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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Do contractions hurt more once your waters have broken?

38 replies

waitingtobloom · 20/06/2008 19:53

Am currently trying to convince myself (delude self) that second labour will not hurt as much as last time. Recently I have heard a few things about contractions being more intense once your waters have broken - is this true?

Last time my waters broke and the contractions were pretty intense straight away but when I got in to hospital was only about 1 cm dilated. All contractions from that point were pretty furious and by 3 cm I was really sucking on the gas and air and finding it difficult to move about as he seemed to be grinding down so much if that makes sense.

Friends who I have talked to seemed to find the earlier stages more manageable. Was this just my particular labour? Was I a wimp lol - or is it more difficult if you have no waters as there is more pressure there?

xxx

OP posts:
georgiemama · 20/06/2008 19:58

Yes, although that may also be because my waters did not break until MW broke em, at 8cms.

At that point I'm imaging contractions would be getting more fast and furious anyway, so not very helpfully, in my case they did, but that may not be because the waters had broken, the two just coincided.

That wasn't very helpful was it?

Original poster
waitingtobloom · 20/06/2008 20:02

Yes was great actually - as I said Im delusional so have just taken the fact that they got more painful after breaking and have shoved my fingers in my ears and am singing la la la.

Am at stage where I just block out what I dont want to hear lol

xxx

OP posts:
artichokes · 20/06/2008 20:03

The moment that my waters were broken by the midwife my contractions went from painful but manageable to fast, furious and unbearable.

Yokefleet · 20/06/2008 20:47

yep I am the same as PP wasn't prepared for the sudden change in pain it was unbearable and I thought they had been bad before the MW broke my waters!

Original poster
waitingtobloom · 20/06/2008 21:56

Fantastic news thank you ...now just need to persuade waters to break at around 9 cm rather than 1 cm lol!!!!

OP posts:
georgiemama · 20/06/2008 22:00

I managed with nothing until she broke my waters but as soon as they broke I was sucking so hard on the gas I nearly passed out!

It will be fine xxx

chequebookjerry · 20/06/2008 22:08

dear god yes, crawled hands and knees on the floor to delivery suite from ward pain was so bad, accompanied by lovely 5 foot nothing mw dragging my massively overpacked hospital bag!
epidural soon after, found I wasnt quite as tough as I thought I was

Original poster
waitingtobloom · 21/06/2008 11:45

Thank you all - gives me hope that I wasnt just a complete wimp and it was the lack of waters. I remember the pressure being huge after they had gone.

Now heres hoping they stay intact!!

OP posts:
lackaDAISYcal · 21/06/2008 11:52

Mine did...before my waters broke it was like bad period pain...afterwards...OMFG . But then, maybe my waters broke because the contractions had stepped up a gear.....

TheProvincialLady · 21/06/2008 12:05

Mine went from me telling the MW that I thought labour would be more painful than this at 7cm, to breaking waters and then unbrearable, screaming agony. I am pg again and this time no one will break my waters unless I have an epidural in already.

belgo · 21/06/2008 12:07

I didn't find my waters breaking made labour harder.

With dd1 my contractions were quite strong from the beginning when my waters broke, but still managable.

But with dd2, my contractions were far far worse, and my waters didn't break until she was born.

pagwatch · 21/06/2008 12:13

Fricking hell yes !

beka277 · 21/06/2008 12:33

I was wondering the same kind of thing

My waters broke an hour before my contractions started....it took a couple of hrs before they got extremely unbearable but yes they were so intense. I am 36 + 5 in second pregnancy and wondering if it will be easier if my waters dont break this time round in the beginning. Only abt 10 - 15% of waters break .... does anyone know the reason for some breaking and others not?

Sazisi · 21/06/2008 12:46

My experience certainly backs up that theory, waitingtobloom.
I have now given birth 3 times; my first labour started when the waters broke, and was absolute agony from that point on for 8 hours until DD1 was born. I hit the gas and air as soon as I got to hospital and wouldn't let it go for love or money
My 2nd labour started very gently and gradually and was much more manageable. My waters were broken a few hours before giving birth to speed things up.
My 3rd labour, waters didn't break until the very end (midwife thouhgt DD3 would be born in the sac) and I managed without any pain relief.

belgo · 21/06/2008 12:58

as usual, it seems as though I'm the odd one out

usernamechanged345 · 21/06/2008 12:58

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Takenoprisoners · 21/06/2008 13:03

With my first pregnancy, labour started with waters breaking then really full-on, intense contractions very soon after. It really shocked me, as I was hoping for a build-up and being able to get used to the pain, and all I could think of was, OMG, this is bad and it's going to get worse . So I'm in the same boat as you, Waitingtobloom, as I'm now 38 weeks and hoping that the same thing won't happen (but I'm trying to console myself that if it does, I did manage last time with G&A and somehow got through it ...). If it's any help, I've just hired a doula and when I told her about my previous birth, she said it was quite understandable that it would have been that painful (i.e. you are not a wimp!) as the 'cushion' of waters between the baby's head and the cervix would have gone and you'd have got that intense pressure all the sooner. Fingers crossed it's more gradual this time around!

Mercy · 21/06/2008 13:04

WIth both dc, the waters breaking were the first sign of labour.

1st: waters broke, mild contractions started about 2 hours later. Over a period of about another 2 hours or so they became very strong, unbearably so (midwives wouldn't believe me as I was 'managing' on gas an air).

2nd: waters broke, mild contractions started about 4 hours later. And then just stopped. Started again about 6 hours later, strong from the word go.

HTH and good luck

Mercy · 21/06/2008 13:06

Takenoprisoners, I completely understand what you mean!

Minniethemoocher · 21/06/2008 21:44

I kept telling the midwife that I was in labour, but without examining me, she told me that I wasn't!! Waters broke with a gush, midwife rushed over and examined me and I was 8cm dilated - I told 'em that I WAS in labour, panicing midwife!!!

Contractions got much worse and I was finally given gas and air. DD born 1 and a half hours later.

morocco · 21/06/2008 21:51

I'm with you, belgo,

zaphod · 21/06/2008 21:52

IMO yes. Waters broke with ds1 before contractions, when they began it was agony, with no gradual increase. With the others, I never let the midwives break my waters 'to speed things up' because of that. I am under the impression that the waters act as a cushion between the baby's head, and the cervix, which literally cushion the blow as the baby's head hits it during contractions. I could be completely wrong though.

StarlightMcKenzie · 21/06/2008 22:03

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StarlightMcKenzie · 21/06/2008 22:05

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hermionegrangerat34 · 21/06/2008 22:06

IMO yes too. First labour, waters were broken as part of induction and it was agony - got to 5cms on TENS then begged for epidural. Second, waters only broke after transition, at about the second (of only about five) of the actual 'pushing' contractions, and it was never unbearable until that point (at which point I pushed as hard as I could thinking that the only way to make this pain stop was to get the baby out asap!).