Mommy2Five

For those of you who have given birth already, what was your experience with your water breaking? Do you have a story to tell about it?

My water broke with 2 of my 5 babies, the other times it had to be broken by the doctor.

The first time, with my oldest child, I thought it had broke and was "trickling" out, as i had heard it could do. When we got to the hospital they checked and it was not broken. I now know, after experience, that it was just an increase in mucus. I was in labor though, and they went ahead and admitted me because there was a bad snow storm on its way and they were concerned that I would not be able to make the 30 mile trip later that night. Good thing too, my water broke during my sleep a few hours later.

The second time my water broke (with my last baby) I was 1 day past due, and again a significant winter storm was bearing down on us. (Both of those babies were born in mid-January.) I took a nice long bath and laid down to watch tv when I heard a popping sound. I wondered what it was, then thought I felt a little trickle down there, and I checked and yep...it was just a little, but by the time I got to the bathroom it was gushing!! So we had to make that 20 mile trip in an ice storm with my amniotic fluid trickling out and contractions coming 3 minutes apart by the time we got to the hospital. Not real fun!

katie

My water broke on its own with my first two but the doctor had to break it with my last baby. Let me tell, not only was it uncomfortable but the baby took so long in coming after that, I almost had a dry birth.

Seattle_mom

I don't think the doctor ever has to break it. It will break on it's own eventually, or the baby will be born with the waters intact (this is considered lucky in some cultures). That said, with my first, I had it broken by my midwives. I'd been stalled at 9.5cm for 3 hours, was getting tired, and they were trying to get things moving along to avoid a hospital transfer. With my second, my water didn't break until I started pushing. It almost broke right on the midwife's head (I was standing, she wanted to check things, just moved in time to miss the wave). Threaten me with walking the stairs, will you?

Kay

Sometimes the doctor breaks your water in an effort to get your labor started without the use of Pitocin. I had to have my water broken because I was several days overdue and the ultrasound said my baby was over 11 pounds. He was actually just under 10. It didn't work though and I still had to have Pitocin. It was only a 3 hour labor though!