So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

I'm starting to have some anxiety about when (and if) my water breaks. (More than likely, doc will induce me because of the swelling)

So your water breaks and then what? How long do you wait at home for? When should you call your parents to come to the hospital? Both sets of ours are about 45 minutes away.

I hate the whole "unknown" factor. I'm a control freak and need to know a play by play of what's going to happen.

Any advice from BTDT's? we did take the childbirth prep class through the hospital, but they didn't really get into any of the specifics that I has asked above.

Message edited 8/28/2009 11:54:25 AM.

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

Generally, once your water breaks, you need to deliver within 24 hrs.

I've heard some say they didn't really start labor until after their water, some say it was during labor.

When mine broke, I was already en route to the hospital, and I had DS within the half hour. So, for me, I get to the hospital.

I have a friend who didn't realize it -it was more of a trickle so she went to work (school teacher) and halfway through her day realized she was in labor. She then went to the hospital and delivered by late that night.

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

My water broke at 10:30 PM one night. I was scheduled for a c-section for the following week. I went to the hospital right away. Other than that, nothing happened. They didn't get to do my c-section until 2:00 the next afternoon because of other emergencies and planned c-sections. I never dialated and never had any contractions.

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

Its hard to gauge - as everybody is diffrent but once my waters broke this time DS was born 30 mins later but I had a really short labor and delivery for him and he was my second.

TAlk to you OB about when they want you to come in if your waters break at home etc.

My sisters water broke with her first at 5am and she didnt have her baby until 10pm that evening.

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

With DS my water broke at 230 in the morning. Woke me up from a dead sleep. I called my Dr he said go to the hospital, but don't rush. I took a shower, got myself together and was at the hospital by 430. My Dr did not show up until NOON!!! I was ******! They started pitocin bc I was not contracting on my own. Around 1 am the next morning it was finally time to push. Pushed for a looooong 2hrs and DS was finally born with a little help from the vaccuum. If I had it to do over again I would have waited longer before going to the hospital and I would have eaten something first. By the time I was pushing I hadn't eaten in about 36hrs and had NO ENERGY to push. Our families were called in the morning and came and waited around almost all day. I would tell them to come later too. Maybe at 5cm or so. You really won't have any control its up to your body and the baby. Give up control now bc you will never be in control again. LOL! Kidding... Kind of :o)

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

you know my story all too well.

i was contracting for weeks. Went in for my 38wk OB appt (I was 3.5-4cm dilated) and my water broke all over her shoes. It GUSHED AND GUSHED AND GUSHEDDD. I had no idea there was sooo much fluid in there. Not even joking - there were puddles on the floor in the exam room. You know those wee wee pad looking things they put on the exam table for a gyno exam? I had NINE (yes, 9) of them in my pants in addition to 2 maternity length maxi pads just to get from the office door to my car. I threw 2 towels in my car a week earlier "just in case" my water broke in public somewhere - good thing, because I needed them! I'm grateful it broke in the dr's office - i didn't have to clean it up!

When I got home, I stood in the shower for a good 30 minutes - still gushing. I was still having contractions, but not stronger and no closer together then they'd been for weeks, so i figured i'd have some time.

I shaved, took a really nice shower, blew out my hair, put some makeup on, ate, sewed a button on to DH's shorts (at this time, 1 pad was enough to contain my leakage), wrapped a gift, paid some bills online, called our parents, posted on LIF, THEN left for the hospital. My water broke at 5:30pm and I arrived at the hospital around 10:15pm. In other words, i didn't rush at all.

I'm a control freak like you. trust me, i KNOW the fear!

Once I got to the hospital, the contractions were still the same strength and length apart, so they had to start pitocin. I was GBS+ and they didn't want me to labor more than 24 hours with ruptured membranes.

Water broke at 5:30pm, he was born at 10:17am the next morning - about 17 hours later.

Even though we informed our parents that I was headed to the hospital, we told them NOT to come until i got there and got checked out and saw how things were progressing. Both sets were about 30 minutes away. My parents ended up coming up to the hospital around 5:30am because they were too excited and couldn't sleep anyway. ILs got there around 8, i think.

DON'T WORRY- sometimes the water breaks, sometimes it doesn't. Either way, you're pregnant - it's allowed!

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

V- it's different for eveyone. If you are not in labor and it breaks it may take hours. If you are in labor and it breaks it can take less than one hour.

DD #1 labored at home for hours, then my water broke later and I had her 90 minutes later.

DD #2 same thing but delivered 45 minutes after water broke.

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

contractions started 45 minutes before water broke. They were coming 3 minutes apart pretty intense pain. We left as soon as the contractions started. Took 45 min to get to hospital, they put me in a wheel chair got a room in L&D and as soon as I stood up from the wheel chair my water broke all over the floor.

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

My water broke with DS. It was a slow leak.

5:30 Water broke
5:31 called DH to come home from work
5:32 called obgyn after hours
5:40ish on call doctor told me to go to hospital
5:40-5:50 took shower
5:50 got dressed and packed bag
6 DH and I left house and went to hospital
6:20 arrived at the hospital
6:40 triage/admitted/met nurse who confirmed my water broke
hooked up to monitors
Called parents and inlaws - they live 1.5 hours away
7:00 obgyn did u/s to make sure DS was still a footling breech (he was) I was ALREADY 7 CM DIALATED
told oh we will do the section at 8 - was pushed back b/c someone else needed slot due to failure to progress and was told I would be the 10 pm slot
8:45 in laws came to hospital
8:45 doctor told me I was going to be pushed back again
9:15 met with anesthesiologist to go over my history/fears
9:45 went into transition and 10 cm dialated, Feeling major contractions - so much for being pushed back again. I am having an emergency c/s.
10:00 spinal
10:30 DS born
10:45 I am in recovery
11:00 my parents finally showed up
11:45 in my room

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

It also depends on if it breaks a lot or is a slow leak.

My Water broke on a Wed night at the hosp. after an exam...And I thought I was just peeing myself a bit ...The next morning it continued, I thought the same thing.

Dinally Thursday night, about 24 hrs later I went into actual labor and it started to flow out more and I thought then "maybe this is my water breaking"....

I ended up delivering by c/s at 8am Friday.

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

My water didn't break fully (like the gush they talk about) until AFTER DS was born. All DC needs to be born is a little hole and then they can come out, I actually had the "gush" after DS was born.

When my mom had my sister her water never broke

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

my water never broke... i had contractions every 2 minutes for 14 hours and was 5 cm dialted when they finally broke it for me... i delivered 3 hours later....

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

Generally, if your water breaks in a normal pregnancy there is no need to rush to the hospital. Mine broke at 6:30 am and my midwife wanted me to come in to the antibiotics started since I was GBS+. To decrease the risk of infection to the baby, the baby should be delivered within 18 hours of a water break if you are GBS+. If I had not been GBS+ I would have stayed at home since I wasn't having contractions.

Got to the hospital around 9:30 am and the midwife suggested pit since I wasn't having any contractions, but I wanted to wait and she agreed. By 11:00 am labor had begun and DS was born at 12:40 pm (this was a second time labor and unusually fast).

Re: So - what happens when your water breaks? (timeline wise)

My water broke at 9:30pm after just a few really strong contractions. I didn't have the giant gush right away. It started as a little leak and led to more of a gush with each contraction. I called the OB right away, took a quick shower and left for the hospital. We live about 20 minutes from the hospital without traffic so we wanted to leave earlier just in case. As soon as we got in the car my contractions were exactly 5 minutes apart. I was in a room by 11pm and delivered at 11:44am the next day.