Water breaking at work

theseaword · May 2012

If your water breaks at work, what?s your plan? Have someone drive you/take a cab to the hospital (then have someone pick up your car later)? Drive home yourself? Have a coworker drive you home (then have someone pick up your car later)? My work is close to my hospital and my home. Ideally, in the unlikely event this occurs, I would prefer to drive myself home and then wait for my husband before going over to the hospital, but I don?t know if that?s completely insane.

oohgrrl11 · May 2012

I was so scared of this happening! It is my employer's policy to call you an ambulance. Ugh.

PaulnSabrina · May 2012

My house is close to work and to the hospital. My plan would be to drive myself home, call my husband, labor at home as long as possible and then have him drive us to the hospital.

Ms Molly · May 2012

I would probably drive myself the 10 minutes home to labor as long as possible, then have DH drive me to the hopsital when we're ready.

Jitterbug2668 · May 2012

Oh these guys here work die if my water breaks here and they're a bunch of cops but I do have a plan a) next week prob bring a towel into work to sit on and keep a change of clothes handy b) if it does break here, I'm going to consider how far dialated/effaced I am because the hospital I'm delivering at is an hour away c) have one of them drive me there code 1 because they can! and d) have one of my relatives, prob my dad and uncle drive up to DC to pick my car up. e) god forbid there's no way I'm making it to the hospital, I'm instructing them to take me to George Washington Hospital.

danieliza1127 · May 2012

It really depends. A lot of people's water will break but contractions don't really start right away. If that was the case, I would just go straight home and wait until my doctor tells me to go to the hospital. My hospital says when your water breaks, call your doctor and only come in when they tell you to come in. What I've read is common is when you're having contractions about 5 minutes apart that last for 1 minute. I'm hoping to hold off going to the hospital until that happens.

LM915 · May 2012

ugh, I really hope this doesn't happen at work! If it does, I will most likely drive myself home (I live about 5 mins away). I will wait for DH to get home and then either head to the hospital together or labor at home for some time.

katmacwv · May 2012

My water broke at work (in the bathroom) with my first. I called my OB from the bathroom and was told to go to the hospital so they could check to make sure it was my water. One of the girls got a pad to stick in my underwear while another girl pulled her car around to take me to the hospital. They got me to triage and waited until my H got there before leaving. I work in a different office now, but I think I would go the same route- either that or wait for my H to come pick me up from work since it would probably only take him 10-15 minutes to get to my office and the hospital is less than 5 minutes from my office. I was so uncomfortable after my water broke, I can't imagine driving myself anywhere if I had other options. I should mention that we were planning a c-section, so I didn't have a concern about waiting for my labor to progress.

We worried about my car after the fact when someone else took DH to the parking garage to get my car. Since I have a reserved spot in a garage, it wasn't a big deal for it to stay in the garage for a few nights.

Ladiebug710 · May 2012

I'd go home and then to the hospital. Who wants to worry about picking up a car later. Unless I have group B strep, becuase in that case I'd want the first dose of antibiotics ASAP.

APendola · May 2012

My husband works downtown and we live close, so he'll be taking transit to work and won't drive - so he wouldn't be able to come pick me up. I drive to work. My husband thinks that I should take a cab to the hospital and leave the car at my office. He's worried that I'll be too stressed to drive or that if I'm having contractions I won't be able to drive. He would take a cab to the hospital and we'd just get the car later as my work doesn't have any parking charges/restrictions.

I don't know if I agree with his plan. Just because your water breaks, it doesn't mean that you'll be delevering the baby right away or that your are even experiencing contractions right away. In my prenatal class, they said I should go to the hospital to get checked out if my water breaks, but they will send me home if I'm not in active labour yet. They'll give you instructions on when to come back as they usually want you to have your baby within 24 hours of water breaking. So I think maybe I could drive myself to the hospital and meet him there ... or I'd have time to wait 20-30 minutes for him to take a cab to my office.

