# What were you doing when your waters broke?



## JulesP (Jun 18, 2006)

With my first two babies this never happened to me - my first was born with the waters intact (!) very very early.

With my second my midwife ended up breaking the membranes as I was fully dilated, felt ready to push and they were sat there refusing to budge - I think I might be the only person on this board to have ever DEMANDED an internal







If it makes any sense I *knew* baby was ready to go but something was blocking his progress, but the midwives were convinced that I couldn't possibly be fully dilated yet.

Not having experienced waters breaking (and generally being rather nosy about everything birth) I was wondering what people were doing when their waters went. Was it something strenuous? Sitting watching TV? While you were having contractions?

Here's the TMI part - Earlier today I was busy being sick (I think my morning sickness has returned for a final goodbye) and felt a trickle go down my leg. Given that I had literally *just* got up from peeing and started being sick while the loo was still flushing, it seems unlikely I wet myself, but it really didn't seem enough to be anything significant.


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## seven_lux (Jun 13, 2003)

Pushing their heads out. Both Times









I don't believe in having my waters broken, I think I would feel like stabbing anyone in the eye who tried it. That's just me. One day if I ever have another I think having them being born in the caul would be so incredible, I would prefer to just leave it all to chance.


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## sproutbabe (May 31, 2006)

I had just run a bath, then was having a pee before I got in - as I stood up I just felt a warm flood rush down my legs! The worst thing was I had been looking forward to that bath all day and then couldn't get in because of risk of infection







:


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## JulesP (Jun 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *seven_lux*
I don't believe in having my waters broken, I think I would feel like stabbing anyone in the eye who tried it.

I would have said that I agreed with you 100% beforehand, but it was a very strange situation. I could *feel* that until whatever was blocking baby was gone he wasn't moving anywhere - not a sensation/emotion I can explain very clearly, but I could tell there was no way that an un-punctured amniotic sac was going to get out and somehow I knew it wasn't going to pop any time soon.

When a baby is born in the caul, doesn't the membrane usually break further up so the waters are no longer padding it out around the baby? I'm not sure what the definition is here.

However, anyone approaching me with a crochet hook thingy as a means to start labour would find themselves very rapidly leaving with a boot up their bum!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

With BeanBean, I was in bed, suffering through contractions that procardia was no longer controlling. I only had slight trickling; it wasn't until three and a half days later that anyone confirmed that my water had broken. I had a real







for a doctor, and she was sick and tired of seeing me and hearing from me, so when I called to tell her that I thought my water had broken, she blew me off. Three days later, I had an ultrasound which confirmed that my waters had indeed broken, and the fluid wasn't regenerating; there wasn't much left around the baby. About ten minutes after the ultrasound, I started leaking meconium. It was a real mess.









With BooBah, I was watching TV when I felt her trying to claw her way out of my uterus; she was moving from vertex to breech at nearly 39 weeks. I wasn't having contractions at all, though I did have one (probably from sheer irritation) while she was turning. When she finished, I stood up and felt a very slight dampness, not even enough to be called a trickle. I also felt and saw her big, round head at the top of my belly.







Anyway, two days later I went in to attempt a version; they did an ultrasound and found that not only was she in a footling breech position, standing on her cord, but that all of the fluid had in fact drained and wasn't replenishing itself. I recieved an AFI of zero and was sent for an emergency c-section shortly thereafter.

With Bella, I was on the operating table; my water was broken by the surgeon.


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## Hayes (Nov 20, 2001)

#1, #3, and #4 I was in the bed. Woke up to a small pop and wetness.
#2, watching chicken run at home. I had a big contraction, started to tell my DH if we have any more like that and POP huge gush of water, wet all over.

My water has broekn at the beginning of all 4 of my labors. I like to mess with the statistics of birth.


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## LizaBear (Feb 1, 2003)

With DS, I was sleeping in bed - had JUST woke up to go pee and gone into the bathroom when POP and WOOSH - water everywhere *lol*

With DD, it broke just about a minute before I felt like pushing


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

With dd1 I was about 7cm when it broke. With dd2 the doctor wanted to break it so the birth would go faster and I refused. I got to 10 cm and felt the need to push. I asked him to do it and she was born with three light pushes.

