Warning Signs Before Water Breaks?

staryb · September 2014

Sorry to be starting another post on this topic but the water breaking vs contractions poll is freaking me out a little. Everything I've heard/read up until now says that it's really unlikely that water will break first and that it wont gush and be a big surprise like in the movies but the responses to the poll seem to tell a different story than most of my research.

I have been planning to work as long as possible figuring that if I start feeling contractions I'll just go home in case it's real labor. Everyone says labor takes a long time, especially for FTMs so I should have plenty of time to call DH, go home, regroup and head to the hospital but now I'm not so sure. I work over and hour away from my hospital and my mom had me within 3 hours of starting labor (or at least recognizing labor) so I was already a little bit worried but now I'm really getting anxious about it. I really don't want my water to break at work! My boss is worried about this as well (Which doesn't help AT ALL!) I think she's a little squeamish about pregnancy.

So if your water did break before contractions started did you have any warning at all? Everyone keeps saying the felt/heard a pop immediately beforehand but were there any earlier signs? Also, how soon afterwards did you give birth and were you capable of driving yourself home/to the hospital?

KariAnnM 23 · September 2014

I didn't have any warning before my water broke. I just went to the bathroom and it went GUSH! Now I did feel a pop when my placenta abrupted. :-?

MuffinMom14 · September 2014

Sorry. I had to.

golfingdarwinfish · September 2014

KariAnnM 23 said:

I didn't have any warning before my water broke. I just went to the bathroom and it went GUSH! