Waters broken

[Snowy Love]

Ok, so my waters broke before labour started last time too, but I went straight to the hospital then & I'm staying at home for the moment.

My non-interventionist Ob is away this week, just my luck, so I'll have to deal with an Ob I've never met if I go to hospital before Monday (unless she's rostered on the weekend).

Can the leak repair itself - it started with a trickle this morning and is more than a trickle now - filling a pad in about an hour.

Last time I started contractions about 14hrs after waters broke and was in active labour about 6hrs after that. Is this likely to be a simmilar situation?

Last time the Ob (different to my non-interventionist one) wanted to induce me 24hrs after my waters broke, is this standard/ necessary?

Should I be doing anything to minimise fluid loss - I seem to gush a bit if I stand up & walk?

Thats all my questions for the time being. Thanks!

[Lulu]

Wow! Awesome.

I don't think you can do anything to slow the gush. It's hard to say if it will be the same as last time, I'd guess maybe shorter but I'm sure your body will let you know.

Time for those last minute jobs maybe? Bag fully packed?

xoxoxo

[Ozstar]

Oh how exciting. Sorry I cant really answer any of your questions though, perhaps just call the hospital and ask. All the best for a great labour.

[Indadhanu]

If you aren't contracting all you can do is REST REST REST.

I also went to thehospital after my waters broke at midnight, they did an internal exam, and then told me that since my waters HAD broken and that they'd given me the exam they needed me to be hooked up to an IV because of risk of infection (a risk only put there because they did the exam!!!!!!!). I was kept in that night, sent home the next morning because the contractions were irregular and was told that if I wasn't labouring at the hospital by 8am the next morning to come in for the drip and to start antibiotics.

I assume you're 37w+ or 'full term'? So my advice is to stay home while your waters a clear/pinkish and you aren't contracting, especially if it is 'just' a trickle. Maybe give them a call tomorrow morning and say, oh yeah my waters are trickling but its all good they're clear and I'm not contracting or need to be in hospital yet.

[Snowy Love]

Oh, forgot to mention I called the hossie & they are happy for me to stay home & call them tomorrow.

Yep bags packed & in the car - we're packing ready to move (in a week and a half) so I put them in the car to get them out of the way.

Thanks ladies.

[blackduckies]

Hi I'm not liking your chances of it stopping, especially when it is already getting heavier, looks like you will be meeting this other OB. Usually you go to hospital when your waters break because of the risk of infection...if you go they don't normally let you go home. There is a test they do, for (could be wrong for a virus CMV) if you have had it in the past you are risk of the baby getting infected if you don't get the antiboiotics within 6 hours of your waters breaking (I stand corrected) my oldest DD got the infection and was in hospital for 2 weeks quite sick and they had lots of trouble regulating her temp and she had to have the antibiotics. Stay home for a while but take care!!!
Wishing you all the best enjoy your labour.

[Trillian]

I think this is it hun I know with my last bub, I was really gushing for ages - and I mean I was waddling around with a towel between my legs all rolled up to try to stop it and it only slowed once he'd moved down far enough to kinda plug it up kwim?

[MummyTummy]

Once your waters have broken they do like to give you 48 hours max.... make sure that you don't have a bath, and try to refuse the internal exam while you aren't contracting. And don't stick anything up there - all are increasing the risk of infection. You don't have the bacteria G something or other do you? (I can never remember the name of it!!) If you do then they will want you to get the baby out!!

If you really don't want to be induced and pushed to have this baby within the timelimit just stand your ground. Agree to daily monitoring (with no IE) but nothing more. Of course they will try to convince you that you are putting the baby at risk, but as long as you are staying clean that isn't necessarily so. Stay home as long as you possibly can.

As for the gush - nothing you can do about it. Your waters are constantly replenishing (even when you aren't leaking) so while your waters remain broken and the baby remains unborn you will get lots of gushes. Your face hands and feet are likely to fill up with all the excess fluid too but there is no harm in all of this. Just uncomfortable! I remember it all so well....

Goodluck with it all, I really hope you get to see your Ob or that the one you do see is equally non-interventionist! I can't wait to hear the result... so exciting!