I always wanted internals. I just felt the need to know how I was progressing. I even did my own internals until we got to the hospital!


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## eco_mama (Feb 10, 2006)

With my dd my water broke in my very early stage of labor but just in little gushes here and there. With my ds I was leaning on the side of my bed w/ my hands having a cntx and my mw was applying pressure to my back and right at the peak of my cntx.....POP! It all gushed out onto my bdrm floor.


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## laohaire (Nov 2, 2005)

3am. I woke up to go pee. I hadn't even made it out of the bedroom when I felt a rush of wetness between my legs, and it definitely wasn't pee. No contractions. My midwife had done an internal less than 12 hours previously. Fortunately she saved the internal for 39 weeks 4 days. Next time I will skip the internal altogether.


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## hubris (Mar 8, 2003)

With Griff, I had a trickle while laboring at home, but I wasn't really aware of it. My MW broke the rest sometime later, maybe around 7 cm? Don't remember.

With Reese, I was standing by the bed at 10 cm and felt a funny little popping and my body gave a little push and GUSH!!!!! all over my feet. It was very dramatic, a very stereotypical made-for-TV moment.


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## dnr3301 (Jul 4, 2003)

What was I doing when my water broke?

#1- ummmm, having sex, well, actually switching into a more comfortable position to continue having sex.

#2- sleeping (less than two hours after sex)

I'm sensing a theme for our family.


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## JENinOR (Mar 14, 2006)

With my first, my water broke around 2am. I woke up to some mild cramping and got up to go to the bathroom. On the way to the toilet I felt something leaking down my leg. With my second, my water broke during transition.


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## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

Mine broke after 15 hours of contractions, if I were to guess I'd say I was stuck at 4cm at the moment. I was getting very tired, laying on my side, and kept waking up at the peak of contractions (which sucked). Weird thing was, my husband suddenly felt an inclination to get the bible and read psalms, and as he came back as set the book on the bed was the instant it happened. I felt a pop and knew exactly what happened, I scrambled off the bed and sat on a towel asap.


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## happydoulamama (Mar 14, 2006)

Opening a baby gift that had come in the mail that day. They were books from amazon- a pooh baby book, and "Oh the places you'll go". I felt something strange (not exactly a pop) and then liquid ran out of my vagina and soaked my pants and the couch. I laughed and laughed...excitement and nervousness at once.

But ctx didn't start. I waited 24 hours and then called the OB who told me to come in...negative ferning test and told that I must have wet myself and went home. Had her 5 days later. Water never broke again- just continued to leak throughout that 5 days.


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## courtenay_e (Sep 1, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sproutbabe*
I had just run a bath, then was having a pee before I got in - as I stood up I just felt a warm flood rush down my legs! The worst thing was I had been looking forward to that bath all day and then couldn't get in because of risk of infection







:

Too bad you didn't take that bath, midwives will tell you to TAKE the bath, just not to put anything PHYSICAL up your vagina once the bag has broken(ie: vag exam, monitors, etc). Germs aren't likely to climb WATER up your vvagina, as they are THINGS like fingers, etc. Stats support that, too, by the way...so you know for next time, if there is one! I spent all of my labor in a tub after water broke in the middle of the night with a small *snap* across my middle, like a rubber band had snapped, with number two.

With number one, it broke after I hit ten cm, just as I got the urge to push..."WOOSH!* The midwife had to change her scrubs quickly, as she was saturated...wet to the skin!


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

I had a hospital birth and was stuck at 8cm. The doc broke them, so I was lying on my back. I don't really remember much of it.

This time, I'll try to avoid anyone breaking waters. Lucikly this babe will be born at a free-standing birth center, with a midwife so hopefully it won't be an issue.


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## liberal_chick (May 22, 2005)

I was on my computer typing up my powerpoint lesson for the next day. It was a small gush that was followed by many bigger gushes. I was 20 weeks pregnant at the time. That sucked.

M.


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## sreese68 (Jul 13, 2004)

With my first, I had just gone to the bathroom. I stood up and felt a trickle. I wasn't sure if it was my water or more pee! I called my OB, who wanted me to go in. I started contractions in the car. When I laid down in the table to get the test to see if it was water, I had a HUGE gush all over, so no test needed! LOL! DD was born about 6 hours later.

With my second, it was an induction and had waters broken by OB.

With my third, I woke up and got out of bed and felt a trickle. I wasn't sure it if was pee or water once again (I had a FULL bladder.) I tried every position I could think of to make more water come out! LOL! Anyway, the nurse practitioner (spelling?) and I decided it was just pee, and I'd just come in for my already scheduled appointment and double check then. Well, we were both wrong!

Now every time I move around a lot or get out of bed, I wonder if it's going to happen!!


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## boscopup (Jul 15, 2005)

I was getting up for my midnight pee, and as I stood up... WHOOSH! Ran to the bathroom and most of it ran down my legs onto the bathroom floor. got a bit of fluid on my bed and the carpet on the way to the bathroom.









I was 29 weeks, so I said "Uh oh!", and DH said "Is that a call the midwife uh oh?", and I said yes. Amazingly, I was awfully calm, given the situation. Normally I panic when stuff like that happens and I just have no clue what to do, but I just was not really all that worried. I mean, I knew it was a problem to have your water break that early, but it didn't feel like "Oh we need to get to the hospital right away" type problem. Contractions started about 10 hours later, on the way to the hospital, after having a morning appt with midwife and being sent to her unofficial backup OB for AF testing and u/s. Thankfully, baby was fine... just early.


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## storychick (Mar 14, 2006)

#1: I had just gone to bed after some fun with DH, and then got up to go pee. I went back to bed but just felt funny somehow, couldn't get settled. I felt the urge to head to the bathroom, and as soon as my feet hit the tiles I felt and heard a pop and got a little gush. I knew it was my water, so I tried to pee again and headed back to bed hoping I could sleep for a bit before contractions kicked in. But no, they started right away and I had the baby 7 1/2 hours later.

#2: I woke up first thing in the morning with a very strong contraction. I tried to sit up to deal with it and felt a splash. Wasnt quite sure if it was my water or pee but the next contraction made it moot as I knew I was in real labor. Had baby a little over 2 hours later (that was a very intense labor!).

I didnt have further gushing with either one, so I dont know if it was just a forebag break both times or if their heads sealed things off. There was no momentus further break later in either labor, but I was in water so maybe we just didnt notice.

This time I hope it doesnt break to start labor, so that a) I get a little more time, maybe and b) so I get some cushioning!


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## Seie (Jun 9, 2005)

With my DS I had the water broken at 8 cms dilation. I had been in labor for 40 hours + and was just stalled on 8 cms with heavy transition contractions that just went on and on without awarding me with progress. So finally I accepted that they break the water - and WHAM - even more excrutiating unbearably painful contractions - for 2 hours - was checked again - and - was still at 8 cms dilation. Next step was pitocin and an epidural. I was mentally broken at that point..

My DD was born at home. I was in labor on and off for several days - then finally friday cx started to pick up a bit. Suddenly I just went from very irregular cx to transition - they just kept coming and coming. Then one VERY powerful cx hit me - I was screaming and yelling through it untill POP - the water broke all over the place. It was a big relief. If felt like some pressure went away and the cx were less painful after that. Very shortly after that I realised that I was pushy so I guess the water broke around full dilation and as the baby started coming down.
She was born maybe 15 minutes later


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## Guest* (Aug 5, 2004)

I was sleeping! It took me a bit to come to and figure out why everything was wet.


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## doula and mom (Nov 28, 2005)

With my twins, it happened spontaneously right after I got my epidural, and I have no idea how many cm I was dialated, but I felt the urge to push immediately after. So I was probably at 8 or 9. I'd just had an internal and been told I was at 3cm (although now I know my body goes faster than my dialation; I was actually in transition). Baby A was born about 20 minutes later -- would have been sooner but the docs kept telling me NOT to push







:. Baby B's water broke 2 minutes after Baby A was born, and B was born 5 minutes later. Or something close -- they are 9 minutes apart.

