How long between membrane rupture and labor?

[New Mommy SACca]

Becoming a mother has opened a door to a whole new world for me... only I'm a little lost right now... Does anyone know how long between membrane rupture and labor (usually)? Any insights are welcome

[katelove]

The majority of women will rupture their membranes during labour. Of those who have premature ROM (membranes rupturing before labour) the majority, I think 80% but I'd need to check the exact figure, will go into labour within 24 hours.

[BroodyWoodsgal]

With my first (DD) - my water broke at 3 in the afternoon. Noooothinnngggg happened for exactly 30 hours...I was losing my mind....gushing fluid....not experiencing so much as a twinge in my uterus...then I had a contraction that was really intense out of nowhere and I was like "Wow, cool!" - and almost exactly 1.5 hours later I was holding a baby girl!

With my second (DS) - my water broke very very early in the morning. Noooooothinnnnggg happened for exactly 28 hours..I was NOT losing my mind because I was expecting that...we hiked, we walked, we ate, I buzzed around cleaning...suddenly I was flying to the toilet to "make business" in the toilet and a trash can at the same time...that was at 9am...at 10:37am I was holding a baby boy!


My mother had four babies. All four babies - her water broke, between 24 and 35 hours later she had a 90 minute labor and delivered a healthy baby.

I'm excited to see how things happen for me this time. I'm open to something new...but my 90 minute births, while intense, have been a blast. Actually, really, almost literally a blast! My body spits my kids out, just like my mother. My mom had four kids and never pushed once. I've had two and didn't push a single time. It's like my water breaking starts the timer...and about 30 hours after it happens, somewhere in my body, a little fairy pushes the "eject" button or something. HAhaha. The "cannon ball baby" tearing hasn't been awesome, but hey, that's birth!

[alegna]

My water has always ruptured late in labor- while pushing.  

[pammysue]

With DS1 my midwife broke my bag during pushing. I had a cervical lip and was having a hard time pushing so she offered and I agreed.

With DS2 it broke on its own while pushing.

[liberal_chick]

I had pPROM with ds1.  My water broke at 20 weeks and the medical staff told me that I had an 80% chance of going into labor within 48 hours and a 90% (or some super high number) of going into labor within a week.  Never happened.  I actually never went into labor, but my membranes never healed, and I had a small placental abruption that caused them to go ahead and perform a c/s at 30 weeks.

With ds2, my water broke just before I kicked into active labor.  With ds3, it was right as I went into transition.

[Plummeting]

With baby #1 it was 7 hours. With #2 it was about 90 minutes.

[girlspn]

Mine ruptured maybe a minute before dd was born. 

[mandib50]

PROM happens in about 10% of all pregnancies.

75% give birth in 24 hours

90% within 48 hours

95% by 72 hours

3-4% do not begin labour within 7 days

[pammysue]

Every labor and birth is different, even for the same Mom. The Hollywood version of labor where the waters break in the most embarrassing situation possible and then the mom is rushed to the hospital panting and screaming in the back of a cab is NOT reality.  Your contractions and other signs are generally going to be better indicators of how far along you are in your labor.

[New Mommy SACca]

Marvelous answers all! That's the reason this site is the only one I subscribed too!

[Tropicalfever]

Quite educative answers! this is truly helping me to see what mothering is really about because pammysue I DID believe the hollywood version of child birth. For a first time TTCer I am really happy to learn from MDC . Thanks though Im not the OP this is very helpful to me.

[MrsGregory]

I was having regular contractions (but very far apart) for almost 8 hours exactly before my water broke.  Once my water broke my contractions immediately went to about 10 minutes apart, then 8, and so forth...  But I still wound up laboring for 12 hours after my water broke.  From the very first contraction to baby in arms, my mother labored for 24 hours with me, and I labored for 20 hours total with her. 
 

[thegoodearth]

I had PROM. For me I didn't have anything - no contractions nothing - for like 24 hours. Only with acupuncture, walking, nipple stimulation and eventually castor oil did my contractions start. DS was born 9 hours after contractions actually started. I often wonder how long I would have gone if I had not done all of the above. 

[sassyfirechick]

My water broke at 4am 39wks 1 day....no contractions.  I called my midwife, bc it was a hospital based birth she did want me to go in pretty early (I was GBS positive).  I wasn't thrilled, I really wanted to labor at home and let things move naturally.  DH was less caual, so he came home to get me and we were in the hospital by 1pm....still no contractions after walking, dancing, bouncing around and by 6pm I was put on a pitocin drip (grrrr).  I still went without pain meds, and having survived that I feel like future labors should be a breeze!  I know now that I'd be comfortable without the penicillin for GBS and I'd definitely say no to rushing things with pitocin.  LOL @ BroodyWoodsgal  with the cannon ball baby!!! I totally felt like I was delivering a cannon ball with the way she tore me, but I guess that's to be expected when pitocin forces your body to expel a child that your body just isn't ready to get rid of!

[lilbsmama]

I had PROM with both prior pregnancies. My first was a hospital birth, I waited about 14 hours before I went in with not a single contraction, was immediately put on pit, so I have no idea how long it would have take to have a contraction. My second was a hb, and I had a few contractions, but I didn't have regular contractions for about 20 hours. My labor was 38 hours.

[fruitfulmomma]

The Hollywood version of labor where the waters break in the most embarrassing situation possible and then the mom is rushed to the hospital panting and screaming in the back of a cab is NOT reality.

This... Five births and I've never had them spontaneously rupture prior to labor. #1 broke a few hours before birth after a long labor, #2 was arom during labor, #3 was arom to induce labor, #4 I don't remember, and my last little girl was really close to be born in the caul... her waters exploded all over the midwife just as I was being pushing her out.

[Just1More]

I've had 4.  My first broke two or so hours before she was born, though I can't remember exactly.  I was in the hospital and in such a daze.  I really, really needed to eat.  Anyway, my other 3 broke as they were born. 

[dogretro]

One vaginal birth and my water broke while I was pushing.

[CrazyCatLady]

My first birth started with my water breaking, and labor starting immediately afterwards.

My other three babies were induced, and my water didn't break until close to pushing.