If you are in 'established' labour, is there any reason a MW would break you waters?

[LadyOfWaffle]

Just thinking back to my labour now the bad memories are fading, and although I arrived in labour that was going well i'd say, (I was 4cm) the MW broke my waters within 10 mins and the whole thing became so fast I couldn't get an epidural or a spinal tap and ended up with 5 tears (no idea of related to a fast labour or just the 10lb 5oz baby!). I did come in for induction (was booked a few days but labour started night before) but is it usual to have your waters broken for no reason?

The (horrid) midwife I had with dd1 did this and out of my 3 labours it is the one thing that stands out as a bad memory.I think they do it to speed things up I was in labour for about 14 hours.With dd2 and 3 I didn't have my waters broken and was in labour just an hour and a half each time.

I had mine broken with my DS. It was my first birth and the midwife was horrid, I wasn't capable of agreeing to it. It did speed things up but I didn't tear.

Mine did, but I was 8cm and they were still in tact. It sped things up immensely but tbh I was grateful - I was thoroughly sick of being in labour by this point.

I wasn't aware that this was considered a bad thing to do.

I had mine broken at 4cm with my first baby. Everything went totally out of my control, pain wise, and I was left with postnatal PTSD - partly due to the fact I had no pain relief despite begging!
found out later it was a busy shift with 6 first time mums in labour and they needed to speed things up to fit in around their workload (dare I say their breaks?!) sorry, bitter?! moi?!
done at the right time and for the right reasons and with fully informed consent from the labouring woman I can imagine its great though.

Had it done for ds1. But lovely midwife, explained it all and asked permission (my labour was going slowly). Didn't speed anything up though, but no adverse effects that I know of (and they weren't busy).

I wouldn't have it done again, nor do I regret that it was done.

There shouldn't be any reasons to break you waters if you're in established labour and everything is normal. The reasons it might be done are:

• to speed up a slow labour
• to check the colour of the water if there's a concern with baby's heart beat.

If everything is moving along nicely then your waters should be left well alone: they're a cushion for the baby against the pressure of the contractions and when they're gone the pain often becomes worse.

I had mine broken at about 9cm with DD I think - I wasn't sure if thy had broken or not before. Didn't make things any more painful.

Things did get a lot more painful once she broke the waters and it was only at that point that I needed G&A, I had managed with nothing until then. I wasn't deliberately trying not to have pain relief, I just wasn't offered any before then! My mum actually asked for it for me - I had forgotten it was an option!

I had no idea this was considered wrong.

Yes, to get the baby out. MW broke mine and 2 pushes later DD2 arrived.

MW with dd2 was super-keen to break my waters and kept going on about it, despite me DEFINITELY being in labour and 5cm dilated. Her issue was that I was labouring slowly for a 2nd birth and it would speed everything up

She was lovely (but was newly qualified, I was her 1st waterbirth) so I think she wanted everything to go to plan textbook style

Luckily for me she called in the (VERY experienced and matronly) senior MW who took one look at me going through a contraction and told her in no uncertain terms that I would not be needing my waters breaking! DD2 arrived 3hrs later, in the pool

I'm bloody glad she didn't do it... have subsequently read stories on here about the 'cascade of intervention' following stuff like breaking waters etc

Last time I was in labour my waters did not break until 2 minutes before dd was born. The midwife told me that waters not breaking is not a sign that labour isn't progressing well and that it is a much nicer birth experience for the baby if they are intact until the last minute.

Mine were broken with DD by the midwife accidentally, she was horrified when she realised.

Mine were broken when I was fully dilated and having trouble pushing. I was glad they did it. It sped things up which at that stage was all I wanted.

Had mine broken with ds1 because I'd got to the pushing stage and they were still intact.

Didn't know it was a bad thing. Certainly didn't bother me.

With ds2 they were broken to try and bring on established labour (had pre-eclampsia). 4 days overdue, 4cm dilated for 48 hours, but not even the slightest hint of contractions. It worked - in labour within an hour. Ds2 born an hour or so after that.

With both dd2 and ds my waters remained intact until the actual birth. With dd2 labour was stalling but the midwives didn't want to break my waters because I was GBS + . Instead, they encouraged me to walk around to get things moving, which worked.

Same as Horton. I'd been asking her to break them for a while because the pressure from them was so immense but she wouldn't until then. As soon as they were broken it was a huge relief and things were able to progress.

Completely different experience to with dd as with her labour had started with my waters breaking.

having mine broken with ds2 was the worst pain in the world. he came out soon after but it wasn't as if i was going in for a long labour. the whole thing from me waking up with pain to delvery was 2.5 hours. the pain was so awful though i could of hit her!!! but i forgive her now

I asked for mine to be broken with DD2. Was feeling pressure but only 7cm - when they broke my waters it felt much better. Think it probably did speed things up too.

yes, mine were broken because the labour was going on for ever and both the midwife and I were fed up with it!