With #3 I slept right through it. It was my due date and the kids and I were napping. I woke up in a huge puddle of water -- and I still had to pee, badly! So I was pretty sure it was my water. Didn't have any ctx for about 8 hours, until I got on the breast pump. My girl was born 4 hours later.


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## lovemysunshine (Jul 13, 2005)

My 2 labors started with my water breaking.

My first broke while I was eating lunch at school (I was a teacher). It was a trickle then and ended up breaking again while at the hospital.

My second was a homebirth. My water broke while I was lying in my DD's bed getting her down to bed for the night. I felt this weird tickling sensation "down there," almost felt like baby was tiptoeing inside me to get out and it was a gush. It broke and gushed again in labor at some point and soaked the mw.


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## sproutbabe (May 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *courtenay_e*
Too bad you didn't take that bath, midwives will tell you to TAKE the bath, just not to put anything PHYSICAL up your vagina once the bag has broken(ie: vag exam, monitors, etc). Germs aren't likely to climb WATER up your vvagina, as they are THINGS like fingers, etc. Stats support that, too, by the way...so you know for next time, if there is one!

I know, I know! But I didn't then. Thinking it was improbable for labour to start that way







I didn't do enough research, and in the heat of the moment just did what my pregnancy book said. Hopefully there WILL be a next time, and hopefully it WON'T be in a country where midwives don't exist!


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## heathenmom (Mar 9, 2005)

In a hospital bed, arguing with the medwife that I did NOT want AROM. I had been in hard labor for about 4 hours and at the hospital less than 1 hour. Since I was SO overdue (insert sarcasm here .... I was 40w5d with my 1st baby) they said it was important to determine whether there was meconium in the fluid. They finally convinced me, and there was, which led to them flushing me with saline for the entire rest of my labor. I firmly believe that was the initial intervention that ended in an epidural 27 hours later and me very narrowly avoiding a c/s.







:


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## futureCPM (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *seven_lux*
I think I would feel like stabbing anyone in the eye who tried it.









: :rofl


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## MamaTaraX (Oct 5, 2004)

#1 -- I was in labors. It was AROM, it took three tries (whichis all I gave him too), I was 7cm
#2 -- in labor. My water broke, he flipped, and crowned all in one contraction, born five minutes later
#3 -- not sure. it might have broken at onset of labor or when I was in the tub. I really do not know.

Namaste, Tara


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

1) Sitting at the computer (shocker!)

2) Pushing in my birth pool

3) Getting up to pee in the middle of the night


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## LittleOne03 (Feb 7, 2004)

It broke with my first during labor, at about 4 or 5 cm, while I was peeing. With my second, it was 11:30 at night and I was sleeping. The pop sensation was enough to wake me, and I headed quickly into the bathroom. Thankfully it was just a little trickle and not a gush.







Contractions started at 5:00 am and she was here by 8:00.


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## 2+twins (Apr 20, 2004)

While pushing with 2 of my babes, while lying in bed watching tv with one of them (prior to labor by about 10-15 minutes), and just after peeing but while still sitting on the toilet (also prior to labor by about 45 min).


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## JayGee (Oct 5, 2002)

Pushing, both times. My water only broke when I was fully dialated and starting to push.


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## earthmamma (Dec 27, 2005)

I was in bed asleep at one a.m. I had a cramp, nothing major and got up to pee. It took me about fifteen minutes to figure out that it was my water. I was one of those lucky women who leaked urine during the pregnancy and at first I just thought that my dd was pushing on my bladder harder than usual. It wasn't until it kept going and I had a little bloody show that it dawned on me


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

First time, I have no idea, I was disconnected from the birth, but I assume it was while I was pushing.

Second time, after I had gone to the bathroom and just gotten back into bed. I heard a "pop" then had a little trickle.

Third, again don't know as I was in the water before pushing, so it might have happened then, and didn't have a lot of fluid with the birth.

Fourth, with a lovely gush while pushing!


