Stupid birth question but it's not a wind-up

[No19]

Does time start ticking for the baby once the waters have broken, ie does the baby have to be born within a certain time after that has happened?

No. 19- It'll all be fine, I am sure. Has to come out someway now, and once you get into the groove of it it's an amazing experience, remember

Don't know if this helps but 3 weeks before having DD2 I had an "accident" on my way to the bathroom...only didn't feel like I needed to pee or anything so I assumed it was my waters breaking. I didn't tell my hubby as I assumed baby was on the way then...nothing. 3 weeks later I was induced and the midwife was very confused and told me I had a 'dry' birth....ie no waters. The consultant was concerned enough to monitor my baby for the next 24 hours but she was fine and I got sent home the next day.

Agree with go with the NICE guidelines as longa s Meconium not rpesents in your water and you have no signs of infection- if your temperature started to rise ro you felt hot / cold, you would be extremely wise to contact hospital and inform them, but hospitals that tell you 'you have to be induced within 24 hours'- er? sorry? or you'll do what, exactly?

Saw a thread on here before about this.

I was taken in 24 hours after my waters broke to have IV antibiotics but practice seems to vary a lot from region to region.

They didn't induce me but wanted to give me the ABs as a precaution.

When my waters broke before I had dd2, I had no contractions and they sent me home, because it was just the hind waters that had gone. Labour started properly the next day.

This is my third child im having and the only advice i can give you is to make sure you do gentle exercise everyday like yoga or walking is good enough because the body needs to be a little bit stronger to cope with the contractions and it gives you strength to push and to answer your question about after the waters break could the baby get stuck if your stressed the baby is not coming out you have to be strong at this moment to push out your child or if you have a small pelvis. I wish you luck.

Hi No19 - I think you will find it a bit easier with no 2 baby, you do know more and are probably a bit more assertive than you were 9 years ago, so you can definately keep control of your labour more this time. Remember that hospitals and drs can only advise you of what they think is the best option, it is up to you to decide what you want to do, if you want to follow their advice or not, so bookmark the NICE guidelines for later.

As far as baby is concerned, it will be ok to have broken the waters (at term), it will not damage baby, and as others have said, baby will keep on making more, its mostly babys wee after all

About half the women who break their waters will labour within 24 hours, and due to the increasing risk of infection, its recommended to be induced by 96 hours, but all hospitals have their own guidelines on this. Our hospital has stopped giving routine IV antibiotics for prolonged SRM now, unless there is a ^Temp or GBS.

Think positive thoughts about this birth and you will find that it will probably be much better than last time

Good luck.

Thank you all. Have been in slight frenzy of what if this happens, what if that happens, and unable to calm self because of lack of knowledge. So thanks for all the good thoughts, advice and info, & for not saying Stop panicking! This hasn't even happened yet!

This happened to me (although it was a gradual loss of waters) - the hospital induced me within 48 hours. First a doctor scanned me to confirm this was necessary. I was not thrilled but aside of a couple of pessaries I had an entirely normal labour. I just had to argue a bit to be let off the monitor and allowed to move around.

It is the infection reason that makes them induce. I showed no sign of infection, and baby was fine - but they induced anyway as I was 38+6. I think you might have a battle on your hands if you don't want to be induced, your waters go and labour doesn't follow, and you are full term.

Had a look up of this in the Nicky Wesson homebirth book.

The advice was to follow NICE guidelines, but:

Drink loads of water to replenish fluids

Check your temperature every 4 hours to ensure no fever

Avoid baths, sex, anything entering vagina

Take garlic perles (8) and one dose vitamin C a few times each day to reduce infection risk

Call Hospital immediately as an emergency if signs of infection, waters become discoloured or baby's movements reduce