Waters and shows - a few questions

[sallycinamon]

Hi

I doubt whether there are right answers to these questions but was just wondering as due in next few days...!

How soon can you expect to go into labour after your waters go?

Does a show precede every labour or do some women not have one at all?

Does a show occur before or after waters going?

How long after a show can you expect to go into labour?

Thanks!

You can have a show in the hours leading up to your labour starting. Some women have their waters break and things move quickly. Some women have their waters break and nothing happens for hours (My mum and me!). If your waters do go and labour doesn't follow on within 24 hours, the hospital will normally want to induce you to get things going as this reduces the chance of infection. (Do call the midwife if your waters break tho') You may have a show, go into labour for hours and then have to have your waters broken!! (Me). There are a lot of variances but usually the show is the first thing to appear (sometimes followed by a runny bum!) and it usually means labour is starting at some point soon. Good luck if you are in any of these positions!!

I didn't have a show or waters breaking for either of my first two.

Had a slight show with this one a week ago and no labour yet. Everyone is different!

Blimey! (shock)

I don't know why my smiley faces don't come up when I out them in brackets?! Is that another thread?

I had a show 2 weeks before I had DD3 and several shows from 21 weeks with DD4.

My waters did bot break with any until I was in labour, in fact DD4 came 4 weeks ago with them intact until her head was out.

With DS, my waters broke and labour started about 12 hours later. Didn't have a show.

With DD, had a show about a week before she was born. My waters were broken some time during labour.

With your smileys, you need to use square brackets

I had a show after a couple of mild contractions, waters went as I went downstairs, baby in my arms shortly after.

I think the easy answer is that waters and shows mean nothing

Oooh! I didn't think I had them on my laptop, but i just found them testing testing 123

Hurray! Thanks.

Lol slick

Agree with the others - these are how long are a piece of string questions!

My waters broke only when I was going into third stage of labour (ie about to push). Had a show a few hours before my waters broke with first labour, no show at all with second labour. Don't worry, just be prepared to go with what happens - anxiety over uncertainty is normal but just how it is with giving birth I'm afraid!

85% of women go into labour within 24 hours of waters breaking. They may offer to induce you after 24 hours but the NICE guidelines say that you can wait up to 96 hours if you really don't want to be induced - and the baby makes new water all the time so it's not dangerous to wait.

Can you tell I went to my first ante-natal class yestersay?

Oh and some women have several shows, it can happen weeks before you go into labour and does the baby no harm if it comes away early.

Thanks everyone!

One more question - how soon after a sweep can you expect to go into labour?

As far as I know, if it is going to work at all it will work any time from immediately (unlikely) to up to 48 hours. Usually somewhere after about 12 hours I think.

Just to add - it's not always obvious that your waters have broken. I'd had a show on the Friday night, another on the Sunday, and then more of it (or so I thought) on the Monday night. Turns out there was meconium in the water and that's what I'd seen on the Monday (so basically the waters don't necessary 'gush' out iykwim!)