A stupid question on labor/delivery...

[BethLS]

Seeing as how I've only given birth via c/s (am going for vbac in May, woohoo) I am just wondering how a part of birth goes...

Unfortunately, I want a lot of "birth story" shows on tv. Bad me, I know. : However, it always seems the doctors rupture womens membranes even after they're in labor.

So, my question is, if your water doesn't break before you go into labor, when can (does?) it rupture? If you have your dc at home and obviously no one will be there to AROM you, does the sack break as the baby comes?

Sorry for the stupid question!


(as a sidenote, I am 34+5 weeks and am already 3cm, so that's why I am curous as to how that works!)

[fishface]

The baby can be born in the caul (with the bag of waters leading the way for the head). In some cultures this means the baby will be blessed for life. :-) (in others, it can mean the baby will be a vampire! : )

[MsElle07]

Usually water breaks spontaneously during labor. I had my water break once before labor began, once shortly before pushing began (water broke in the tub and I immediately had the urge to push), and once after I had started pushing. I remember the midwives warning her assistant, "The water hasn't broken yet," so she could be ready to get wet.

[yeahwhat]

For me, it usually breaks either before or during pushing and the baby arrives in the next contraction or two. Last time, I ended up asking my midwife to do arom because pushing on an intact bag wasn't working for me and it just wouldn't break; I was tired of laboring and waiting. She broke the bow and the baby arrived with the next contraction.

[BethLS]

Another question....

Alrighty...thanks gals!

Next question though...a lot of you said that you delivered very quickly after your water broke during labor...so, does that mean if you were to have a hospital birth (I kinda feel more comfortable there with this babe, just because of my history with premature babies and because I'm a vbac mama) you wouldn't nessisarily wait until your water broke??? (and because I'm already at 3, with my first I went into the hospital at 6cm and was barely crampy! She was a C/S due to being footling breech)

Basically all I'm asking now is, when would you recommend I go to the hospital with this baby? I want to wait to the absolute last moment (I am 40 minutes away) but not too late.

[MsElle07]

I would not use your water breaking as an indication of when to head to the hospital. Even if it breaks before labor begins, you want a contraction pattern established before you arrive. Once you get there, the clock is ticking, particularly for a VBAC mom.

My MW says, "Don't wait until the contractions are regular. Wait until the contractions are significantly increasing in intensity and frequency." In other words, you can have "regular" contractions that are five minutes apart but relatively easy to deal with for a long time. You want to wait until things get serious -- until you're having to really focus on the contractions, and they're coming fourish mn apart. You'll know when it's time to go.

[lolar2]

I went to the hospital with DS when contractions were about 4 minutes apart and I had vomited twice. I was 3 cm dilated when I arrived at 4 a.m. My water broke spontaneously at around 4 p.m. and I was about 7 cm dilated at the time. I was 10 cm dilated at 7 p.m. and he was born at 9:50 p.m. Does that help? Basically your water can break before contractions begin, any time during labor, or not at all. So I'd ignore that as far as "when to go to the hospital" (except if you for whatever reason need to go as soon as your water breaks-- different people have different situations with that).

[quarteralien]

With dd, I left for the hospital when I couldn't concentrate through contractions anymore. It made the car ride uncomfortable, but I was glad we stayed away from the hospital that long. She was born half an hour after we got there. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about dilation. I really and truly and strongly believe it's not a good indicator of how fast things will go. You could still be at a 3 on your due date, you just never know.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

By the way, homebirth midwives can break your water but are less likely to do it than most OBs. With my 2nd my water broke when she was crowning.

[Romana]

I think I was pretty dilated for a while prior to going into labor, but I'm not sure. I had a 21 hr labor.

Anyway, I labored with an intact BOW (bag of waters) for all of early and active labor. Shortly after/during transition, my water broke. I then labored for another 6-7 hours (after my water broke). Although a lot of women say it felt a lot more intense after their water broke, for me it didn't. I think that's b/c I was already at the most intense part of labor, and it just didn't make a whole lot of difference. Everything was really intense at that point.