[Cassius2]

i'd be staying at home for as long as I was comfortable ITMS. with DD my waters broke, rang the hossy, they told me to come in...private and high intervention rate...and didnt let me go home. didnt have contractions until about 5 hours after arrival. it was not pretty being in labour on your own with them refusing to call DH (because of insurance issues of having an extra person in your room at night (???!!!)).

IMO, if all is well with you and as long as you dont have IE or a bath etc then i would be staying at home. the ideal would be to wait until you are in established labour just so there is less risk of intervention and labouring to a 'time limit'.

good luck, look forward to the BA!

[Snowy Love]

DS is not letting me rest - if I lie down he jumps on me! I've asked DH to come home so he can deal with him.

Getting gushes now (that towel idea is sounding good to me Trillian) & vague BH. I wish labour'd hurry up, I'm sick of being damp!

[Lulu]

I don't think you will go past the (stupid) time limit hun. GREAT idea getting DH home, then you can start to get in the zone and that will help heaps.

[Trillian]

Good idea to get him home - the state of things can change quickly and you dont' want to be dealing with this and DS on your own. What I also found worked really well was just sitting on the loo when I wanted a rest from walking - no mess and it helped him moved down a little further too.

And another thing too, just pay attention to the colour of your waters, if they start to get discoloured at all then bubs may have passed a little meconium, now that's nothing to worry about, but it's just worth paying attention to and mention it to the hospital if you have to call them again.

[Cassius2]

Good idea to get him home - the state of things can change quickly and you dont' want to be dealing with this and DS on your own. What I also found worked really well was just sitting on the loo when I wanted a rest from walking - no mess and it helped him moved down a little further too.

the sitting on the toilet was my repose too...and having towels wrapped around me also helped when i was doing last minute panic packing LOL!

[*suz1*]

Hi Snowy,

Good luck, I hope this is it for you. My waters broke before contractions with DS, but only a few hours before. When I lay down, because he was breech he'd move away from the cervix and my waters would pool up, then I'd get a big gush when I stood up. I didn't know that the waters could be replenished or that bub could plug the tear. My midwife told me if my waters break this time to keep my fluids up so they can replenish. And like others have said, so long as there's no meconium in the water and you didn't test positive for Group B Strep, then you don't need to leave home yet.

Hope it all goes well and you're holding your new baby soon

[Miss E]

First of all Good Luck! Sounds like things are moving...

Just so you know, my waters also started leaking and my OB knew how much I wanted to have a natural labour so he gave me 96 hours to go into labour naturally before I was induced. I was put straight on AB's to prevent infection, had to check my temp every 4 hours and go in for monitoring each day.

If I was in your position I'd probably try and get some AB's, go to the hossy and get bubs heartbeat and yourself checked and then if everything was okay fight tooth and nail to be given a reasonable amount of time.

Good luck, sounds like you're going to be cuddling your bubba very soon!

[Early Kids]

How exciting

I personally would be going to hospital, but only due to my history... My waters broke at 28 weeks and they kept me pregnant for two weeks, I had constant monitoring for infections as that is your biggest risk. Unfortunately they werent keeping a close enough eye on me and Brendan was born with an infection, on top of being premature it wasnt a nice first 3 weeks of life.

All the best!! I hope to be reading your BA tomorrow!!

[skybie]

hi snowy, how exciting!!!
just wanted to let u know my water broke at 35 weeks and they were happy to let me go till 38 weeks on AB's and with regular testing for infection.
ur sack wont fix itself and baby will keep making fluids so the leaking wont stop till baby is born. also what trillian said, once babies head is down enough it will cover the exit!
and dnt have a bath either unless ur in labour, it can cause infection
Good luck

[Snowy Love]

Thanks ladies, I'm still at home, but I think labour is beginning. Going to have a shower now to see if that calms the contractions. Got Mum up to look after DS so might give the hospital a ring after the shower. Not looking forward to the half hour drive.

I didn't get tested for GBS, so I expect they'll put a canula in for AB's. Better let me in the bath though, I've been looking forward to it for 3 years!