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Original poster

Really what are the chances of my waters breaking without warning?

201 replies

redandyellowandpinkandgreen · 19/09/2010 13:44

My mum thinks I should get a plastic sheet for my mattress but I thought you would get some sort of warning first. What are the chances of your waters going in the night with no warning? And do I need a plastic sheet?

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DiscoDaisy · 19/09/2010 21:57

With my first my waters gushed while I was asleep in bed. I woke up and thought I'd wet myself! I had her later on that day and when my dp came home he had to sleep on the sofa for a couple of nights while the mattress dried out.
My hind waters went with my second and they just kept trickling for about 3 days until it was decided that I was going to be induced (37 weeks).
With my third the waters didn't go until I was ready to push her out.They came out with so much force that they lifted up the blanket that was covering my nether regions.
My fourth was hind waters trickling again and my fifth was waters breaking in a gush just before pushing again.
All three where my waters broke before labour gave no warning at all.

FrameyMcFrame · 19/09/2010 22:02

Mine went with Dd while lying on the sofa with a big pop. Lots of water! No warning.

Had to have them broken by midwife with Ds as the bag was bulging right out and stopping me progressing (apparently)...

Bumperlicious · 19/09/2010 22:18

I'm sleeping on a folded up duvet anyway as I am so fecking uncomfortable. I am hoping that will save my mattress, much easier to clean.

Niecie · 19/09/2010 22:21

Mine went when I was sitting on the loo at exactly 3pm. I had finished what I was in there to do, was just about to stand up and it sounded like having another wee but didn't quite feel like it. It kept on flowing for an hour or two after that - had to keep changing my pad.

I had no warning at all. Shame it wasn't 15 minutes later. My Mum was seconds away from ringing the door bell as she was taking me to Toys R Us to get some baby bedding. If it had happened in the store I might have got it all for nothing!! Or is that a myth?!

Waiting for labour to start after DS1's waters went, I cut open a bin bag and had to sit on that on the sofa all evening and then laid it on the bed. Lovely and moist!Hmm It never occurred to me that I might need a plastic sheet so I didn't have a proper one. Blush

DS2's waters went just before the pushing stage making it apparent that instead of packing his sandwiches for sitting next to a hospital bed, DH should be phoning an ambulance! DS born 20 minutes later. No warning there - an hour before I wasn't even entirely sure I was in labour!!

randomimposter · 19/09/2010 22:23

Was leaning over the bath cleaning my teeth (no basin as we were re-doing bathroom).... gushed all over bath mat. First thought I'd pissed myself... was only 36+5. Had NOTHING ready. My Early Warning System battery was obviously defective GrinHmm. Good luck.

Habbibu · 19/09/2010 22:24

Mine went as I was taking dd to the toilet at 3am. She turned, looked at me, and said "you can go the toilet as well if you want, mummy". Instead of pissing yourself on the landing, I presume was the implicit meaning...

SuiGeneris · 19/09/2010 22:47

Mine went suddenly, in a gush, at around 5am, when I had got up to go to the loo. Was utterly surprised at how much there was and glad I had made it to the bathroom.

Get a mattress protector/sheet. the disposable maternity sheets from boots are also great as disposable changing mats (much bigger than the disposable changing mats themselves, therefore easier for a wrigglier/bigger baby or clumsier mother, like me).

PartialToACupOfMilo · 19/09/2010 23:19

Mine went straight after going to the loo and I wasn't sure I hadn't just wet myself!

I'd recommend getting a mattress protector. Even if you don't need it for your waters breaking, you're very soon going to have a real life pooping, weeing, vomiting little person who will probably end up in your bed on a regular basis. That's when it will really come in useful Wink

missytequila · 19/09/2010 23:20

I was in full blown labour, screaming like mad at my husband to drive faster to get to the hospital, and huge pop and what seemed like a bucket of water...all over my husband's brand new mercedes... quite funny actually. nearly gave birth in the car too, but made it there and had baby 15 min later.

never even thought about getting sheet protector...maybe i will next time

MissWormwood · 19/09/2010 23:24

Do get the waterproof sheet as all are suggesting, even if your waters don't go in bed, all those night sweats add up to a lot of fluid in the mattress...

I woke up at about 5 am with crampy sensations which I realised had been going on for a while as I slept. I got up to go to the loo and found I had to keep going back for return visits - instead of gushing out in one go, there was a frequent regular stream rather like wee. It was only that I didn't have the full bladder sensation that I suspected it wasn't that.

I've never heard anybody saying that it is possible for your waters to break, empty, refill, empty, refill etc etc, so it came as rather a surprise.

