Qn about waters breaking

[kungfubecca]

Great question, I'm sleeping absolutley paranoid every night at the moment because we have a new house & I don't want to wreck anything!!

DS - I woke at 5am, looked at the clock, felt a pop feeling, checked between my legs, felt damp, grabed the towel I had on the floor (for just such a prupose) and went to the loo, used a mat pad, and every now & then had another gush. until around 8am, when bubs must have jamed his head in blocking the escape until his head came out, 'cause there was a lot of liquid beihnd him.

Glad to hear no one has exerienced stains.

I refuse to sleep on plastic, so instead have a folded up old doona that can be tossed into the machine, and the springs in my matress should be saved.

[Nelle]

With #1 my waters broke around transition I think.

With #2 my waters broke about 15min before my contractions began (and they began regularly), I was in bed and I felt quite a pop and felt water trickling, I told Dh to quick go get a towel, and I lifted myself up and onto the towel...must have sat up at some stage to put the towel between my legs and call the hospital and go to the loo....but none got on the bed. So a couple of towels might be all you need, although a mattress protector could be handy for if you have leaky breasts afterwards too.

[Fleur]

#1 was in the ambulance and they told me that they would have to throw all linen out and have the frameworks assessed as it can corrode metal??

Wow, that's tough stuff!

All mine were different.
DD1 - I had a hind-water leak but nothing else, they then broke at 5am in the morning & contrax started right after.
DS1 - I had been labouring for a few hours but nothing heavy, ie I was able to doze through my contrax, then I woke up when they intensified, waters broke & he arrived 2.5 hours later.
DS2 I had AROM.
DD2 they broke minutes before she was born, she was very high & didn't engage until very late in the game!

So all totally different.

The other thing to consider might be the car? I had plastic on the seats in case they broke on the way to hossy

[Carrie]

Thanks for your replies!
Right, so definatley seems like a random thing that I should be ready for!
When I had DS they broke with a huge gush, like a water balloon had dropped out. Hope that doesn't happen at home. So I should have a protector in the bed and car and some towels nearby towards the end it seems

[MummyTummy]

Mine broke when I rolled over in bed - POP! with a huge gush.... no trickling here! So some got on the matress and some on the carpet on the way to the loo, but we mopped it up with towels straight away and have had no problems with the matress or carpet or washing the towels!

As for corroding the framework in the ambo.... they must have been having you on surely? If it was that strong how can our bodies contain it..... Especially if it gets cleaned up and wiped down straight away.....

I think the main concerns are if there is meconium which I think is something that does ruin whatever it touches and that it does have a particular pungent smell which might linger in things that can't be washed easily.

[Cassius2]

Mine popped on the leather couch about 5 hours before established labour. i had a small but poweful gush, but managed to have it hold in the knickers (just like you shooting star lol!). i quickly grabbed the towel that had been my best friend for this kind of thing and ran to the bathroom...that's when it really started gushing...when i stood up.

i recommend sleeping with some towels beside you and maybe bringing them into the rooms where you spend the most amount of time (i also had some in the car from about 37 weeks onwards JIC); that way, if you do pop, you can quickly stop the flow until you get a pad on or sit on the toilet (like i did!).

also, when we drove to the hossy, i had to use 2-3 towels under me, as the gushing continued sporadically for hours.

HTH and goodluck with the impending arrival!!

[ShootingStar]

My waters had to be broken by the midwives when i was getting the urge to push with DS (#1). With DD (#2) they broke in the middle of the night at home. Not sure about anyone else, but i woke up after feeling a small trickle. Wondering if it was my waters or just discharge i decided to get up and go to the loo to make sure. When i got up then it came out alot faster and i ran to the toilet (lucky we had an ensuite). All of the waters were caught in my undies so i didnt have a problem with my matress or anything. I was sleeping on towels just incase though.

Best of luck.