Waters broken at 34 weeks

[Hannah295]

Hi there,

I was really hoping anyone could provide me with their stories of their waters breaking early. My waters have gone at exactly 34 weeks. I've been admitted to the hospital to see if labour starts within the next 48 hours but as of right now my cervix is still closed.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

I'm also having low down period type pains every now and then but nothing regular or massively painful. Does this sound like it could be labour starting or just my body preparing? I'm a first time mum and this is my rainbow baby so I'm very nervous!

Mine went at 31+6 but labour started almost immediately. Baby was born healthy and no issues. Best friend had hers at 34W exactly, waters broke, was induced and had baby two days later. Same thing, healthy baby. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly for you.

I have no experience in this but didn't want to read and run. It sounds like you could be in labour, good luck .

Both my twins waters broke at 34 weeks and were born by emergency c section - your pains do you sound labour pains

@Rtmhwales

Mine went at 31+6 but labour started almost immediately. Baby was born healthy and no issues. Best friend had hers at 34W exactly, waters broke, was induced and had baby two days later. Same thing, healthy baby. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly for you.

Thank you so much for your message! So lovely to hear yours and your friend's babies were delivered safely and healthy! That really helps to put me at ease. Especially when I'm told he may need help with breathing and a feeding tube, it's very scary.

What did labour initially feel like for you? I know everyone's different but I'm not really sure what I should be looking out for if I'm honest.

I had similar and it was labour starting. Ds was born later that day.

@Thatswhatmamasaid

I have no experience in this but didn't want to read and run. It sounds like you could be in labour, good luck .

Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to message anyway

Ds needed help with feeding (was tube fed for a few days) but breathing was always ok. He was born abroad and the hospital were very cautious about 34 weekers so he did have a 2 week stay in NICU but he wasn’t ever “at risk” and it wasn’t that worrying. I think in the U.K. he’d have been in SCBU not NICU but they didn’t have that intermediary area where he was born. After the two weeks he came home.

My waters broke at 34 weeks. Baby was born healthy and spent a couple of weeks in SCBU just until they learnt to feed. Still doing well 13 years later.

@andivfmakes3

Both my twins waters broke at 34 weeks and were born by emergency c section - your pains do you sound labour pains

That's reassuring to hear, thank you. If you don't mind me asking, how were they after the birth? Did they need help with breathing, feeding, etc?

DS did have a feeding tube for two weeks, was no biggie. He just needed to develop enough to 34 weeks to be able to suck. Never needed ventilation or anything.

@Rtmhwales

Both only stayed in NICU for one night then moved to SCBU - they were in there for almost 3 weeks though. They were tube fed initially and it took around a week or so for them to be strong enough to start breastfeeding and then we gradually built it up. I'd recommend nipple shields as babies that premature can struggle with the suckling reflex so shields help. Obviously I couldn't stay with them in SCBU so was given an electric pump by the hospital so pumped for them too to maintain supply s

Hugs for you.

My waters went at 26 weeks. Woth a lot of luck, we managed to hold on until 34 weeks, when I was induced.

My DS needed help with feeding for 2 weeks, and we came home at 15 days old, exclusively breastfeeding.

The odds for your baby are good
At 34 weeks, the chance of survival is as high as a full term baby. If they get the steroid injections into you, them baby is as likely as a full term baby to be fully healthy.

My DS is 11 months now, and has fully caught up.

Lastly, with a PPROM (pre-term premature rupture of membranes), 50% of women will have had their baby within two days of their waters going. 75% of women will have had their baby within two weeks.

I held out for 7 weeks, with twice weekly monitoring, and early labour did start a few times, but the treatment I had to help baby, also stopped the early labour.

How are you doing, OP?

With ds2 my waters broke at 34 weeks. Nothing happens so I was sent home after 2 days , he arrived exactly a week after my waters broke . Started with period pains . Good luck!

Oh and he came straight up to the ward with me

My waters went at 35 weeks and ended up having a c section, my DD had a feeding tube for 3 days and was in scbu for 2 days but that was because I'm a type 1 diabetic, also this was 22 years ago, she had no other problems and was fine

Thank you so so much to everyone who has replied. It has been really reassuring to hear that so many babies can be born this early with as minimal issues as possible.

They have said that my inflammation markers are raised so that could mean an infection so they may decide to take action rather than leaving me be but it will depend on my levels tomorrow.

I'm still having period pains but they're very irregular. Sometimes they are every 15-20 minutes and then I don't have one for a while so to me sounds like it could be nothing? However, one of the doctors told me with pre term labour that it's common for there not to be regular contractions and have a silent labour so it's a bit of a waiting game really. I'm not very good with not knowing what's going to happen!

@Vebrithien

Hugs for you.

My waters went at 26 weeks. Woth a lot of luck, we managed to hold on until 34 weeks, when I was induced.

My DS needed help with feeding for 2 weeks, and we came home at 15 days old, exclusively breastfeeding.

The odds for your baby are good
At 34 weeks, the chance of survival is as high as a full term baby. If they get the steroid injections into you, them baby is as likely as a full term baby to be fully healthy.

My DS is 11 months now, and has fully caught up.

Lastly, with a PPROM (pre-term premature rupture of membranes), 50% of women will have had their baby within two days of their waters going. 75% of women will have had their baby within two weeks.

I held out for 7 weeks, with twice weekly monitoring, and early labour did start a few times, but the treatment I had to help baby, also stopped the early labour.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and for providing this information. It's very useful to know!

I'm so glad everything turned out well for you and your baby and that you're both now doing well!

My DS was born at that stage at 4 pound 7, I had the period pain type things and he was born 12 hrs after my water went! 2 weeks in SCBU, breastfed from day 2, all went incredibly well. He's now 5 and completely on track with his peers, best of luck

Mine always started with period pains

Ds3 was born even earlier than ds2. He was 32 weeks and 4lb 4 with him I was 8cm dilated by the time they took my period pains seriously! But it turns out I have an incompetent cervix which was probably why my waters kept breaking early

I have had one at 35+2 and one at 33+4, both with PPROM. Hopefully you're already feeling reassured (and maybe baby has arrived by now?) but happy to share my experiences by PM. Both have turned out absolutely fine :)