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Original poster

Where were you when your waters broke?

160 replies

Pinkmarshmallow · 22/02/2009 14:13

At 39+6 wks pregnant today, I have become a bit obsessed with the thought of my waters breaking. Now, I know it might happen somewhere "handy" like on the loo or even on the bathroom floor or on the labour ward but keep thinking what if it happens somewhere that it would be totally mortifying? eg. in a queue at a shop, at someone else's house on their new sofa or living room carpet or in church? Did this happen to any of you? What did you do? How did everyone react? I know that people should understand, that you can't help it, it's a normal part of pregnancy etc. etc. but I can't help worrying how embarrassing this would be!

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lizziemun · 22/02/2009 16:23

DD1 on the toilet had just been a wee . Went with a POP.

DD2 were broken at hospital before induction.

hotCheeseBURNS · 22/02/2009 16:24

In bed.

insertwittynicknameHERE · 22/02/2009 16:26

Mine were broken at the hospital as I had been in labor for nearly 3 days and they didn't go on their own.

gingertoo · 22/02/2009 16:29

Three DC's - two out of three waters broke in bed (Good idea to sleep with a towel under your bottom sheet for the last few weeks!!)

ComeWhineWithMe · 22/02/2009 16:32

While I was loading the dryer up they just went pop.

notcitrus · 22/02/2009 16:52

Had had contractions for about 3 hours and decided to have a bath. Got out of bath an hour later (after MrNC wandered in, asked why I was bathing so early, and I calmly mentioned I was in labour!), dried off, waters broke and I went 'bugger, need another towel' - at which point MrNC panicked a little!

Niecie · 22/02/2009 17:01

With DS1 they went whilst I was sitting on the loo. They did the pop thing too. Shame it wasn't 15 minutes later as I was on my way with my mum to get some cot bedding from ToysRus and we might have got them free.

For me it was the first sign of labour. Just as they went my mum rang the door bell and was a little surprised to find our shopping trip off. Serves me right for leaving it until the day before his due date.

I didn't go into labour for 8 hours after that and cut open a bin bag and lay that down on whatever I was sitting/lying on before putting a towel on top.

DS2 they went 20 minutes before he was born. I was kneeling on our bedroom floor at the time so needless to say I didn't bother going to the hospital 25 minutes away.

SlightlyMadScotland · 22/02/2009 17:02

I had a dr peering up my fanjo!

She got a bit wet !

bohemianbint · 22/02/2009 17:04

Mine went in bed at around 2am both times, oddly, before I went into labour. Not all in one go though. 1st time DS arrived 12 hours later, second time 23 hours later.

Good luck!

bestfriendswithbenefits · 22/02/2009 17:09

I didn't even realise my waters had broken the first two times, both babies were born "dry" and the midwives were shocked there was no water. I'd had a very long dribbly show over 2 or 3 days both times, before the contractions started, so can only guess that the waters were trickling out very very slowly with that. Waters were broken by the MW the third time.

RiojaLover75 · 22/02/2009 17:10

In the car going round the Tesco roundabout in Guildford on the way to hospital!

I'll second the comment about needing a LOT more than a towel on the seat! I was soaked!

greenbeanie · 22/02/2009 17:28

Both times my waters went in bed, both times thought I must remember to do pelvic floor exercises more regularly!!

One of my friend's waters went in a very upmarket jewellers and after the baby was born they were given a beautiful silver charm bracelet by the shop. I have also heard that M&S will give you things for the baby if your waters go there - so hover near a shop that you like

nuttygirl · 22/02/2009 18:02

In bed.

We had a pack of maternity mats. One was on our bed, under the sheet (luckily!), one in the car, one downstairs in the living room and we kept towels near all of them too so I could move from the mat to the loo without dribbling everywhere!

pooka · 22/02/2009 18:03

First time, in hospital quite well dilated.

Second time, after ds was born! Delivered him in the unruptured amniotic sac.

MmeLindt · 22/02/2009 18:08

During the Euro 2004 cup final, Portugal against Greece.

I felt a pop went to the loo to check.

DH asked if he could finish watching the game

loler · 22/02/2009 18:09

Wish I could have an interesting story.

Had mine broken in hospital all 3 times.

No great spurt just a big of a slosh.

zonedout · 22/02/2009 18:12

With ds1 i had my waters broken in hospital at some stage during labour (don't remember exactly when)

With ds2 i was lazing around in bed on a saturday morning at 35 weeks pregnant when i did a sneeze which was followed by a 'pop', which was followed by an almighty gush, which was followed by a scream of ' i can't believe how bad my pelvic floor is before even giving birth' (peppered with a few expletives) I had, quite wrongly, assumed that my waters would have to be broken in hospital again and as i was 5 weeks off my due date i genuinely thought for a good 20 minutes that I was wetting myself

Eve4Walle · 22/02/2009 18:13

In hospital, both times.

With DD they were broken to get things moving as I was bleeding heavily and they had to induce me to get her out safely.

With DS, they were broken for me as I was 11 days overdue.

herbietea · 22/02/2009 18:15

This reply has been deleted

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flaminhell · 22/02/2009 18:22

With ds, my bedroom, just about to go to the pub though!! And with my dd Tescos escalator, thought I had wet myself for a min then reality hit, I was very pissed of because I wasnt talking to dp, and didnt want to ring him to tell him, left it a few hours before I did.

LadyPinkofPinkerton · 22/02/2009 18:30

At my MIL's house first time. I was in denial that I was in labour, quite funny looking back.

Second time as I was pushing DS2 out, so all over my living room floor.

bluebump · 22/02/2009 18:46

I'd got up for a wee in the night, and as I finished and got up off the toilet I thought "what's that strange sensation?" and there was a small gush of my waters. The next day I went to get checked out at the hospital and they sent me home to wait and see what happened so we went to the supermarket to get some last minute essentials - I was holding a multipack of big pants when I had another gush and just dumped them in the basket and told DP to buy them and to get some donuts whilst he was at it He was banging on about having to go to the busy self checkout aisle in case anyone saw him with some big pants whilst I shuffled out the shop gushing over the carpark and the carseat whilst I was at it. Thankfully I had black trousers on!

thumbwitch · 22/02/2009 18:51

very boringly, on the loo on labour ward. I was going for the nth time, and there was a big pop, whoosh and plop - lots of blood in the loo, I was (very silly I know) almost worried the baby had come out! (1st timer)

Went back and told the mw (the only crap one I had in the whole time) that I thought my waters had gone, she did an examination and said she couldn't tell so I said "is the membrane bulging?" she said "no" and I said "well it was before so they must have gone, like I said."

AlexandraPeppernose · 22/02/2009 19:50

Mine gushed. first time in bed and second time in car.

KleineMaus · 22/02/2009 20:22

Is it unusual for waters breaking to be the first sign of labour? Was that way for my mum and my sister and me, and so I assumed that was how it was for most people. I was in bed. Was just waking up (after going for a curry the night before even though I was still a week early as I'm so impatient!) and turned over and was alarmed to discover I'd lost control of my bladder. Just trickled for ages though.

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