I was due to be (very reluctantly) induced that morning so was very pleased to have beaten the medics to it! Smile

herethereandeverywhere · 19/09/2010 23:32

Out of my NCT group, one of us had their waters break spontaneously, without warning, so I'd say about a 1 in 7 chance!

It was in bed for her too, so get a mattress protector, just in case!

mamas12 · 19/09/2010 23:42

Another one here.
It was 2.20am and as I turned around with my huge bumb I thought I need the loo, when I stood up out it all came so fast and with no control. I was sleeping in my neighbours house (long story) and thank goodness I had all my cushions with me and pressed those up against me to soak it up.
Can't think what it must have been like to clear up I didn't do it!

tallwivglasses · 20/09/2010 00:11

It happened to me both times. Only 15% Shock
The 'pop' thing's weird, isn't it? The first time I was in denial as dd was 6 weeks early (friend on phone to hospital: 'Well she's soaking wet, on all foors, complaining of pain and panting - but she swears she's not in labour...')
The second time I was such an old hand I mopped up, then finished my strawberries and cream.

Good luck redandyellow! x

TheNextMrsDepp · 20/09/2010 00:18

I've had three dcs but no dramatic water-breaking moments with any of them!

Just a midwife armed with a crochet hook in the later stages of labour......Shock

Mspontipine · 20/09/2010 00:29

Pop and gush here too!!!

I has a brand new bed - huge relief my mum had persuaded me to cover mattress with plastic sheet.

According to friend "you never get the smell out" - not out of her brand new carpet anyway!!! Don't know what the smell's like though ...

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 20/09/2010 01:04

First time went as I was getting out of bed in the morning; was glad I'd put a mattress protector on (my mother's waters had gone in bed in her first labour so I had had strict mattress protector instrctions from her too). DS wasn't engaged so they went everywhere and kept gushing; I was surprised by quite how much there was.

Second time they didn't go until I was getting out of the car at the hospital, when I was very nearly in transition. And DD was very well engaged so there was only really a trickle (enough to soak my underwear but not enough to go all over the place, and the car escaped unscathed).

You're quite likely to leak milk over the bed in the early days anyway (plus have night sweats... are we painting a glamorous enough picture of motherhood for you yet? Grin) so a mattress protector isn't a bad idea.

BoobyMcLeaky · 20/09/2010 01:15

Mine went about 5 minutes after the midwife had given me an internal examination and said 'there isn't much happening'. No warning, just, splosh!

Raahh · 20/09/2010 01:21

Reading about masking your waters breaking by smashing pickled onions over the puddle has just made my night!

I have had to have mine broken twice now- second time it was only the fluid that was keeping me dilated, so that was depressing [there was a lot of water- i kept apologising...).

this time i would like to experience it spontaneously, but as i'm scheduled for a section, i doubt it.

TMI- i have a mattress protector as leaky waters aren't the only draw back to being heavily pregnant with number 3[incontinence is crap emoticon]Blush

jabberwocky · 20/09/2010 01:22

No warning with either of mine. More like a trickle with ds1 and a mighty gush just after I went to bed with ds2.

chefswife · 20/09/2010 01:37

Mine broke but I thought I wet myself... wasn't till much later I realized they had. Anyhow, we just used incontinence pads, found at any drugstore, and they're great for after birth as well in case you leak while sleeping.

chefswife · 20/09/2010 01:38

Plus with the plastic sheeting/mattress pad thingy, your body doesn't breath well when you are sleeping.

nooka · 20/09/2010 04:01

Mine broke when I was in bed both times, I think fairly comprehensively with ds and more of a steady trickle with dd. The mattress survived (we are still sleeping on it ten years later). I used ds's nappies (cloth) to absorb the water, as I leaked for three days before being induced and having a c-section to get dd out. Apparently your body can make more amniotic fluid at quite a rate!

Cadmum · 20/09/2010 06:19

It must vary greatly but I would recommend some kind of mattress pad.
Personally, I have 4 dcs.

2 were induced with ARM.

2 went with little warning:
With first one, I was 40+3 and had been slightly crampy all morning but my waters went suddenly while I was in a shop with my dad. (It was fun to watch him panic.)

With second one, I was 37+3 and sound asleep in bed at 2:00 am when my waters gushed. I was very pleased to be able to remove the mattress pad, replace it with a second one and get some more sleep before labour really kicked in 3 hours later.

Ineedsomesleep · 20/09/2010 06:52

DC1 was the tiniest trickle and my waters were broken properly by the MW later in hospital.

DC2 was born in the caul so they broke all over uur lovely MW.

If you do want to cover up your mattress I think Wilkos do shower curtains for 99p.

sapphireblue · 20/09/2010 06:53

my waters went with no warning twice.........first time in bed/on bedroom carpet and second time all over the kitchen floor!