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

I was laying on a hospital bed while a doctor I had never met in my life fiddled around with an amniohook trying his damndest to break my water. It didn't want to break! I asked him "What are you doing you said this wouldn't hurt" and was rather miffed at the whole thing. But my labor had pretty much stopped at that point and "something needed to be done". I am excited to see what will happen with this baby. We're having a home birth, so no one will be breaking my water or anything like that. I have this fantasy of my water breaking all over the place just as the baby comes out.







I have no idea why, but I think that's what will happen.


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## HomeBirthMommy (Mar 15, 2003)

#1-AROM at 2cm by an idiotic ob.







:

#2-broken during pushing by my midwife to avoid a huge splash in the face







(I was on a birthing stool) . I was fine with it at that point.


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## JulesP (Jun 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HomeBirthMommy*
#1-AROM at 2cm by an idiotic ob.







:


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## Full Heart (Apr 27, 2004)

#1 - Sitting on the bed watching tv
#2 - AROM
#3 - AROM
#4 - Sitting at the computer
#5 - Born in the Caul
#6 - Laying in bed in the middle of the night


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## Lisoula (Jan 9, 2006)

#1 - I was 37 weeks and 2 days. It was 10 minutes after midnight and I got out of bed because I wondered "why the heck my back keeps hurting every 5 minutes?" (Duh - those are called _contractions_!!!) and GUSH! I was home alone and just kept saying "Oh! Oh! Oh!" and called DH. (He worked midnight shift then.) Went to the hospital and was 7 cm dilated with a foot hanging out...so off for a c/s I went.

#2 - I was 37 weeks and 2 days. It was 10 minutes after midnight - notice a pattern here? - and thought I may be in early labor and had just asked DH if he had his clothes ready in case we needed to go to the hospital. He said yep and I felt a pop and thought, hmmmm, that was odd, the about 5 seconds later...GUSH - all over my bed. DS# 2 was born 5 hours later-VBAC.

#3 - After 18 hours of nasty, hard ,constant contractions and no dilitation past 3 cm's, I agreed to AROM. (I thought your labors got shorter with each baby? Someone forgot to tell DD that!







) Light meconium. VBAC 9 hours later.


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## ABand3 (May 21, 2005)

#1 - water broke during pushing
#2 - water broke during pushing
#3 - born in the caul (home waterbirth, midwife broke the sac after dd's head was born and before bringing her up to the surface)


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## ice_chick (Feb 13, 2006)

#1: Preterm birth, AROM at 5cm, DD1 born 2 hrs later

#2: I was laying in the hospital bed at 40 weeks, 3 cm dilated, waiting to be induced, but baby decided it was time for her to come without the interventions & pop, my water broke before they had a chance to give me any pit, woo hoo, DD2 born 7 hrs later

#3: c/s

#4: on the way, any day, so scared my water will break while I am out shopping!


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## gen_here (Dec 31, 2005)

Contractions started at 4 am, went back to bed at 5, woke up at 6 with a strong contraction and felt I had to pee - and my water broke as I sat up in bed.


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## MelKnee (Dec 5, 2001)

Pushing, all 3 times.


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## AllisonR (May 5, 2006)

#1: 3 days over, woke at 2:00am with mild contractions. 45 min later <i felt a pop and then some amount of water between my legs (more than a trickle, less than a gush.) I felt it, then smelled it, then tasted it (well, I wanted to be sure I hadn't peed in bed!).
Fast forward 24 or so hours, getting my first internal, mw said my waters hadn't broken, and I was still only one cm, despite the very painful cntractions. I was shocked on both accounts. Fast forward another 14 hours, still at 1-2cm, mw #4 AROM. Another 12 hours c/s. (after the 6 hours full pit and epi)

#2: will be hb in birthing tub. It is my way or the highway. No one is going to touch my waters, or do any sort of induction for ANY reason. It' will all be my way, in how/what/where and when I am comfortable and confident. Anything less than that will be a c-section, which I don't mind if there is a valid reason for it. No middle ground.


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## veganf (Dec 12, 2005)

Baby #1 - midnight, after getting up to pee, I sat down in bed again and POP!
Baby #2 - felt funny, laid down on the couch to call my husband and POP! Luckily I had just finished folding a pile of towels on the end of the couch!!
Baby #3 - TBA, but I'd be shocked NOT to have my water break first!

