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!!!

@ineedaholidaynow Well if that's the case my baby would be far more likely to be left-handed as maternal stress would be FAR greater going into hospital! And I don't get the "blame" word you have used re being a lefty? I am and I would not change it for the world! I'd be made up if my new daughter was a lefty

My waters went at 36 weeks with no contractions, I was sent home with antibiotics as a precaution and booked for induction at 37 weeks on the dot, didn't have to wait that long as he appeared 3 days later anyway (I say appeared, it wasn't quite as easy as that 🤣). Just telling you how it happened for me. If you are refusing hospital care then that's your decision but please make sure you really keep an eye on your temperature and any signs of infection at all. I know it would be such a hard time for you but maybe you could think of some strategies to help you cope with the stress/upset should you end up in hospital while you are still not in active labour. I'm not saying you will end up in hospital but maybe a rational think about it now may help going forward, I do hope you get your home birth and your healthy baby soon. Try and rest and keep us updated 😊

@Soubriquet No, I'm all for vaccinations. But separately where possible eg.MMR not all in one go and newborn Vit K orally upon birth rather than by injection. Again, all research based.

What the actual f have I just read.
You say you trust your midwives blah blah but state most of your information has come off google, GOOGLE.
Some nutter has wrote something and you believe it.
You're putting your baby at serious risk. This is actually shocking. All because you think you know best from dr google. Wtaf.

@Cheesecakejar Will do. Monitoring closely under mw supervision

@SpillTheTeaa A Google search is actually capable of providing one with a wealth of research from reliable sources!!!!

Your reliable sources being..? You probably believe the world is flat too

I had scans every 4 weeks from 20 weeks on wards. My child is absolutely fine, is 4 and very much right handed. Don't believe everything you read on the internet...

@SpillTheTeaa The whole point of the internet is to provide access to a huge amount of information. It is of course up to the user to work out which of that information is reliable!!

No, she is putting her trust in a well qualified midwife.
I hope it all goes easily for you. I stopped and started with my third. I was allowed home to my mum’s after a few days in hospital 4 cm dilated. Eventually I went home and he was born three weeks later. My waters didn’t go until he was born he was born with the caul on his head.

I don't think a slagging match will help the OP much.

OP I'm sorry you had such negative experiences in the past and it's completely understandable that you're anxious. I really do hope your midwife is looking after you, even a phone conversation every day just to see how you're doing would be better than nothing. I hope this is all a worry for nothing and your contractions kick in soon.

SpilltheteaMy GP uses patient UK!

The internet is also full of people who make up BS for vulnerable people to believe with no real evidence to back up their claim.

I'd be getting a new GP If they need to use the internet for symptom checkers.

Thanks @Bowerbird5 and @mylittlesandwich. Yes, she is superb and we are in telephone contact daily. She has spent about 1.5 hours with me today and respects my decisions at all times, just as I respect her advice and professional opinion.

I'm really hoping labour starts soon!

So what if the child's left handed ? I'm left handed and I doubt it's because my mother had a scan done, I'd more believe it's to do with a vanishing twin for example.

Have you got a gym ball ? I found having a bounce on that helped progress things.

I understand not wanting intervention, I have had 2 very traumatic births so I understand anxiety around hospital and interventions. With my third dc i questioned the consultants and didn’t simply go along with them(they wanted me to have a c section at 39 weeks, I said no).

In your situation I would want my baby checked every day, waiting until Wednesday would surely make you more anxious about your baby. I would possibly seek a second opinion on the situation instead of relying on one person.

@SpillTheTeaa GP's don't know everything, nobody in any profession would claim to! They are General Practitioners which means they are not usually experts within a specific field. So of course they will refer to the internet as a source of information. I'd be more than happy with my GP looking on the internet for reliable up-to-date research and information personally.

@Bowerbird5 patient UK is a reliable source and has guidance for health professionals as well as patients

@Thesearmsofmine I'm under a team of three midwives who all work closely together

@nicknamegoeshere

I would just say, if you membranes have ruptured (so big gush) even though waters do replenish, it won't make a difference to baby. If there was a leak then yes it can make a huge difference but it depends. As a midwife if is difficult to tell by palpation only about how much waters are there. Yes you can feel somewhat but it is not accurate. Depends on other factors too.

I get where you are coming from, I myself would be declining all but 12 and 20 week scans and doppler monitoring (would ask for a pinnard) unless serious concerns that I needed extra monitoring as I have read evidence based information regarding this and don't like the idea of it anymore, so I get where you are coming from but if you are waiting till Wednesday is it possible to request oral antibiotics at least to try and protect yourself and baby? We send people home with these who are PPROM, I'm not 100% sure with just PROM but worth an ask?

I think a CTG between now and Wednesday may be a good call if you are adamant on waiting just to check on babies overall condition, as pinnard or doppler monitoring isn't telling anyone very much.

I guess everything is surrounded by informed consent. If you are 100% informed and know the risks to yourself and baby then you can make those decisions. Good luck. Hope things start soon so you can stop worrying!

@00deed1988 Thank you, that's all really useful and much appreciated.

MW thinks it could well be just my hindwaters as more of a trickle - definitely no big gush at all. I've been told to drink loads which I am doing.

Re the antibiotics, I'm all for natural alternatives here (also have a penicillin allergy), so I have been recommended high dose garlic capsules which OH is collecting tomorrow.

Yep, I've opted for pinnard over doppler where possible as much more gentle/less invasive for baby. Also mw says easier to assess her position using that method too😊

Will definitely think about a CTG although very keen to avoid hospital currently, especially under current circumstances.

@nicknamegoeshere

Would recommend joining some facebook home birth groups (type UK after it otherwise you may get USA ones which are very different) as they are great for evidence based information and very supportive as they are like minded and lots of IMs on there too. You will probably get more supportive comments and advice there that are more aware of your feelings around this. Lots of 43/44 weekers and people who decline induction.

There are also many articles on Google about stillbirth rates increasing after 42 weeks, but I assume the OP only looks at articles that suit her beliefs.

@ianeedaholidaynow From what percentage to what? Confounding variables?

@00deed1988 Thank you. I've joined one and they have been awesome - I guess they share similar views to me a little more being pro home birthers? Loads of them have gone "over" considerably both re term dates and PROM and they are pretty relaxed about it all. A great resource for evidence-based info also as you say.