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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Waters broken early

31 replies

Charley678 · 16/06/2022 18:32

Hi, I'm currently 36 weeks 3 days pregnant and my waters have broken (yesterday gallons of the stuff). I'm at hospital hospital they have confirmed it as SROM and want me over night for monitoring and will send me home tomorrow then won't induce me until I'm 37 weeks.

Although it's only a few days away I'm so anxious that something will happen over the weekend and I won't know that the baby is in distress. Should I be pushing for them to induce sooner?

I'm just looking for similar experiences really or whether this seems a sensible plan of action from hospital.

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mummyh2016 · 16/06/2022 18:37

These extra few days can make all the difference to whether baby will need a stay in NICU. Can you ask to go in for daily monitoring on Saturday and Sunday instead if you're worried?

Original poster

Charley678 · 16/06/2022 19:13

@mummyh2016 that's not a bad idea. I will ask the midwives when they come around to see me.

With the amount of water I'm losing it seems impossible I'll have any left by the time Monday arrives but I'm also not having any real contractions or signs of labour.

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Thejoyfulstar · 16/06/2022 19:18

My waters broke at 36 plus 3 as well! They kept me in and gave me 24 hours for contractions to start and induced me when they didn't. Tjey gave me steroid injections to develop the baby's lungs in case it went to c section. Baby was born at 36 plus 5. She was yanked out with forceps due to plummeting heart rate but was fine other than that. No NICU stay or anything.

Thejoyfulstar · 16/06/2022 19:20

Did they put you on the monitor to hear the baby's heart rate?

IggyAce · 16/06/2022 19:22

My DD is nearly 16 now but my waters went at 36+6 I was monitored overnight and at my request went home the next morning with an induction date for 24hours later and told to take my temperature every couple of hours. If my temperature increased I was to return immediately due to risk of infection.
My Dd was born later that day 6lb 2oz no issues and I was discharged the next day.

Galvanisa · 16/06/2022 19:22

I would just say that you don’t feel comfortable going home, and ask to stay in for monitoring. ‘Detrimental to your mental health’.

I wouldn’t want to leave the hospital in these circumstances.

LemonSwan · 16/06/2022 19:27

I thought there was risk of infection so must monitor and induce within 48 hours max. Not a doctor mind you but happened to a girl I was on NCT with.

I wouldn’t leave personally.

Loulou1712 · 16/06/2022 19:29

Oh this is so tough, personally I wouldn't be happy accepting going home and waiting x amount of days. I understand that 36 weeks is 'early' but for me personally the risk of infection out weighs the risk of baby coming at 36 weeks.
You are well within your rights to deny going home, and to decide you'd rather be induced asap.
From my personal (and friends) experience I personally wouldn't want to wait, but YOU have to be comfortable with the decision that's made. Ultimately it's YOU and YOUR BABY who will be effected by the choice xxx

HSKAT · 16/06/2022 19:29

Personally, I wouldn't want to leave.
I would speak with them and try and come to an agreement of staying in.

Milliesmummy92 · 16/06/2022 19:32

Not sure if your exact circumstances but my waters broke at 37+3, they gave me 24 hours for labour to start then induced me- I did have pre-eclampsia though so not sure if this made a difference. I'd push to stay in if you don't feel comfortable going home. Sounds like they're really busy- mine were and I even offered to go to another hospital in the trust (more for my benefit than there's as it had a lot better mat ward but was 50 mins away!). X

Original poster

Charley678 · 16/06/2022 19:33

Thank you everyone for your thoughts, and I'm glad I'm not alone in worrying.

They did monitor baby this afternoon and have said they will do the same before bedtime tonight and then again in the morning but I think I'll explain later thus evening that the idea of going home and waiting until Monday morning is really quite stressful and see what they will do.

Whether that is induction sooner, monitoring over the weekend, or to keep me in until induction date.

