help - 35+5 weeks water broke - no contractions

[DJBebe]

hi all. Has anyone waters broke and were still able to continue with the pregnancy for another week at least? I'm in hospital now awaiting for the dr. 😥

No contractions, baby is breach 😭

If your waters were clear and there's no contractions then yes, they'll try to keep you going for a bit longer.

They might want to give you steroid injections to mature baby's lungs and they might want to give you antibiotics.

Hope you're okay OP, you're in the best place.

Just wanted to say good luck and whatever happens now you and your baby are going to be well looked after

Once waters broken it increases chance of infection so when it happened to me (15 years ago) I was given 48 hours to see if labour started and then they would induce (which is him what happened to me). I was 38 weeks but at 35+ weeks your baby is well developed and although still pre-term low risk relative to eg 32 weeks. But of course they may do things differently now!

My niece decided she wanted to be here at 35 weeks. Just like yourself, her waters broke, no contractions. However she previously tested positive for strep b so they induced her.
My niece was born weighing 5lb 3oz perfectly healthy. Fed well. Given precautionary IV antibiotics and needed to be monitored as she struggled to maintain her temperature but no further intervention.
Wishing you all the best OP!

Hey, my waters went at 34 weeks 2 weeks ago. I had 48 hours monitoring baby in hospital and steroids to mature babies lungs. Also antibiotics to help prevent infection. I was discharged but 24 hours later the waters had gone green so I went back in and it was meconium (baby poo) and they had to deliver so I was induced. Had her the next day at 34+3. She's spending a couple of weeks in SCBU but is fit as a fiddle other than being small and early.
Try not to panic. I know it's really hard but you're a very good gestation for a premature baby and there's always the possibility you'll get to or closer to 37 weeks. The plan with me was to try for that with a watch and wait approach.

My waters went at 36+3. I DID go into a slow labour, but within 24 hours of labour I had a bad infection

Just to give you a heads up, the steroid injections HURT and I mean HURT....but they’re definitely worth it. Good luck x.

Joining in with the "don't panic" messages.

My waters went at 26 weeks, back in April, with lots of bleeding. I was given steroid injections and antibiotics, and luckily the tightenings I had allowed down. Was eventually sent home with antibiotics and twice weekly monitoring for infection at the hospital.
I had 5 more bleeds over the next 7 weeks, and each time, the contractions slowed. The plan was to get us to 36 weeks, if no sign of infection, and then induce if baby was head down, or planned C section if baby was breech.

I had a large bleed at 34 weeks, with another bleed found lurking behind the placenta, so was immediately induced (baby was head down already) and DS was born at 34 weeks and 1 day.

He spent 15 days in NICU, but other than being too young to know how to feed, he was perfect but small. He's now 11 weeks (5 weeks adjusted), 10 lb and starting to smile.

Once your waters break, about 50% of women will spontaneously go into labour in the first 24 hours, and 75% of women will go into labour within the first week of waters breaking. I was incredibly lucky to get to 7 weeks afterwards, but if you have no signs of contractions or immediate infection, then you are most likely to be monitored twice weekly (CTG, temp, bloods and blood pressure). You will also probably have IV antibiotics and steroids on hospital, and then leave with oral antibiotics, taking it up to 19 days of antibiotics in total.

Good luck!

Sorry, 10 days of antibiotics in total

My waters broke at 34 weeks, but my labour didn't start for another 2 weeks. He was born at 36 weeks. I was given steroid injections and I also tested positive for group strep B. I had oral antibiotics for those 2 weeks and IV antibiotics whilst in labour and my baby had IV antibiotics for about 4/5 days. Hope all goes well for you.

I should have added my 'baby' is 9 soon and perfectly fine, although a bit too computer mad for my liking.

