How long after your water breaks...

will an OB let you labor for? Is there a time window before there is a risk to the baby?

TIA!

Re: How long after your water breaks...

I think that varies with circumstances of the pregnancy. I don't think you're going to get a straight answer...My water broke at 1:15am (at home), got to the hospital at 3 am, and I gave birth at 9:30am...so I labored for 8 hours.

Message edited 2/26/2009 5:05:26 PM.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

I believe 24 hours...but I could be wrong.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

From what I understand, a baby should be delivered within 24 hours of the water breaking to ensure the least possibility of infection.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

mine broke at 2:00 am and dd was born at 12:20 a.m. next day via emergency csection -22 hours

Re: How long after your water breaks...

my water broke at 6.30 pm and I gave birth at 2.11am..but I was having contractions all day

Re: How long after your water breaks...

My water broke around 8AM and DS was born at 3:55PM the next day via c section.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

I had thought it was 24 hours but I wasn't sure.

My friend's water broke this morning and apparently, she wasn't having any significant contractions so they gave her pitocin. I guess the dr. said it could be 6 hrs or 36 hrs before she gives birth. I thought 36 hrs was a little long but there might be more to the story, like maybe her water didn't break all the way.

I haven't been able to talk to her - her sister has been updating me on Facebook.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

I labored for 18 hrs and they told me after the 18th hr the baby would need to go into NICU. My dd was healthier then ever so she didnt need to go. Not sure what the story was. I thought she was in Nicu when I was in recovery...apparently not.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

Just an FYI that if you are positive for Step B you have to go to the hospital as soon as your water breaks (if it breaks on its own) b/c you have to start antibiotics right away.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

My water broke on the morning of my 41 week check up-- and I called my doc on my way in, and they told me to go to L&D instead of my appt. They checked me and confirmed my water in fact broke, and they admitted me. I had the baby about 17 hours later with the help of pitocin.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

I thought it was 24 hours.

My water broke and I delivered ASAP because DS was breech and there was no point in me laboring.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

I always thought it was 24 hours also, BUT when I had DD, my water broke at around 11am at home and I went to the hospital. By 10am the next day, I was still not having any serious contractions and the doc was going to let me go another 24 hours!!! When I told him that I thought you had to deliver within 24 hours, he said, no you really can go 48 hours. Right then, my DD's heart rate dropped so they took her by emergency c-section. They said I had almost no fluid left and her head was pushing against the umbilical cord. (I swear my mother was watching out for her from heaven).

And when I asked my doc this time about whether he thought I could have delivered DD naturally if we had started pitocin or cervidil or something, he just said that most women will start labor on their own within 48 hours of their water breaking.

Re: How long after your water breaks...

My water broke around 7am Friday (I was positive for Step B so I went to hospital). I wasn't progressing on my own, so they induced me that night. Saturday night I was in labor all day & they ended up doing a CS Sat. night at 9pm (b/c I didn't progress past 6 cm). They were getting worried at that point b/c my water had broken so much earlier

Re: How long after your water breaks...

my water broke at home at 3PM. We went to the hospital at 4PM and they decided to do a c-section (due to baby's size) at 5PM (sked for 9PM). I ended up loosing all my fluid extremely early (I was gushing none stop). My doctors had to suction DS out of my uterus because there was no fluid. If I wasn't haven't a c-section based on size, they would have induced, but if I wasn't progressing fast enough, I may have need an emergency c-section because my fluid was basically all gone very early on. I'm told my situation wasn't that common though.