Waters broken but labour not started

[babybabytime]

I’m 40w+4 and my waters broke last night. I had a few contractions but labour not started. I have been to MAU today and they have said my options are;

1. c section today (I’ve said no to this)
2. c section tomorrow - 24 hrs after waters broke
3. induction today (I’ve said no to this)
4. induction tomorrow - 24 hours after waters broke.

I had a traumatic induction with my first baby, ending in forceps, episiotomy, blood loss and going from 2cm - 10cm dilated in 2 hours. I do not want to be induced this time and have already started the process of an elective c section at 42w. My preference is also not to have a c section, I want a spontaneous natural labour.

I understand there’s a marginal higher risk of infection if labour hasn’t started within 24 hours.

has anyone been through something similar and decide not to be induced or c section at this point?

thank you!

Mine went at 6am one morning, no contractions. They booked me in for induction 24 hours later. But contractions started after 12 hours and by morning I was 6cm dilated. So didn’t need the induction. Good luck.
I did need IV antibiotics in labour as waters had broken and I couldn’t have a water birth. No other issues.

Mine went early morning (5 or 6am) with DD1 and i was given similar options. I chose to wait with a plan to induce the next day but contractions started about 10pm that same night and she was born at midday the following day. I was admitted due to high BP but in the intervening hours, I basically spent the whole day bouncing on a birthing ball and walking round the hospital to get things moving. You can definitely do something similar at home.

Have you had a Group B Strep test in your pregnancy? If you choose to wait, you need to discuss the potential for antibiotics with your midwife / team, especially if you dont know your GBS status or if you are GBS+. Our hospital at that time didn't test for GBS, and I did not know i was GBS+ as i hadnt sorted out a private test in time (i was in my 37th week and it was covid times when this was happening). DD1 developed an infection as a result and spent two weeks in NICU with sepsis. I still always wonder if having antiobiotics would have helped avoid what was a very stressful time.

If you massage your bump you may find that contractions start

Thank you will try this!

Thank you! I’m going to spend the evening bouncing on the ball and have been for a walk. All the other things I’m reading online seems to say that people went into labour almost always within 12 hours. I’m not at 18 hours so just feeling a bit worried!

I think they took a strep b swab today

My waters went on a Monday but no sign of labour. I went in for monitoring on Tues and Weds instead of being induced as they wanted. There are stats on how likely you are to go into labour once waters have broken. Eventually agreed to an induction Weds evening (over 72 hours), resulted in a c-section. If the same thing happened again, I'd go straight for the section.

My waters broke at 34 weeks, they gave me no options, discharged me home after a few days, on antibiotics, as I hadn't gone in to labour. I had to go back and for to the hospital for regular monitoring. I had group strep B. I went in to labour 2 weeks later, 35+6, and he was born at 36 weeks. I had IV antibiotics in labour, then my baby had 5 days of antibiotics when he was born.

I hope everything has gone smoothly and you've had your baby by now OP!
For anyone else, my waters broke at term and very early on in pregnancy I was having quite a lot of swabs due to recurrent thrush and one of those picked up strep b incidentally.
So when my waters broke I wasn't allowed to be discharged, was in on iv antibiotics and being pushed for a drip induced straight away.
Declined initially (against consultant advice) but after 12 hours with no contractions I agreed, drip was started around 17 hours after waters broke by the time it was set up and baby born 11 hours after that.

Mine broke and labour hadn't started within 24 hours so they induced. It was fine really, drip induction so fast-ish but baby was healthy which was the main thing. I don't think you should risk going against medical advice because its not your preference.

Hope all went well for you OP!

my first I had an induction after my waters broke without Labour starting an ended up with everything you experienced first time round, not a good experience, baby in distress, forceps etc - it would have been an EMCS if they could have got me into theatre.

second time was ELCS and a much better experience all round.

With the choices on offer I would have taken a c-section after 24hrs.

This happened to me. Waters broke. Went to triage. They checked me and I think gave me a sweep when I was there as it was very painful! Was told to go home or go back in 24 hours. Anyway seven hours afterwards labor pains started full throttle and baby was born three hours later!

I was induced 24 hours after my waters went as labour didn't start. I had one pessary and went from 2cm to 10cm in four hours which was very scary at the time. I ended up with foreceps but healed well and baby was fine.

thank you everyone for your comments. Just following up on this, baby ended up come 30 hours after waters had gone, but before I was due to go back to hospital so I didn’t need to make the induction / c sec / wait decision.

it also turned out that the doctor had
booked me in for a c sec anyway for that morning, without so much as a conversation!

Congrats!!