Hey, good luck. It's premature but not very premature, mine broke 5 days after yours. My mum had waters break no contractions for all her births and needed oxytocin drip. I wasn't induced immediately, Dr wanted to but not space and actually heard in nct that it can be good to wait 24-48 hours for contractions to start naturally, which they did overnight but I still needed the oxytocin that evening. I was on iv antibiotics 4 hourly until a gave birth. Mine wasn't breach like you. Good luck.

Thank you all. Baby is transverse so definitely a C section, had steroid injection and antibiotics. Have been admitted into hospital and won't be discharged until after i had my C section.
I have to wait to see when the operation will be scheduled, so feeling very anxious for the baby.
Gosh I also have to ask DH to pop in and buy some smaller clothes as i don't have too many in new-born size.

Good luck. Might be worth getting tiny baby as newborn was a bit big even for my nearly 7 pound baby.

Don't worry about clothes, they won't leave your baby naked. If they go to special care they'll provide what you need til you can get it. Although if you get closer to term and they don't keep baby in then mini clothes would be good for at home, I think Asda do a range for premature babies. You'll probably want some premature nappies too, pampers do size 0 or Asda also do them for about a third of the price. Good luck! Keep us updated if you can.

How much water did you loose when your waters broke? Mines continue to leak like wee but apparently the amniotic fluid levels can recover. I'm still having no contractions so I'm wondering if they'll let me go home tomorrow and continue with the monitoring rather than rush me into the C section.
I only want for the baby to stay in for 8 more days to reach the 37 weeks mark.

Just want to say I was born at 36+2 and I'm absolutely fine! I was obviously small when I was born (5lb 6oz) and they kept me and my mum in a wee bit longer to make sure I was fine but I really was and am no worse off for it.

I had an emcs at 35.5. Ds was 5-7 and didn't need special care except a lamp for jaundice. He bf the next day.. Home in a week.

Mine was like I had wet myself initially and then continued to leak a lot. I was told the waters constantly replenish but will just leak out again. Was very obvious what it was.

OP if your team haven’t talked through the timing of delivery with you, ask them to.
It’s very common to labour within the first couple of days after your waters breaking, so that may still happen for you! Also can develop infection. If things are settled for 48ish hours then they may well stay settled until 37 weeks.
Usually the aim is 37 weeks unless you start contracting or develop infection. It’s always a balance of risks and they should talk that through with you.
If baby is sitting in transverse position it’s less likely they’ll let you go home between now and then - there’s a risk of cord prolapse so you’re better to be in hospital. That can also be the case if baby settles into a breech position - depends a little bit exactly where bum/feet/cord are.
Best of luck - outcomes are really good at this stage of pregnancy so I’m sure your baby will be absolutely fine, may just need a teeny bit of assistance from the NIcU team to start off but might not even need that at all :)

Thank you all ladies, your advice makes such a difference to me. My anxiety is getting a bit better, the leakage is getting a bit less frequent and less volume now and although i feel the baby moving less the heartbeat is normal on CTG which is reassuring. I'm drinking lots of water to help the amniotic fluid volume build up (hopefully it helps).
They tested me and no infection so far which is a good sign.
I'm getting a 2nd steroid injection tomorrow morning, so hopefully they'll be able to let me know what is the plan/next steps.

Had my 2nd steroid injection today. Due to baby being transverse and the risk of cord prolapse I have to continue to stay in hospital for monitoring. Have been booked for a ELCS for next week when I reach 37 weeks but if my or baby's situation changes they will take me in for an EMCS.
Wi also have a scan tomorrow to check the fluid levels around the baby as i am still leaking amniotic fluid. 🤞 trying to stay positive.
If you have any further advice please share. x

Ime be supportive of each other managing a small baby! My 6'4 chunky dh was terrified of handling ds he was so small! Afraid of snapping his limbs dressing and nappy changes! After average size babies I was worried myself!!

Thank you @Backtoschoolnotsoonenough . I am already a bit anxious the baby will be a small size as at 35 weeks the estimated weight was 5lb 11oz on the 50% percentile.