If your water didn't break...

[camprunner]

Did you feel pressure to push?

Did it hurt worse than it did when your water did break?

My water broke as labor started the first time and my labor and birth were great. My water did not break until the midwife had to break it right before baby crowned the second time. There was no urge to push and labor hurt worse. Is this typical? Trying to figure out if I should take less vitamin C this time.

[syd'smom]

For ds, his head came out in the caul, and the bag broke as he came out. I had major urges to push - no problems with that. Labout was less than 4 hours long, and less than 20min pushing.

[broodymama]

I had AROM with DS1. With my other 3, my water broke right as they were crowning. Pushing stage was very short (7 minutes, ~3 minutes and finally just 1 big contraction with DS2), with my body just ejecting the baby when it was ready.

[cappuccinosmom]

With the last two, my water did not break until I was well into pushing. One of the births hurt like crazy, one didn't. With both there was a definite urge to push.

[SubliminalDarkness]

DS1, OB broke water early on.
DS2, water didn't break until his shoulders were coming out.

Both times had an urge to push. DS1 was w/epidural, DS2 was without so I can't really compare, but I wouldn't say the pain with DS2 was overwhelming or anything. I actually expected a lot worse.

[JessieBird]

Water broke just as I was getting the urge to push at 9.5 cm or so - I think it broke on my third push. I definitely felt the urge, probably a little too soon. Labour was very long but very comfortable and mostly painless before and after water breaking - hypnobabies might have helped out with that. Water breaking felt good at that moment (big dramatic explosion on the toilet) but didn't really increase the intensity of my contractions or the urge to push.

[kitkat5505]

With my last one my water didn't break until I'd been pushing a while and I definitely had a strong urge to push, and it hurt a ton more after my water broke.

[MegBoz]

I felt LOTS of pressure to push even though my BOW was in tact! I was able to fight the urge, but only just! I gave in & pushed along with my body a bit at the apex of some ctrx. (I had to fight the urge for a full 30 min because we were still at home & I was planning a hospital birth! Didn't expect stage 1 to go that fast.)

Once we got to the hospital, got into an L&D room, the MW checked to confirm I was 10 cm (my request, before I knew better) & I finally pushed with the next ctrx, then it broke immediately.

[MiaMama]

Most recent birth, my water did not break. The MW finally got through it AFTER DD's entire head was born, as she was rotating to get her shoulders out.

Urge to push? I had an urge to NOT push, but my uterus wouldn't listen to my puny brain at that point. Instead of contractions that I pushed with (like in DD1's birth) I had one giant non-stop contraction (20-30 min pushing stage). I was trying as hard as I could to relax and not bear down, but any time my concentration was interrupted, my body pushed like crazy.

It was much much more intense than DD1's pushing stage with waters broken, and if there is a next time, I might ask for AROM at the start of pushing if we are still intact at that point.

ETA: That makes it sound painful, but it wasn't really. It was intense, and I felt like I was a bit out of control. I couldn't do anything except hang on tight to my husband's legs, but I wouldn't describe the sensation as pain.

[babyjelly]

I've had AROM with all of my births, at 5cm with the first two. I requested it during my third birth as I was pushing- I had a definite urge to push, but pushing didn't feel right until the sac was gone.
That birth was my most painful, but I attribute it to his poor position (OP throughout labor, with a nuchal hand for the birth) and the fact that he was my biggest baby, not the lack of membrane release.
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[Mamato3wild ponnie]

My 4th baby, a home water birth....the bag of water was still intact when the baby's head came out...he was born in the caul. I felt an enormous urge to push and i reached down to feel what was coming out and it was the bag of waters bulging....i remember the urge to push was so strong that I couldnt do anything but push....then i felt a little bit of relief..I thought that the bag of water had broke...because i did feel a little relief...but actually it was the baby's head that had came out. And I remember saying....."if that was only my water breaking...i cant imagine how painful his head is going to be"....but my midwife quickley told me that the baby's head was out. So i was confused....i thought that my water had broke...when in reality the baby's head was out.

[pumpkinhead]

I didn't have any water left to break with ds1. I had what I think was a slow leak and was induced at 42 weeks + 5 days. When they tried to break my water, there was really nothing there.

With ds2, I didn't have the urge to push until my water broke and it didn't break until I was completely dilated. I had one mondo ctx, at the peak my water broke, baby very quickly descended and I immediately had to push.

[MaerynPearl]

DD2 (just had her not even two days ago) My water did not break until just before she was born. It literally exploded all over the midwife (LOL... thank goodness she was expecting it) but before/after there was NO difference except that suddenly my bottom was soaked and I was trying to apologize in between my focusing, though the midwife kept laughing and telling me it was okay. Baby was born just a couple pushes later!

[skyblufig]

ds1 -- AROM, much more painful labor pain after they did the AROM, yes urge to push (back labor)

dd -- yes urge to push, born in the caul, much less painful than 1st time (even though back labor again)

ds2 -- yes urge to push, also born in the caul, most painful of the 3 births (even though *not* back labor -- go figure)