisions you feel you need too, they just wouldn’t be the ones I would make based on my experience. I hope all turns out well and you meet your DC soon!

@Soubriquet You have totally misunderstood. I am also a lefty and very proud! The fact that babies who have additional scanning are more likely to be left-handed simply shows there is an effect.

And as for the stillbirth comment, do you claim to know more than an experienced mw?

@bloated1977 Look at the evidence.

Being left handed is down to genetics. How do you think people were left handed before scans were invented.

If you are relying on what medical treatment you have based on theories like that I would be very concerned.

There is no way of knowing how much amniotic fluid you have without a scan.

Dear lord... do you thing 5G caused covid, too?

This is absolute nonsense, OP. You are being incredibly irresponsible.

@ineedaholidaynow Pop left-handedness and ultrasound scanning into Google Of course it's mostly genetic but researchers have identified a link.

There are other studies that maternal stress can cause a baby to be left handed. So if your new baby is left handed will you blame yourself?

Correlation does NOT equal causation...

Are you an anti-vaxxer by any chance?

Since it seems you get most of your info from google