Chellezy · May 2012

Ladiebug710:
I'd go home and then to the hospital. Who wants to worry about picking up a car later. Unless I have group B strep, becuase in that case I'd want the first dose of antibiotics ASAP.

Ditto.

sheilatakesabow · May 2012

I know someone this happened to: her water broke while she was in a meeting with me and another co-worker to discuss taking over one of her projects! She wasn't having contractions yet, so she headed home via a taxi, labored at home for awhile, and then went to the hospital when things picked up in the middle of the night.

And it wasn't the dramatic burst that you see in movies, she just stood up suddenly, looking rather alarmed, and announced that she had to go to the bathroom and walked out. We didn't even realize what had happened until she told us later.

rubber_chicken · May 2012

only 10% of women will have labor start with their water breaking. most women have their water broken for them much later in the process.

caseysue55 · May 2012

I'll have someone drive me home in my car and another coworker follow to bring them back. I'm 30 minutes from home but home is only 10 minutes from the hospital, so hopefully I can labor at home for awhile before heading to the hospital.

My coworkers are so excited for this baby to come. I think they are hoping my water breaks at work. A couple have called dibs on who is driving me .

Oh and I really like the idea of keeping a towel at work! Good thinking.

lauren1204 · May 2012

I honestly don't know. This is kind of a huge fear of mine. I live over a half hour from work and my hospital is about an hour away. I also carpool. I'd probably have to call my mom who lives/works nearby and have her come get me. If I actually had my car I'd just give my keys to one of my carpool co-workers to take home. I really, really hope this doesn't happen.

lach1137 · May 2012

caseysue55:

I'll have someone drive me home in my car and another coworker follow to bring them back. I'm 30 minutes from home but home is only 10 minutes from the hospital, so hopefully I can labor at home for awhile before heading to the hospital.

My coworkers are so excited for this baby to come. I think they are hoping my water breaks at work. A couple have called dibs on who is driving me .

Oh and I really like the idea of keeping a towel at work! Good thinking.

I'll be doing something similar, except having someone drive me to the hospital with someone else following (about 10-15 minutes away) rather than home (which is at least an hour depending on traffic). Then they can park my car at the hospital parking garage and they can go back to work. My husband is a 10 minute walk to the hospital from his work, and he takes the train in...so will work perfectly.

My issue is what happens if I am working from home when I need to head to the hospital...since my DH will be an hour away in the city working..THAT we haven't figured out yet...

dreambig527 · May 2012

My plan is to just keep my fingers crossed that this doesn't happen! lol

My work is about 45 minutes-1hr away from home and hospital. I guess depending on pains and contractions, I'd drive myself if possible- it's so far out of anyone at work's way to drive me anywhere and they'd probably be required to call me an ambulance. Then I'd call my husband to come get me from home.

Honestly though, when it starts to get super close, I may ask my dr. to write a note requesting I work from home for the last week or two so I don't have to worry about it.

ljanette85 · May 2012

oohgrrl11:
I was so scared of this happening! It is my employer's policy to call you an ambulance. Ugh.

you have a EVERY right to refuse an ambulance, or any help for that matter, just so you know!

sdtaylor02 · May 2012

I feel like I have been the only one told this based on other responses, but I was always told that you had to get to the hospital within an hour after your water breaking. The risk for infection is supposed to be a lot higher once you don't have that barrier for the baby. Maybe it is a location thing, but that is what I heard. This is one of my worst fears so I just hope it is like with my last baby and my dr has to break my water at the hospital.

celestialnyte · May 2012

My coworkers water broke at work at 37 1/2 weeks (maybe closer to 38). Another coworker drove her to the hospital, which was an hour away. The next day her brother came and got her car.

trish051003 · May 2012

My water broke at home with both of my kids. Before I went into any kind of labor. My first was a pop and a gush. My second was a trickle. I had to lay down and get up and walk around before I confirmed it was my water. With both I took a shower, shaved my legs, then headed in. With my first they told me to come in asap. 32 hours later I had the baby. With the second, I waited to call the dr. Called the dr, they said come in when contractions are 5 min apt. I called them at 8 am. Nothing was happening by 12 - so I called back and they said to come in. Not before I stopped at Chick-fil-a - I was NOT going to go 32 hours w/ out eating again!!!

