Can you influence when your water breaks?

[Undercover Hippie]

In another thread someone mentioned that they were doing certain things (eating well, taking good vitamins and probiotics, no cervical checks) so that hopefully their water wouldn't break during early labor and therefore the risk of cord prolapse would be less. I didn't want to hijack that thread, but the idea intrigued me. Can you really do things to make it more likely your water will not break until later in labor?

I found laboring to be much more manageable when my water was intact. I had AROM during labor with DS to get things moving but with DD my water didn't break until one push before she was born. I'd love to know more about this for future reference!

[alegna]

I haven't really read a lot about this but would be interested. I know both of my mom's labors started with her water breaking. My water, on the other hand, didn't break until late LATE in pushing- right before dd was born.

-Angela

[shell024]

not sure about preventing water breaking...but I just wanted to add that when I took 2 sips of wine during labor (trying to get a break from contractions) it made me more nauseous than I was, and I puked. When my stomach tightened from a really hard gag, my water BURST open. Not sure if this was even relevant to your question...

[Undercover Hippie]

Originally Posted by shell024

not sure about preventing water breaking...but I just wanted to add that when I took 2 sips of wine during labor (trying to get a break from contractions) it made me more nauseous than I was, and I puked. When my stomach tightened from a really hard gag, my water BURST open. Not sure if this was even relevant to your question...

:LOL Sure, it's all relevant! I've never thrown up in labor but it makes sense that the force of it might cause your water to break much like pushing does.

:

[heldt123]

My water broke before both my labors started. I think it was because of too much heavy physical activity-I just can't help myself. :

[FitMama]

When I took Bradley classes for DC#1, we read about how a diet rich in protein would make a strong bag of waters. So I ate between 80-100 grams of protein per day.

My water did not "break" until I was nearly complete. In fact, I felt a desire to push, didn't know what the heck was going on, and pushed out my forebag of waters while leaning over the bed. I watched it emerge like a big old water balloon, and then break on the floor. It was so weird. Anyway, right after that I was 10cm. So that was pretty late, as far as I'm concerned.

[rozzie'sma]

I've heard lots of protein and fresh fruits and veggies help build a strong water. It's not foolproof through. I counted to 80-100 grams protein too but my water broke 2 days before my first contraction even started. : Boy I wish I had had my water.........

[Full Heart]

I read that vit c makes a strong bag of water. I drank a ton of oj last pg and ds was born in the caul. I can't remember with dd#2 if I had a lot of vit c or protein, but Anyhow we did arom and it sealed itself almost immediatly (something I actually could "feel"). When I was pushing it still hadn't broken and the dr broke it as the head was born. All the others either my water broke on its own as labor started or I had arom to start labor.

Michelle

[LoveChild421]

I read somewhere that if you are GBS+ that you have a higher chance of your water breaking before labor starts/ in early labor and that having cervical checks increases that risk. I was GBS+ and my waterbroke with the first contraction I had that felt stronger than a Braxton-Hicks. I also had a cervical check a couple days before. Who knows...

[ZeldasMom]

The way I think abou it you can have some influence over whether or not your water breaks, but you can't control it. And imo your water breaking isn't the worst thing in the world, it's just that if I had my choice I would rather it didn't.

I am trying to build a good bag through a good diet (I'm eating lots of protein but not counting grams--I get headaches/feel tired when I don't get enough) and taking good prental vitamins (food-based for better absorbtion).

I am also working on having a healthy vaginal tract by taking probiotics, eating fermented foods like yogurt (my current fav is 7 stars farm) and kim-chee, avoiding cervical checks (though I did have my midwife show me how to check my own the other day--curiosity is getting the better of me).

I remember reading something in Midwifery Today www.midwiferytoday.com about cervical checks being associated with earlier ROM. Don't know how strong the evidence is for this though and can't find what it was that I read. :

I am a big fan of using a good reference librarian to search online databases to find info about these kinds of things, though lately I have been much lazier about this. If anyone decides to do this it also helps to expand your search to info in countries besides the US. And Midwifery Today is awesome, though kind of expensive. It is annoying to me that the libraries around here don't get it.

[ABand3]

In all three of my births my water broke late in labor - with DS#1, it broke sometime during 5 hours of pushing, with DS#2, it broke near the end of 1 hour of pushing, and with DD#3, it didn't break - she was born in the caul in water and the midwife tore the membrane as she was born. In all three pregnancies I ate a ton of protein and vit c (love orange juice) as well as other fresh fruits and veggies and a good vitamin. Also I was GBS+ all three times - so was relieved that my water didn't break earlier. Never heard of GBS being associated with water breaking earlier - interesting.

[annakiss]

Hmm... My water sprung a leak with DS1 with my first contraction. He was slightly posterior, so the pain of labor was pretty constant, though it grew steadily. I didn't think I'd not want my water broken as it didn't seem to have any effect really and there was still some water left as I labored. With DS2, it didn't break until the end, when I pushed to intentionally break it so I could get him OUT pronto. Having it intact the whole time felt like a whole lotta pressure on my pubic bone, imo. I had been interested in having a baby born in the caul, but it felt too big, for lack of a better word, so I controlled when it broke by pushing more in order for it to break. Just beforehand though, I was worried that breaking it would cause more intensity than I was already feeling due to the bag of waters acting as a cushion. I didn't have that sensation at all. It pretty much stayed intense before & after and hurt alot.

[applejuice]

My midwife broke my water each time...I was extremely pissed the last time because it was tolerable until then.

I could probably have had all of them born in the caul if she had left me alone.

[Doodlebugsmom]

With dd, my water broke to start labor. With ds, it broke while pushing. Both labors were very similar--fast and easy. Not intense at all. I didn't consciously do anything different.

[BusyMommy]

My mw said protein helps.
I had a good diet for both kids and my water didn't break till pushing.