did your m/w "pop" your bag?

[greenlace]

i am thinking back on my dd's birth. it was a beautiful homebirth with a m/w i love. i will use her for the next one. but there are a couple things i would do differently i think.

transition was SOOOO hard (1 1/2 hrs)! i just realized that i integrated my rushes great until she thought to break the bag. i honestly believe my dd would have been born in the caul. after 976 births, my m/w said it was THE TOUGHEST BAG EVER!!

have any of you mamas had a similar exp? just curious.

[Ooey]

I chose not to break my bag despite some urging from my midwives and my daughter was born in the caul, as was I. I guess tough membrains must run in the family

[kerikadi]

NO! My MW NEVER breaks the bag unless the Mama REALLY insists on it. I would think it would be a no-no for midwives as it is an unnecessary intervention. A friend of mine was laboring with #3 (after having 2 homebirths) she was with a new MW who broke her water without her permission and ended up with a prolapse cord and emergency cesarean

Keri

[Peony]

DD1 was a hospital birth with a medwife who ruptured my membranes when I got to 10 and they were still intact. : DD2 was a HB, I paid this MW to sit there and do nothing so she didn't check for dilation, my water broke when I was pushing.

[Spark]

I can't really think of a time when I'd consent to having my bags of water broken for me. But, when we know better, we do better.

[Nan'sMom]

No way--I didn't even allow VEs! Sorry that happened to you! You might rethink using her or if you do use her again, be very very clear about what you will and will not allow. It's your body, your choice.

[time4another]

yes, very tough bag (cut with scissors, she was trying to break it with her fingers but couldn't as baby crowned), baby born in caul, with bag over her face anyway. *BUT* there is a difference between breaking the bag to augment labor and breaking the bag to make catching easier. FWIW DD was born within 2 minutes of the AROM. I would not consent to AROM for augmentation (especially since if I was planning another baby I wouldn't consent to a GBS screen) purposes as I think it does more harm than good.

That said, I've never had a bag break on its own...

[alegna]

Absolutely not. My water didn't break until pushing- right before dd was born.

-Angela

[MotheringHeart]

: Embarisingly enough, I asked my mw to break my bag of waters because it was bulging and making me uncomfortable. She was wiser than I (good thing!) and wouldn't do it. It broke on its own after two pushes not too long after that. I certainly hope I'll have more presence of mind this next time and not ask for that, but if I do, I know she'll be watching out for me!!

[midwestmeg]

My MW doesn't... and I like it that way. I think my labors move along fine on their own, and I wouldn't want them to get more intense!

[Jilian]

My MW does not do AROM because she likes the baby to be protected in the amniotic sac as long as possible. She also doesn't like to break a woman's water because it could "lock" the baby into a bad position if the baby is not done rotating. I agree with her.

[angelpie545]

I was relatively uneducated about this subject until farily recently. My midwife broke my water with my first birth when my dd was at 7cm, stuck, and my cervix was swelling. They gave me something to reduce the swelling and I marched around the room, moaning and in severe pain(her head was at an angle and it HURT) until she finally moved down into position. With my second birth, I naively though that having the waters intact would slow down my labor, so I requested that my water be broken b/c I was impatient(I know..not a good choice at all..I was only 6cms.). It created a premature urge to push at 7cms(at least I think it was that) that I couldn't resist, and my midwife just held open my cervix and I pushed through it until I was complete(about 2 pushes). So..my daughter was born a couple of hours earlier that she probably would have been..but it was risky move to make just for convenience and I wouldn't do that again.

[jennica]

My midwife, at a hospital birth, coerced me into allowing her to break the water. I still have no idea why, I was at 9.5, and grunting at the end of contractions. I still regret letting her do it. I thought the whole time I was pregnant that ds would be born in the caul, so it was really upsetting to me when she broke it. His heart rate dropped really low while pushing and I ended up with an episiotomy, and he ended up with a cephelahematoma (lumpy bruise on head), which I wonder if those things would have happened if the water was not broken.

[Romana]

I didn't have a MW for my birth, and my water had broken long before we transferred to the hospital. However, I don't think I'd ok having my water broken unless I'd been pushing without any success for a pretty long time (2 hours maybe?).

Are there any really good reasons to do AROM? I'd be curious to know.

Julia
dd 8mos

[AngelBee]

Mylee was born two and a half weeks ago in the caul

I am glad I did not do anything to prevent that. What a peaceful birth she experienced!

[Full Heart]

Twice out of necessity. The first time was after 24 hours of labor, 12 of which were at 7 cm. Bag resealed it self anyhoo. The next time was either my mw do it at home or I transfer and have my ob do it (long story so not going there). Had baby 2.5 hours later.

[Emilie]

No.

[attachedmamaof3]

For my first, my MW broke the bag when I really started pushing...still don't understand why and wish I'd caught her in time to stop her.

For 2nd- unintentional UC so..no...his bag popped right when he crowned and his head began to come out

For 3rd- due ANY DAY NOW COME ON OUT LITTLE BABY!! No...I plan on not popping this one either

[lotusdebi]

My midwife accidentally broke my bag. I went to the birth center in the hopes that I was *finally* dilated enough to stay (5cm). The midwife was just starting the VE to check, and POP! He was very surprised, and VERY apologetic about it. At least I was 6cm by then, so I could get in the tub and didn't have to turn around and go home again. I have a hands-off homebirth midwife this time, and hope to avoid VEs completely, so it won't happen again.

[mothragirl]

my MW did, although i declined the first time she askED. MY CONTRACTIONS went from 3 mins apart to 7-8 mins apart after a long labor. i was so exhausted and in transition. alice was born OP 40 minutes after AROM.