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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

How does the waters part work with labour?

56 replies

highheavenn · 09/06/2023 14:15

With both my children:

First baby I was induced but my waters broke naturally not long after.

Second baby his waters broke early at 37 +4 weeks due to a E.coli infection.

I'm seeing people on TikTok live who are waiting for their waters to be broken by the midwives. They have to do this on the birth unit.

I thought labour could take a while after waters break? My first contractions started shortly after and my second the contractions started maybe 4/5 hours after!

Confused as I see people saying there baby was born 10 minutes after there waters broke (by midwives) or some people say a hour. How does your body get to 10cm that quick it's confusing x

OP posts:
DelurkingAJ · 09/06/2023 15:29

DS1 they broke my waters when labour slowed (but I was in active labour). DS2 they went during the last 10 minutes or so.

LionessSky · 09/06/2023 15:37

With my first baby I was induced because my waters broke and 24hr later labour hadn’t even started.
Second baby was born in her sack (en caul) so two totally different scenarios.

I think the midwives break your waters to help you progress as sometimes the cushion of water can stop the babies head pressing down and opening your cervix.

ArthnoldManacatsaman · 09/06/2023 15:39

Highlyflavouredgravy · 09/06/2023 14:32

My waters didn't break until i was pushing my babies out. The longer they stay in the water, the safer they are.

Same here, both times the midwife was on the point of bursting them for me when they did it spontaneously. I was momentarily a bit disappointed the second time as someone mentioned she might be born with the membrane intact which I would have loved to see

weegiemum · 09/06/2023 15:40

With dd1 mine were broken for me when they put the drip up (I'd gone into labour on my own but dd1 was back to back so it was a long slow process)

With ds they popped as I was getting into bed and he was born at 8am. Contractions started within minutes. I did go 5-10 cm in under 5 mins though, it can happen very fast!

With dd2 I was induced with apessary but waters nor broken. Labour was 12 hours, and they went on the second last push, right in the face of the junior doctor who was taking a look!! Poor lady missed the birth, she was soaked!!!

Plankingplanks · 09/06/2023 15:43

With my 3rd my waters spectacularly exploded as I sat down to pee about 4 minutes before he was born. I was locked in the toilet in the triage area and along with the waters came his head.... People in the waiting room heard them splash (they hit the toilet water and it all flew up around me). Staff had to open the door from the outside and they wheeled me into delivery suite half laying round the wrong way in a wheel chair whilst telling me not to push as they didn't want him born in the corridor! I never even made it onto the bed!! 🤣

With 1st they broke them about an hour from the end of labour and it was much less exciting. 2nd was a Section so I know nothing!!

CrispAppleStrudels · 09/06/2023 15:46

Haven't RTFT, but my waters broke with a big gush one morning at 37.5w. Waddled off to hospital to be checked and was admitted to be kept overnight and induced if labour hadnt started within 24hrs. Contractions started at 10pm that night but by 11am the next morning was 10cm dilated but no urge to push. At all. Midwife did an exam and it turned out the hindwaters had broken but the forewaters were still intact and blocking baby's head from proceeding down the birth canal. Midwife popped my waters and the urge to push was instantaneous, with DD born in literally 3 pushes.

BurningBenches · 09/06/2023 16:33

My eldest my waters broken during induced labour at 42wks and she was born 13hrs later. I was put on the drip etc to keep things going.

2nd and only non induced, my waters broke about 14hrs after my first mild contraction, I had just arrived in hospital and they went. She was born 6hrs later.

DC 3 and 5 were induced at 42wks and 41wks respectively. Both times I was dilated to 2-3CM but not gone into labour. Both girls were then born 2hrs after that. I had no break between contractions so thank goodness it was quick!

Dc4 was induced due to large size at 40wks, again 2-3Cm. Nothing happened at all so ended up on a drip with him.

So for me waters breaking only worked when I was overdue.

Lovemusic33 · 09/06/2023 16:34

Had to have mine broke both times once fully dilated.

TheShellBeach · 09/06/2023 16:41

The waters regenerate. There is no such thing as a dry labor.
Mine broke at home at 41 weeks and DS was born a fortnight later.

HippyChickMama · 09/06/2023 16:49

With dc1 my waters broke spontaneously in hospital about 18 hours in (36 hour labour), I had polyhydraminos and it was very dramatic, I was literally paddling ankle deep in it. With dc 2, I asked the midwife to break my waters at 10cm just before pushing because they were bulging with each contraction and it was uncomfortable. It was much less fluid that time, I barely noticed it, she was born about 45 minutes later

Nursemumma92 · 09/06/2023 21:49

With DD1 my waters broke before I had any contractions but not a big gush just continual trickling for the next 36 hours before she was born. The contractions were so painful towards the end with no water left.
With DD2 they broke when I was fully dilated and 'pushing' although I wasn't really pushing, my body just totally took over.