- Krista


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## Swirly (May 20, 2006)

I was just hitting the snooze button before i had to wake my hubby up for work. I felt my baby push downward a tad, then felt a trickle. My amniotic fluid had been low, and I thought to myself "well, now we know I have a leak." Then, a second later "GUSH" and I flew out of bed hollering "It's on!", as I gushed all over the floor, LoL. Sadly, the fluid was thick with meconium, and after a few hours of my contractions not causing me to progress sufficiently, my midwife said she had to either give me pitocin or she would resign from my case (turning me over to a doctor for a probable c-section).

I ended up having at least half of the interventions I feared; pitocin, hooked up to monitors, IV, eventually a shot of nubaine because the pitocin contractions made me want to die and since I was hooked up to every contraption known to man, few of my pain coping techniques were available to me. I was very sad at my birth, but I had not researched meconium-in-the-fluid- situations at all, so I had no idea what to expect when it happened to us.


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## Wabi Sabi (Dec 24, 2002)

My water broke in the birth pool when I was completely dilated and started to push.


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## erin_brycesmom (Nov 5, 2005)

With my first I had AROM, but with my second my water broke while I was pushing


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## sarathan (Jun 28, 2005)

With my first baby, my midwife broke my water when I was about 7 cm. dialted. With my second baby, my water broke while I was in the shower and then labor started about 45 mins. later.


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## Triciabn (Nov 6, 2005)

With my third baby I was talking to my mom (on the phone) about prepartions for New Years day. So I say, "Oh well who knows I may be busy that day....ya know having the baby." To which she answers really like a smart aleck, " Oh puhlease... it isn't like anything is going on yet" <SPLASH> I look down and I am now standing in a puddle in front of the kitchen sink trying not to burst out laughing I say, "Umm.... yeah.. you're right, nothing much happening here...I will...umm. talk to you later about what we will bring." I got off the phone and laughed so hard I probably splashed out another bucket load.
It was if on cue.
Tricia


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## Carolinamidwife (Dec 18, 2001)

My first's bag was AROM.









With my second it was 2 weeks before my EDD and I was partaking in my nightly insomnia-fest from 4:00-6:30 where I would lay in bed and watch two episodes of Family Ties and I Love Lucy. I was laying there (or is it lying?) contracting away in total denial just thinking I was having some big Braxton-Hicks as I had been having for two days (um, duh) when I felt and heard a "splop!" I had had a pulling contraction (still thinking it was BH... after, what? 3 years of midwifery training?) and felt a tiny explosion in my stomach.

I jumped out of bed (not easy when you weigh 160 pounds) and had the biggest adrenaline rush. Nothing came out so despite my knowledge that often the head blocks the flow I decided it was gas and tried to go back to bed. Dh woke up from sleeping in the other room just from the mental energy I was giving off in the bedroom. I told him to go back to sleep and he looked at me like I was nuts.

It took about 2 hours for me to finally believe it. She was born 10 hours later in a fishy pool in my room.


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## Undercover Hippie (Sep 7, 2004)

The first time my water was broken by AROM about 9 hours into my cytotec induction







: when I was 3 cm. DS was born 7 hours and a pit drip later. Not what I was hoping for at all.









The second time, a lovely homebirth, my water broke right after I began seriously pushing. My MW got soaked! DD came out with the next contraction. It was perfect!


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## EmmalinesMom (Feb 9, 2003)

First time, I was already at the hospital.

With Catie, I was at the playground with my best friend and all of our kids.


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## tash11 (Mar 12, 2006)

active labour, about 30 minutes before the birth. I was in the bathtub on my knees and felt a little gush that I knew wasnt the shower water.


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## christinelin (Aug 13, 2003)

#1 Standing in my front yard, talking to a friend. Baby wasn't born until 31 hours later.
#2 Just before pushing urge began
#3 Just before pushing urge began


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## leavemealone (Feb 16, 2005)

I was sleeping and woke up to a big gush about 1am. For some reason, I thought I'd peed myself but the leaking never stopped, so it was clearly my water breaking. It didn't gush after the initial breaking, but it was more of a slow leak afterwards.

Kathy


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