The only circumstances I can think of right now where I'd allow my water to be broken/break my BOW is if it was really bulging and causing intense pain/discomfort and I had a strong urge to break it. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind having a baby born in the caul. Since the BOW serves as a cushion during labor between the baby's head and the cervix, it can help keep active labor from feeling too intense/painful.

HTH.

Julia
dd 1 year old

[SublimeBirthGirl]

Oh, and water breaking is definitely a bad gauge of when to go in. It took almost 28 hours for my first to be born after SROM.

[mamabadger]

I'd suggest hiring an experienced doula who will stay at home with you, and can give you a good idea of how far along you are. You can be sure you'll leave early enough, but at the same time won't end up spending needless hours in the hospital.

[bobandjess99]

Originally Posted by BethLS

So, my question is, if your water doesn't break before you go into labor, when can (does?) it rupture? If you have your dc at home and obviously no one will be there to AROM you, does the sack break as the baby comes?

!)

Actually....I "AROM"ed Myself during my UC!!!!! And midwives can also choose to AROM if it seems necesary or desired.
but generally, at home, you just don't break it. It will generally break by itself during labor or it might not, and the baby will be born in an intact bag, sometimes referred to as "in the caul".

....I can't in good conscience recomend you go to a hospital at any point in time, unless you or your baby is in life threatening trouble or has sustained serious injury........

[Radish4ever]

I have no idea if/when I dilated prior to the onset of labor with DS My midwives and I have *no* clue when my water broke - seriously. LOL I'm sure it did, but we never saw much of it at ALL! I had a 4 hr, 56 minute labor, though, (most of it was transition!), and I labored on the toilet for a good hour and a half, which is when we THINK it happened! lol

With my DD, my water broke 6 hours prior to contractions and I ended up having a C/S with her after my water had been broken for 42 hours!

[mezzaluna]

my first baby's waters broke during transition. this one i'll have to let you know a little later - hasn't happened yet (i'm 38 weeks.)

i did find a car ride very very uncomfortable during labor... and i only had a 5 minute ride. one thing you could do is head nearer to the hospital at some point, but not actually go into the hospital until it is really really time... i don't know if laboring in the car or the hospital parking lot sounds that appealing to you... or maybe a friend's house nearby?

[jillmamma]

With my first, my water broke right as I hit transition (arrived at hospital at 4 cm, then water broke, I threw up, and one hour later I was at 10 cm). With my second, the doctor broke it as I was pushing her out as it was bulging. As far as when to leave for the hospital, contractions at 4-5 minutes apart was about right both times for me. At that point, I was having to really concentrate to get through them, and each of my kids was born about 2-3 hours after we got to the hospital. I got there right before transition both times.

[mistisa]

my bags started leaking at 36 weeks and the hospital told me to come to get checked. the mw said ds hadn't dropped yet so she said if i wanted to walk around and stay upright, she would have to break my bags so he could drop and they could check the umbilical cord. at this time I was 7cms so i said yes to keep from being kept in bed. once she broke it, he dropped and 15mins later I pushed him out...mw almost didn't make it back to my room.

i am reading and hearing from others now that the leaking wasn't a big deal and I probably didn't need to go in, but it all worked out. i am kind of nervous this time wondering if my bag breaks at home on it's own (i plan to stay away from the hospital this time for as long as possible and will have a doula) will I deliver as fast again? I am at least 25-30 mins from my hospital : and right now dont have the option for a homebirth or I would do that.

[cappuccinosmom]

My first was broken with that crochet hook. :

The second, the midwives left it alone and it burst violently just after I started pushing. I felt and heard it pop!

[3 little birds]

At my first home vbac my water broke right before I felt the urge to push. Baby was born 30 minutes later. At the second one it broke in my sleep and baby was born 8 hours later.

I also think a doula might be a good idea.

[krismarie]

i tried to break my waters through squatting and very deep noises after 26 hours of labor (and it worked...) and it helped speed up my labor (went from 6 cm to 10 in the next hour)...