What stage are you in if your waters have broken?

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I know this sounds stupid but last time with ds1 my waters broke and I went into labour instantly. I didnt have any contractions before my waters broke and the whole thing was 6 hours from start to finish. Is it only when you're fully dilated that they call it 2nd stage?. Sorry, really should look this up in my pregnancy reference tome but sitting here on mumsnet thought one of you experienced 2nd timers could just remind me. Am now 34 weeks and really bored. Almost wishing that it comes early - just so whalelike and uncomfortable.

my waters had to be broken by Midwife with both pregnancies a couple of hours before delivery.

Its difficult to tell. When my waters broke, I started have contractions and thought I was in labour. I went into the midwifery unit and after monitoring, i was told i was not in established labout and sent home.

I was booked for an induction (which has to be done within 72 hours of your waters breaking - due to risk of infection, etc). On the night before i was due to be induced, my contraction started up again. By the time i got into hospital i was 6cm dilated - because i was so worried i wasnt in labour i just kept suffering through the pain!

I was told that what sometimes happens it towards the end, the baby can kick or push and puncture the membrane, causing waters to break!!

With my first my waters broke but I didn't go into labour. We waited at home for a couple of days but nothing happened so I was eventually induced - this is quite unusual though. I think the statistic is something like 80% of women go into labour within 24 hours of waters breaking. With my second my waters broke during a contraction when I was about 7cm dilated.

Second stage, as I understand, is the pushing. You can have period of 'transition' between being fully dilated and the pushing contractions beginning.

Good luck. I remember that whale-like feeling very well - I was dying to be able to sleep on my back again!

When my waters broke I had no contractions at all for about 16 hours! Then fairly weak for the next few hours so they put me on a pitocin drip. Turns out the baby was breech and I had a section in the end anyway. My brother, who is a physician, maintains that ds "knew" he shouldn't be coming vaginally and so that was why labour never really progressed.

When my waters broke I was kept in hospital and told that the baby had to be delivered within 24 hours to reduce the risk of infection. Baby was actually born after 42 hours of waters breaking and she didn't have an infection.

That was 6 years ago, guidelines are changed all the time.

4 1/2yrs ago with my first my waters broke (with a gush) 13 days before my due date. Hadn't even had any braxton hick's never mind contractions. Was kept in hospital and was going to be induced the following day, still didn't have any contractions and actually ended up with (what I know consider an unnessecary) CS.

2nd time round my waters broke 6 days before due date, had had a few braxton's but nothing significant. This time it was only a trickle, rather than the gush, called the hospital and they said I should go in to check it was my waters - I did - but only with the assurance from them that they WOULDN'T keep me in. Got in and they monitored me for the afternoon and I did start having mild contractions - but it was false labour .

They sent me home (this was Sunday afternoon) and told me to come back on teh Wednesday when I was booked in for an induction - which is what happened. When I got there on the Wednesday by cervix hadn't even moved forward, nevermind started to dilate!

In the states they tend to follow the 24 hour guideline more than the 72 hour one. My section was done 36 hours later and I did have an infection afterwards. I had to be on two different IV antibiotics for 3 days. If I had it to do over again I would not have gone past the 24 hour mark.

The more people I talk to - its amazing isnt it how labours are all so completely different. I didnt have any braxton hicks or anything and when my waters broke contractions started pretty quickly. poor baby was very keen to come out!
Thanks for remembering what it was like Franke re not being able to get comfortable in bed I keep thinking of that cushion thing you can tie on in some maternity shops to give you an idea of the shape you'll be !! - the thing you can take off !! Thanks for all your replies. I will just have to wait and see what happens this time. Yes second stage must be the pushing regardless of when waters have broken. I think my brain is going. Just one more week at work!

The hospital were concerned with the baby getting an infection not me. They told me at the time that as the waters had gone, the baby would be open to infection.

help me please. my bladder is very weak and i have been waking up wetting myself. im not due until 21st january 2010. I want to know how you know if ur waters have broken

the baby could just be pressing on your bladder if your worried speak to midwife for some advise you may need to be examined

if it helps if i coughed sneezed or heaved i wet myself near on time maybe weeks before ds was born he was just putting a lot of pressure on my bladder