Water Breaking = 12 hours to labor?

kxp004 · March 2011

Just a question that I had...

My mom said that I was born via c-section b/c her water broke and I wasn't born w/i the 12 hours... (granted this was also the 80's, and she wasn't allowed to get off the bed)

Does this still hold up now--like, do they still give you only about 12 hours and then send you for a c-section? What do the do now if this is not the case?

bensbabe · March 2011

Most practitioners will give you at least 24 hours, and that doesn't always mean you have to DELIVER in 24 hours, but you should be progressing adequately. You could not contract for a while if/when your water breaks, or they might not be regular for a while...so this is a good reason to not have the steadfast 24 hour 'delivery' rule.

ashg8r · March 2011

Also a great reason not to rush to the hospital as soon as your water breaks because you'll be "on the clock" even if you aren't having regular contractions. Even in the 80's, 12 hours seems short, my mom had to get pit after her water was broken 24 hours with me, and I think I was born a few hours later.

*LrCg* · March 2011

I think within those 12 hours you have to be in active labor, something like that- you have to be showing progress. My water broke and I didn't go into labor for over 12 hours and I remember thinking thank goodness I'm doing a homebirth because I'd be c/s by now (and I had a healthy birth and baby). It wasn't an issue with my Midwife since I never had internals so there was no risk of infection after my water broke.

abell77 · March 2011

It totally depends upon your doctor and hospital. I had a pretty rare situation where my water broke and labor did not start until nearly 72 hours later, but I was being treated by midwives and a hospital that was natural childbirth friendly.

iris427 · March 2011

It depends on the doctor. One of the reasons my OB gave me for recommending a c/s was that it had been 12 hours since my water had broken (sigh).

But I think 24+ hours is completely reasonable. 12 hours seems very short, especially for a first time mom. One of the ways they can reduce the chance of infection is to keep their hands out of your vagina instead of checking you every 2 hours.

emmyloustu · March 2011

I went 49 hours from the time my water broke until I delivered, but I was under the care of MWs. They didn't even see me the first 24 hrs because I was not in an active labor pattern. I did have to come in at 24 hrs to have a non-stress test and the baby was fine and I was in active labor so they admitted me to the birthing center. Unfortunately, I had an occipital posterior baby and labor was not progressing, my cervix was swelling, and I was dehydrated, so after being stalled for more than 12 additional hours, my MW had me transfer to the hospital for pit and antibiotics just as a precaution.

A37licia · April 2011

Lately it's 24 hours either to delivery or at least being in active, productive labor. I'm thankful that my midwife gives me 72 hours, which is evidence based.

Melanie.Brown · April 2011

It totally depends on your doctor and how you and baby are doing. Where I work a mom could be ruptured for over 24 hours and they still let her labor if everything is going well. But if mom and baby are showing signs of infection (baby is tachycardic and/or having decelerations, mom is spiking a temp, meconium is present, etc) then they will start to talk about a c/s IF the labor is not progressing.

Water Breaking = 12 hours to labor?

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