Every time the baby stops moving for more than 20 minutes I'm getting worried 😟

OP posts:

henni85 · 16/06/2022 20:23

Mine went at 37 weeks and I had 24 hours for labour to start or they would induce due to infection risk. Labour started within 24h , and I was still put on the drip and told c section if baby not born by the 24 hour mark

Bramblecrumble21 · 16/06/2022 22:26

I'm surprised at this, due to the infection risk. In my NCT we talked of srom, although not premature, drs normally press for immediate induction or within 24 hours. And there's an argument for leaving in 48 hours, to allow labour to progress naturally, but not 4/5 days. I had a very similar experience as@Thejoyfulstar . My mum had simular experiences but 30 years ago they induced ineadatly, before contractions (for her anyway)

Bramblecrumble21 · 16/06/2022 22:44

Perhaps the timing of weekend is a factor (my waters broke Sunday evening). That would be my worry. Best case scenario, your contractions start over night without induction. That's fairly likely ( I was told in triage). Best of luck.

Anotherdayanotherdollar · 16/06/2022 22:49

My local hospital would start oral antibiotics and keep monitoring if preterm. Induce at 37 weeks.

pickledprincess · 16/06/2022 22:52

My waters went at 36+2, I was monitored overnight but as there was no sign of labour sent home with a course of antibiotics and a plan to induce me at 37 weeks exactly. They said the risk of bringing the baby earlier than 37 weeks was higher than just leaving him in! I ended up going into labour naturally 48 hours later.

Thack · 16/06/2022 22:54

I know it's not what you are asking, but wanted to pipe in that my 36+5 LO was totally healthy (I went into labour soon after waters broke). You're so close to full term, keep calm, you will both be OK.

Bells3032 · 16/06/2022 22:58

Mine went at 33+6 but no contractions
and was told they'd monitor me for 48-72 hours and then if baby not here by itself will send me home and induce at 37 weeks as the benefit to keeping baby in is more than the risk of infection.

I was worried if run out of fluid but apparently your body keeps making more. Mine were running virtually non stop for 40 hours until my contractions started suddenly and baby arrived 4 hours later. I was told if they keep running it's likely you'll go into labour naturally within a few days anyway. If the go and then stop it's less likely.

We got lucky and baby born at 34+1 was so healthy bar a minor infection and some jaundice. No time in nicu - a few days on ward with me and then home. She's a happy, healthy, albeit small 6 month old now

AnotherNC22 · 16/06/2022 23:01

My waters broke before contractions began at 37 + 5, so not as early as you. I was told if contractions didn't begin within 24hrs, i would be induced due to infection risk. I wasn't allowed to leave hospital (my BP was very high).

Absolutely zero sign of labour until contractions suddenly began after around 12hrs and DD was born around 12hrs later. But unfortunately she still picked up and infection and was in NICU / SCBU for two weeks. Obviously that isn't meant to scare you as it doesn't happen to everyone, but if they want to send you home, i would clearly ask about risk of infection vs benefit to baby of keeping them in a few more days. Then you can make an informed decision.

Good luck! Hope you get to meet the LO soon 💐

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 16/06/2022 23:03

My water broke at 35 weeks, I had 48 hours of iv antibiotics then went home, he was born 5 days later

With ds3 my waters broke at 32 weeks and again I had it antibiotics but had to stay in as I was at risk of cordprolapse he was also born a week after my waters broke.

They don't tend to keep you in after you've had anti bionics unless there's another risk factor

windowstothesoul · 16/06/2022 23:06

I thought guidance was if no Labour after 24hrs of waters then induction due to infection -

Would certainly question - and push on it - nice guidance may be worth looking up -

Depends where you are but some areas don't have capacity so push for week day I.e Monday -

Speak up if you don't feel comfortable-

Bells3032 · 16/06/2022 23:13

@windowstothesoul that only applies if you are full term (over 37 weeks). If before that they consider the benefits of keeping baby in is higher than the risk of infection if properly managed

windowstothesoul · 16/06/2022 23:32

Thanks @Bells3032 my last came at 37 weeks in 2019

so a bit out of date...

twoandcooplease · 17/06/2022 00:04

Mine broke at 36+2 8pm. I went into the hosp a 10pm after phoning the maternity unit. They kept me in observing me and baby until 10am in the morning and they sent me home for the day to relax and I went back at 10pm so it had been 24hr. They didn't want me to go past that and I wouldn't have wanted to be at home with the unknown

Probablymaybe19 · 17/06/2022 00:16

This happened with my third pregnancy. It was just after Xmas and they had no beds in the delivery suite so I was kept on the labour ward for 48 hours being monitored ever 4 hours as I had excess water. Finally a bed became available and I was taken down and induced, DS was born around 1: hours later. He was fine apart from slight jaundice which required no further treatment.

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