Water just broke! Hospital now or later?

[brentropy]

Do I wait until my contractions are 5 minutes apart? I'm so tense that I feel like I'm causing one constant contraction!

[aisraeltax]

wait as long as you can. the more time you spend in the hospital, the more time you give them to interfere with your birht!

good luck1

[AllisonR]

Try to figure a way to relax, really. If you are tense you will work against your own contractions (ie your uterus will try to open and you will constrict it!) And this will actually increase the pain, because of the adrenaline you produce when afraid / nervous.

Blow raspberries, get a serious massage, have a glass of red wine if you really need to calm down (yea, I am gonna get flack for that, but 1 glass of wine to relax now IMO is better than a bunch of hospital drugs later).

And don't go in until you must. They will put you on a 24 hour schedule if your water broke. Andyou dont need all the VEs they will do, only increases chances of infection. Waters breaking - do you mean a bit of leaking, a trickle, or a big rush of fluid. Womwn can last weeks with leaking, as long as everyones fingers are out of your vagina. And you are constantlt producing more fluid, you wont run out!

[ericswifey27]

Definitely everything said above.

I went in way too early. My water had broken, and they told me to come in. I was only at a 1. Big mistake. I hadn't eaten anything since dinner the night before.

Most hospitals will not allow you to eat or drink water. Wait as long as possible. Eat a big healthy meal. Have someone sneak food to you while you are in labor if you are hungry. Your body needs fuel. I was exhausted because I hadn't eaten anything for more than a day by the end of labor, I ended up with a csection.

Try to not get an epidural if you can go without because the more interventions, the harder it is to have a smooth vaginal birth. Even if they tell you you can't, get up and change positions if you feel like it.

If you don't want pitocin, say this many, many times, to each person that comes in. My sister and I were both given pitocin against our wishes, and it caused extremely painful contractions and while it is used to speed up labor, it did not have that effect on my labor- it stalled it.

Edited to say also if you don't like how things are going, it is not too late to walk out and go to a different hospital. Don't let anyone bully you.

Also if you have a birth plan, show it to everyone and make sure you are on the same page.
Many obs will do routine episiotomys for example. Or put eye ointment in the baby's eyes to protect against things like venereal disease, even when the baby is delivered by csection, and never came through the birth canal. There are many things that will be done just because it "routine" and it is what's done, so if you don't want something done, make sure you say that loudly and many times.

And if someone tries to do something you don't want done, say "you are violating my patient rights" There is some kind of act, EMTALA (The federal Emergency Treatment and Advanced Labor Act) which says that hospitals must admit women in active labor and have to follow their treatment wishes until the baby is delivered AND the placenta is delivered. So if you are backed in to a corner you can try to use that acronym too and see if that helps.

If someone says a procedure is necessary, also ask why it's necessary. Then ask what would happen if you waited X amount of time.
It can almost always wait.

With my oldest sister, she was told, if you don't push out your baby in the next 2 pushes, we will use have to use the vaccuum. She was lucky to push her daughter out first. If a doctor says something like that, try asking what would happen if you waited. Alot of times it is because the ob is busy and would rather you deliver than wait longer for you.

I hope all this is helpful to you.
I went in to the hospital wanting a natural labor and got exactly the opposite. It was very difficult for me to come to terms with that.
I thought my wishes would be followed, but hospitals often see the big picture, they follow the same procedures for every woman, when each woman's needs are different. Just keeping that in mind should help you stay focused on what you want, and not get pushed in to doing things the "routine way" if they do not fit your needs.

[EmmetnLindley]

Later! I would stay at home as long as possible... 411 = 4 minutes apart, one minute long established for at least an hour. Depending on how far away the hospital is. The best thing would be to rest at this point. Good luck!

[citymama]

Speaking from experience, wait!!

[BathrobeGoddess]

Speaking from experience, wait!!

DITTO!!!

[gen_here]

I'll throw in the one semi-dissenting position. If you chose to have the GBS test done and you tested positive, I would say go sooner rather than later. Not because I put much into the test - but because if you are "scheduled" to have the antibiotics X times before the baby is born and you don't get them all in, they may push to put the baby in the NICU for "observation" until so much time has passed.

I didn't know when I should go in if my water broke first last time - we kept hearing in our Bradley class that it's such a rare thing to have happen. Then my water broke first =) So I went directly in after getting odds and ends tied up here (about 45 minutes... and it's about a 60 minute drive to the hospital), but I also didn't just hang out in my room once I was there. I kept moving, walking the halls, trying the birth ball, etc. As long as you don't crawl into bed and act "patient-y" - you should be okay =)

My doctor asked me to do the same thing this time if water breaks first - get to the hospital (because we're so far away) and labor there. BUT, I trust her a lot and she's not pushy about monitoring, interventions, etc. If I thought that my presence was going to mean people trying to get me to lay down in bed and stay there... I'd be getting there as late as possible =)

[KentuckyDoulaMama]

If you have no problems with the pregnancy, ect...

WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as long as you possibly can.

stay home, relax.

Best wishes!

[kylesmama]

WAIT - if you have not had any complications. My water broke w/ ds & he arrived 36 hours later!! Also, my contractions started 2 min apart about 2 hrs after water breaking but I was only at 1 cm!! I learned I couldn't go by their timing. My contractions were not hard yet - but being anxious & wanting to meet my baby we went to the hospital. Then immediately left & went back the next evening at 6 cm b/c midwife wanted me there before rush hour. I wish I had stayed home at that point too. I was lucky mw let me go 36 hours from water breaking - typically they rush you & get you on the long line of drugs b/c you're not progressing...& want that baby out by 24 hrs. if you don't want all that excessive hospital intervention & pressure - stay home as long as possible - as long as your water is clear. They also say not to put anything in or soak in a bath at home due to infection risk.

[xenabyte]

Well, seeing as her water broke around midnight...I'm thinking she's at the hospital already and it's mute...but..

My second ds, water broke at midnight, and I took three hours to get to hospital, and then only spent 3 hours in hospital until I delivered.

I'm hoping she 'waited' just enough, but had enough time to get settled in the 'groove' at the hospital and had a safe delivery!

[Mrs_Hos]

Originally Posted by gen_here

I'll throw in the one semi-dissenting position. If you chose to have the GBS test done and you tested positive, I would say go sooner rather than later. Not because I put much into the test - but because if you are "scheduled" to have the antibiotics X times before the baby is born and you don't get them all in, they may push to put the baby in the NICU for "observation" until so much time has passed.

I disagree on the antibiotics...my m/w said that if I tested pos. then I want to NOT get the antibiotics early because baby will get too much and so would I and we'd go down the yeast, thrush, etc road as well as making it more likely for the baby to have the resistancy to the antibiotic.
It is best if you have GBS+ to 'treat' yourself as much as possible before (garlic, hibicleanse) labor...then labor and deliver...then assess the baby and give antibiotics if needed.
I'd rather the baby be in the NICU to be observed than him/her getting antibiotics for no reason ya know (and don't get me started on THRUSH! AHhhhhhhh!)