Waters broke, contractions started and now stopped?

[Sid2024]

My waters broke yesterday evening 5pm at 36 weeks and 1 day, I was admitted to the ward last night (which is so hard to sleep on!) and need to be here for 3 days so they can monitor me. It seemed like my contractions were starting yesterday evening and they continued through the night and got stronger, I was having at least 2-3 an hour but this morning they seem to have stopped and I haven't felt one for a few hours now. Is this normal? Anyone else had experience with contractions starting and stopping? How long after your waters broke did you go into labour? They have also said because I'm 5 days away from full term, if labour stopped they will let me go home after 3 days and induce me at 37 weeks - I didn't realise labour could stop? This is my first child

Mine also went a week early. I had sporadic contractions - sometimes regular for the next week, until I had a c section..! They did keep me in the whole time though - I was on the monitor 2 or 3 times a day and on antibiotics. I’d managed to get to 2-3 cm (they checked in theatre) but never made it to active labour. I suspect perhaps I would have if given another day or so.

I hope things are quicker for you because I found it very tedious and frustrating. Also because I had a toddler at home I was away from.

My waters broke with my first a couple of days before his due date. They took me in 24 hours later and induced me as contractions had also stopped. In hindsight I should have spent the day walking and moving to get things going but I was too uncomfortable and didn't have that knowledge!

I thought there was a risk of infection if waters have broken and contractions stopped but maybe because of your dates they want to keep baby in a bit longer.

It is a long, drawn out process. My baby arrived two days after my water broke and I was beyond exhausted as I was awake for most of that time. Try to rest while you can too.

There is a risk of infection but I'm on antibiotics preemptively so that any infection is kept at bay!

Ah okay so you went in for a c section a week after your waters broke, and they kept you in for the whole week? Seems so long! I will have been here 48 hours - How many weeks were you when your waters broke? Did they recommend an induction or did you choose to wait for the c section?

I will have to come back tomorrow but I asked to go home since all the tests are normal and they said they weren't too worried

I was 36+1 when they went. I’d had a scan the day before where she had been breech. I’d been booked for a c section anyway because of complications with my first birth, but obviously the breech then confirmed that decision. I was taken in as an emergency once they confirmed waters gone, but then they realised she’d actually turned so they decided to see if I would get to 37 weeks. I’m not too sure why I was kept in all week - she had been moving about a bit so perhaps they were worried she’d turn again (she’d been almost transverse at one point). I got to 37 weeks but then had to wait for theatre space to line up with NICU availability. Because we were stable, we weren’t a high priority but they also wouldn’t operate without a NICU bed just in case. I asked about having an induction but the doctor said they would still want NICU space and she was worried about baby becoming stressed (I think this is related to my first birth, so not something you need to worry about!).

Did you have any symptoms before your waters broke?

Not sure about OP, but I had no symptoms @Friedseasalt except that she’d been in very uncomfortable positions breech/transverse the previous few days. I started getting some contractions about 20 hours after they broke.

Mine went on a Weds morning and DC arrived late Saturday afternoon just after they’d cleared me to go home for a few days! It was in December and at one point there was talk of me waiting til after Christmas so a few days didn’t seem too bad. Good luck!