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After water breaks, how soon to the hospital?

mamatoriamamatoria
in Natural Birth
My first baby was high risk and my water broke a month early and ended up having a c-section. With my second, I went to the hospital as soon as my water broke, had an uncomplicated VBAC after 11 hours of labor-20 min pushing. Now that I've been through it, I'm wondering if I should stay at home for a while if my water breaks and labor in semi-comfort (if things go down that way:)). My contractions never started until after my water broke, and I obviously didn't progress too quickly-I needed pitocin with the VBAC (so my OB said), and I'd like to avoid that this time. Anybody else stay at home for a while after your water broke? 
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Re: After water breaks, how soon to the hospital?

  • Temp76535187505890Temp76535187505890
    Well, yes and no. Depends in how long you consider "a while" to be! My water broke, contractions started about an hour or more later. I labored at home for a few more hours and then headed to the midwifery center. Once there Dd was born 11 minutes later. So in the scheme of my labor I was at home for most of it but it was only about 4 hours because the entire labor was only 5. But even if it was longer, I had no intentions of going in until I was nearing or in transition unless I was nearing the 24 hour mark.
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  • papagenapapagena member
    As long as you're not GBS+, I'd imagine you can stay at home until you'd normally go in for just contractions.  you'd also want to be aware that they'll most likely put you on a clock after your water breaks - hospitals often say they want baby out 24 hours after your water breaks (I believe) although if you adhere to Ina May's thinking, it is safe to go much longer, provided you don't stick anything up your vagina which would possibly cause infection for you and baby.
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  • newlywed827newlywed827
    My water broke at 2am and we labored at home until about 1pm the next day.  My contractions were 3-4 minute apart at that time and I arrived at the hospital 6cm dilated.  I am so glad that I stayed at home that long...I think It really helped me achieve my natural birth.  Good Luck!
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  • CheriCOCheriCO
    My water broke around 1am and real labor started by around 3am.  We stayed home until I felt like I really needed to go to the hospital (~30min drive away), was really working through contractions, etc.  We got to the hospital & checked in around 8:30am.  I had DS 4hrs later.
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  • mamatoriamamatoria
    I posted on the natural birth page about this before I read your reply-I was GBS + with my last baby-didn't know until I got to the hospital and they looked up my labs. What's the big deal with GBS-is it really that much of a complication-I would have thought my OB would have let me know sooner if it were. I know the hospital had to draw blood cultures on my son after he was born because I hadn't gotten a full dose of abx before he was born. wouldn't it make more sense to just give oral abx at home as soon as my doc knows I'm +? Oh, and if I was + last time, will I be with this pregnancy too? Don't know with my first because I was never checked-he was born a month early & c-section, so I just got the intra-op abx. I don't want to be put on a clock (or pitocin!) so I'd rather be at home as long as possible.
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