If you're having a hospital or birthing center birth ...

[megsy]

how long do you feel comfortable staying at home once (if) your water breaks? I mean, if you're not having regular contractions? (Let's assume waters are clear and you have no reason to suspect anything's wrong, you just don't want to be on any sort of time clock).

[jule924]

This happened with my first. I was GBS neg. and water was clear. It broke at 4am 4/1 and I went to the hospital at about 7:30 am 4/2. I was running a slight fever by the time he was born at 10:55pm. He did great and I was fine. I just wished I could have avoided the pit., but I was still only dilated to 2 after about 32 hours. So I had pitocin and an epidural with him

I know my m/w (CNM) let me go as long as she felt comfortable, but I'm sure an OB would have induced that first day and not "let" me stay at home overnight.

[meredyth0315]

I'll be at the hospital now instead of my HBA2C, but my OB just asked me to keep him informed and we'll take it step by step. If nothing's happening after 24 hours or so, I'll go in. He wants me to have my VBA2C so he advised to stay at home to labor as long as I can

[heatherRN]

Just my 2 cents from my last pg...
My water broke at 5am (woke me out of a dream) and I was having nice regular contractions. I was GBS+, so I knew they wanted me at the hospital ASAP. So, I went without a shower, without breakfast, without taking time to enjoy home labor.
I got to the hospital and my labor slowed. It took them some time to get me a room and to get the antibiotics, so I just sat there in a holding room (the NST room). By the time I got settled into my room, my ctx had started to weaken and after 36 hours in the hospital I tearfully agreed to pitocin.
Moral of the story...I wish I had stayed home until I was in a really good labor pattern. Taken my time! Shower, eat, cuddle my husband, the hospital is not so easy for relaxing, so better to be there for as little time as possible.
I still would have made it there for a couple doses of antibiotics and I would have been in a better state.
GL

[*Isra*]

With my first I labored at home for more than 24 hours before we left for the hospital. I got in the shower just to make sure and then the ctx really started to get painful and we moved to the hospital..best decision ever! I got to the hospital at 6cm.

[not now]

My OB told me that if I was comfortable with it I could stay home for a while.

[mommytomahmoud]

iam having a hospital birth since iam GBS + my plain is i guess go to the hosiptal before active labor but not too soon my doula is comming to my house when i call her soo she said she will make sure we go but not to early and not too late lol our first plain before i found out i was + was go during active labor like the end of active labor lol when it was pushing time

last time i was in early labor for 2 days and i still went to the hospital too early i could have stayed home alot longer and i ended up with a c section due to fetal stress