Sit on a waterproof pad - I got an assortment of sizes at walmart - one for my bed, one for the couch, others for the kids - great buy!

Have trash bags ready to sit on too. If it breaks because you'll keep leaking. Bring some huge pads or depends to keep at the office. And a change of pants.

I'd have someone drive you.

Good luck!

InfinityDreamer · May 2012

Mine broke at home in the evening and it wasn't at all like in the movies. There was no screaming and immediate contractions or anything wild. I put my oldest to bed, cleaned my bathroom, baked a few batches of cookies to serve anyone who happened to stop in and called my midwife. I went about life regularly, and even walked around at the park for several hours the next day before contractions finally started.

I work from home but if I were out alone I would probably just finish whatever I was doing if I hadn't completely soaked my pants and then drive myself home.

happyhoopla · May 2012

I work in the NICU, so I'll just waddle down the hallway to L&D. Smile

ccthatsme21 · May 2012

Jitterbug2668:
Oh these guys here work die if my water breaks here and they're a bunch of cops but I do have a plan a) next week prob bring a towel into work to sit on and keep a change of clothes handy b) if it does break here, I'm going to consider how far dialated/effaced I am because the hospital I'm delivering at is an hour away c) have one of them drive me there code 1 because they can! and d) have one of my relatives, prob my dad and uncle drive up to DC to pick my car up. e) god forbid there's no way I'm making it to the hospital, I'm instructing them to take me to George Washington Hospital.

Are you delivering at Calvert?? Just curious... I live in Waldorf

kami1977 · May 2012

My water broke with DS, my first, right before a doctor's appointment. My doctor checked me but since I wasn't dialated or contracting, she let me drive home. I went home got my DH and went back to the hospital. Due to traffic this probably took about four hours and I still hadn't started contracting. It took 9 hours for contractions to start and 20 hours from the time my water broke to deliver DS. Unless you immediately start contracting it isn't an emergeceny to get to the hospital right away.

pnf112208 · May 2012

My DD attends daycare at my office, and I have the carseat, which adds a big wrinkle for me. My plan is to work from home the last 2 weeks (DD was born 1 week before EDD) and carry towels and a trash bag in my car JIC. If it breaks prior to 38 weeks, my parents are 15 minutes from my office, and DH is about 30 mins. My dad can access the site, so I could potentially leave my car and carseat here, if DH can be here to pick me up.

iljennli · May 2012

I work for 2 male attorneys and both of them have 2 children so we did discuss the plan in the event that my water breaks while I'm here at work. I live about 20 minutes away from my office and my office is about 10 minutes away from the hospital. This weekend I have to finish packing my bag, but it will be going in the trunk of my car along with a towel and plastic garbage bag so that I have it on me at all times. If my water breaks, one of my boss's will take me to the hospital in my car and the other will follow us. After the baby is born, my mom will end up driving my car to my house and my husband will drive her back to her house.

BlessedSongstress · May 2012

Everyone is different. With DS, my water broke at 2am and I went from having 2 contractions 20 minutes apart to having them every 3 minutes on the way to the hospital. Remembering this - I would NOT drive after my water breaks. Those things are intense and I wouldn't be able to concentrate on the pain AND driving.

My plan is to have a co-worker drive me to the hospital if I my water breaks here since it's A LOT closer to work than home (a 3 minute drive).

LilBigBug · May 2012

Wow, I've been trying to figure out what to do if my water breaks while at work. I just asked hubby if I should drive (there is a hospital literally down the street from where I work, though it's not the one I plan on delivering at), or get somebody to drive me. He told me I should call an ambulance, and the'll take me to the hospital. I guess that works too? Hopefully it doesn't break at work, and Sylvia decides to wait until I'm either home or at the in-law's house (they live closer to the hospital than we do).

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