need labor to start

[jerusha070707]

so i am currently over 41 wks and my water broke day before yesterday. everything is alright with me and baby but i'm needing labor to go a head and start. anyone have any tips?

[lemonapple]

Any contractions yet? Other signs of labor?

You could try walking, lunges, walking stairs...make sure to stay hydrated and rested!

[zoebird]

I agree with staying hydrated.

Be sure to get any help you feel you need at any time you feel you need it. :)

I hope you are already in labor! :D Have a great birth!

[labortrials]

No advice to offer, but just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you and hoping everything is going beautifully!  Looking forward to reading a birth announcement!! =)

[homemademomma]

I hope you already had your baby! If not, do you have a midwife you can call? She could check on you and the baby and give you some tips... otherwise maybe you need to go to the hospital. Even if baby's heartbeat seems fine and you don't have a temp, it is hard to get a good sense of how the baby is doing unless you are well trained in monitoring and interpreting fetal heart rate patterns.

Good luck! 

[sunshinemoma]

Thinking of you and your special baby 

[sharita]

I had the same thing happen and recently read a thread where a mama went 72 hours with ruptured membranes before birthing.  Mine was 36 hours.  I tried nipple stimulation, walking, pelvic tilts (my midwife thought my delay was due to malposition since he was posterior).  Ultimately, I was laying on the bed, relaxing, playing little big planet on the ps3 with my 8 yr old when the contractions just started full force with no warning 36 hours after I woke with my water broken. 

Just relax, keep monitoring your temp and baby's movements, do your kick counts (though my baby was a little more quiet as I think he was resting up for labor), keep anything out of vagina (no sex or exams) and stay really hydrated.  Your amniotic fluid will constantly replenish itself if you keep drinking.  I had to wear an adult diaper for those 36 hours because it kept gushing every time I stood.

Was yours a complete rupture or just a trickle or maybe a hind leak that could have resealed or did you have the big gush?

Either way, good luck, trust your body, there is no rush unless you develope a fever or baby shows signs of distress.

[jerusha070707]

it has been more of a trickle. i do continue to leak. maybe a few small gushes but nothing big. once a day or so i get into a good contraction pattern then after a few hours i lose the pattern. i do continue to have contractions here and there the rest of the time. baby is doing fine. I have tried walking, birth ball, nipple stimulation, showers/ bath and rest.

[Ms. B. Sprout]

Maybe try some of the spinningbabies labor techniques? I'm thinking about you and sending you good labor vibes!

[elevena true]

there are certainly herbs to try: blue and black cohosh in particular. i have found that having a good cry (maybe set aside some time to watch a real tear jerker), as well as eating some super spicy food can really get things going. this is in my own personal experience, but they are also "gems" that other mamas have found to work for them.

i agree that it could be baby not in a good position. there are often forewaters that break, followed by hind waters, but i would definitely be aware of how much time my waters had been leaking/ how baby was doing/ my feelings/ talk to a midwife friend/ and be prepared in any case. try to move that baby down!

[homemademomma]

Originally Posted by sharita 

Either way, good luck, trust your body, there is no rush unless you develope a fever or baby shows signs of distress.

Babies do not always show obvious signs of distress. 

I am not anti-UC by any means, but when labor/birth falls outside normal limits, it is a good idea to get things checked out by a MW or OB. 

[turnquia]

Originally Posted by jerusha070707 

so i am currently over 41 wks and my water broke day before yesterday. everything is alright with me and baby but i'm needing labor to go a head and start. anyone have any tips?

Good luck in your labor and birth and I hope you are already snuggling your little one now.  My tip would be to seek someone midwife of any kind or a doctor for advice on where to go from here.   They can advise you safely to your specific situation and health history.   I wish you nothing the best and the birth of your dreams, but seeking medical advice should be left to in person not over the internet. 

[major_mama11]

Originally Posted by homemademomma 

Babies do not always show obvious signs of distress. 

I am not anti-UC by any means, but when labor/birth falls outside normal limits, it is a good idea to get things checked out by a MW or OB. 

Please don't hesitate to get checked out... going on three days is a long time to be leaking fluid, and risk of infection increases with time. Best wishes for a healthy birth!
 

[hermes]

If your water has broken w/ no labor I would avoid taking a bath hun.  Hope you have a beautiful baby in your arms now! xox

[sharita]

Originally Posted by homemademomma 

Babies do not always show obvious signs of distress. 

I am not anti-UC by any means, but when labor/birth falls outside normal limits, it is a good idea to get things checked out by a MW or OB. 

True.  I was under midwife care when I had my PROM so though she never came to check me those 36 hours, we stayed in constant contact and I kept her updated, she only came when labor started. 

Hope labor started for you and your holding your baby now!!!

[MJB]

I had two UCs, and with my last one, my water was broken for 24 hours before I induced with castor oil. If that had failed I would have gone into the hospital, but it worked and I had a healthy baby in my arms a few hours later. 

4+ days with water broken is a long time. Do you know your GBS status? I would be doing everything it took to get that baby out, including getting medical help if needed. 

[ElizabethE]

When contractions come and go like that-- having a pattern, then disappearing-- is that something that would worry any of you UC moms? Particularly after the water has broken, I mean.

[homemademomma]

Originally Posted by ElizabethE 

When contractions come and go like that-- having a pattern, then disappearing-- is that something that would worry any of you UC moms? Particularly after the water has broken, I mean.

Yes, it is worrisome. It is not necessarily indicative of a problem, but it could mean that baby is malpositioned, the cord is too short, or that there is true CPD.  If the baby is malpositioned, he or she could very possibly wiggle into a better position. However, if I was in this situation, I would want a MW to come and listen to baby though a few contractions to see what the HR is doing.  If my water was broken and I was full term, research shows that it is significantly safer for the baby to be born within 72 hours. Of course, the risk of infection is greatly reduced by staying home and avoiding vaginal exams... but still, you have to find a balance.

Chorioamnionitis is nothing to fool around with. The problem is, the first signs of chorio could be nothing more than a decrease in fetal heart rate variability (not necessarily decels or bradycardia), which is extremely difficult to pick up with a doppler or fetoscope unless you are very experienced in FHR patterns. If you have a great MW, she should be able to detect variability. However a NST is really the best way to really see how baby is handling things.

Originally Posted by sharita 

True.  I was under midwife care when I had my PROM so though she never came to check me those 36 hours, we stayed in constant contact and I kept her updated, she only came when labor started. 

Hope labor started for you and your holding your baby now!!!

Honestly, she really should have come to check on you. 
 

[jerusha070707]

update-Labor started 4 days after my water broke. 7 hr labor and 20 min of pushing and I got my little girl. Completely successful UBAC. Thank you all for your replies. I'll try to post my birth story soon.

[ursusarctos]

Congratulations!