Water breaking- how long do I have after to birth? - Page 2

[Robinna]

Originally Posted by meganmarie

In fact, some OBs actually have timetables about how long they think labor should take (based on an "average" curve they read in their med school textbook) and if a woman hasen't given birth 12 hours after starting labor, or showing up at the hospital, she'll be pressured into a c-section even without any other evidence of medical need. If this sounds like your guy (another good thing to ask about!), then you might not even want him to know you are in labor until you are really active.

This is known as the Dublin protocol - I think there's good info about it on Henci Goer's site, she has the chapter from TWG about slow labour published online. hencigoer.com

[chandasz]

What is interesting to note is that according to research approximately 93% of women will go into labor spontaneously after their water breaks within 24 hours. (Average time for your BOW to break is 8 cm dilation).

I have watched the typical hospital protocol go from 48 hours to 24 to 12 and even 6 at some hospitals (from rupture to induction). This is obviously setting a large number of women up for induction (and the cascade of interventions that typically follows)

[momofprincess]

momofprincess

I sat on bedrest for 15 DAYS after my water broke! Once it breaks usually you deliver in 24 hours but not always. They monitored me closely at the hospital until she came on her own...they couldn't stop labor..just shy of 34 weeks...so she was 6 weeks premature. So you can go for quite awhile!