what are the rules for going to the hospital......

[mum2sam]

last time my waters broke and i had to go straight in as i had pre-eclampsia so they helped kick start labour off as i was then 37wks. However pregnancy seems to be fine this time round so if my waters break first what do i do? And likewise if i feel like labour is starting but aters havent broke what do i do? After the mw sweeped my membranes following my waters breaking i was in labour for only 2hrs so dont ant to hang arond unnessessary

If your waters break and you have no contractions, give the hospital a call, but you don't necessarily have to go in. Some hospitals will want you to come in so they can confirm what you have already told them , some will just take your word for it! As long as the waters are clear and you are feeling baby move then really there's no need for you to go in right away.

They will tell you what their policy is regarding kickstarting labour once your waters have gone. My unit, for example, asks women to come in the next day, other places will be a bit more relaxed and 'let' you go up to 72 hours before asking you to come in. Once your waters have gone, there is an increased risk of infection so some hospitals may ask you to monitor your temperature, etc if labour hasn't started.

If you go into labour without waters breaking, usually I would say stay at home for as long as you can. However, it sounds like you labour pretty quickly, so... trust your instinct and go straight in if you feel the need. (Have you thought of a homebirth? Great for quick labourers!)

HTH

oh thankyou that makes me feel better. I was considering a hb but wasnt too sure hether it would be too late to ask im 36 wks now.

no, it is not too late. you can technically request one when you're in labour- but probably best to be on the books as it were in plenty of time.

My waters broke before I could feel contractions, They tole me to come in to monitor and take a swab for strep B. They told me to go home and return after 72 hours if I hadnt gone into labour to induce me. As it happened I was back 2 hours later and 5cm dilated!