Blessedbethefruitz · 09/06/2023 22:05

I thought my waters were trickling (as did they with my pads). But then they exploded as baby girl crowned (she was a vbac so was all new to me...). Felt much better after that 😅 The floor did not look good though!

Mynotsoperfectlittlefamily · 09/06/2023 22:06

DC1 - En Caul
DC2 - Waters Broke in a car park was induced with syntocinon a few hours later was in labour 2 hours.
DC3 - Midwife broke my waters at 6cm and he was born 20 mins later.

annlee3817 · 09/06/2023 22:16

With my first my waters started to go and contractions started within thirty mins, straight away 2-3 mins apart. When they finally went completely just after I was examined and told I was 5cm, one hour later I was fully dilated.

With my second my waters were broken as part of the induction, I had the syntocin drip to bring on contractions straight away, DD was born five hours after waters breaking, but this time i went from 3cm to fully dilated in five mins, so that part can happen quickly.

DelilahBucket · 09/06/2023 22:26

My waters were broken by a midwife. I'd been in natural labour for two days at that point. I gave birth four hours later. I was at 3cm when my waters were broken and I was pushing for over an hour. Labour really came on thick and fast after they were broken. It caught me by surprise.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 09/06/2023 22:31

Both my labours started by my waters breaking and contractions starting straight away after that.

PracticallyFlooredZero · 09/06/2023 22:36

DS1 - waters were broken by midwife during induction. Took ages to dilate and he was born about 24 hours later.

DS2 - waters were broken by midwife due to him being very overdue and reduced movement all of a sudden. They did a sweep and found I was already 4 cm dilated so broke my waters to start off labour. He was born 90 mins later!! Went from 0-100 as soon as the waters were broken. Kind of blows my mind how quick that happened.

DD - waters broke by themselves at home. Literally thought I’d peed myself as they’d never broken by themselves before! She was born about 8 hours later. They checked on me about 1 hour before she was born though and said I was still 0cm dilated (fml 😂) but then went from that to her being out within an hour!

pinkberet · 09/06/2023 22:41

Dc1 waters went as they came out. Dc2 born in the sac. Dc3 just before they came out

Utterlypeanuterly · 09/06/2023 22:44

Highlyflavouredgravy · 09/06/2023 14:32

My waters didn't break until i was pushing my babies out. The longer they stay in the water, the safer they are.

I was the same on my two. As dd1 was being born I remember the midwife saying 'look at all the lovely clean waters'.

Leapintothelightning · 09/06/2023 22:44

DD1 - waters broke naturally, gave birth 16 hours later.
DD2 - was 2cm for 4 days, finally got to 3cm and got my waters broken by midwife, gave birth 5 hours later I think it was

MamaDollyorJesus · 09/06/2023 22:45

DD1 the midwife broke my water when I was ready to push

DD2 waters broke while I was pushing (she was a precipitous labour so no time for anything else) and it's the only time in her 21 years she's ever been in a hurry

DS felt like I needed a wee, would go to toilet & nothing but when I wiped it was a little pinky liquid, this continued until I got to hospital & they broke them fully in anticipation of another quick labour but he took 7.5 hours to arrive

libraryquery · 09/06/2023 22:48

With DC1 my waters broke a couple of hours into my induction. DC was born 9-10 hours later.
With DC2, my waters only went a couple of contractions before they were actually born. I got to 9+cm with them intact.

Bookendortwo · 09/06/2023 22:56

Dc1 waters broke spontaneously 12 hours before delivery.
Dc2 induced and waters broke once in active Labour.
Dc3 was born in waters.
All very different.

Tiredmum100 · 09/06/2023 23:11

BIWI · 09/06/2023 14:22

@highheavenn that's true - but as they went at 36 weeks, the consultant said that as long as there was no sign of infection, it was better for the baby to remain inside, as this is the last stage of maturation of the lungs. So I was in hospital for ten very long and boring days!

My waters broke at 34 weeks (11 years ago). My son was born at 36 weeks. They sent me home after about 2 days. Just curious why they kept you in? I wonder if it depends on the NHS trust? I had to go to the hospital every other day to be monitored.

BIWI · 10/06/2023 07:30

@Tiredmum100 this was 31 years ago (how on earth did that happen? Shock!) so practices were, presumably, different then? I would actually have been much safer at home I think, given the state of the toilet and bathroom facilities in the hospital.

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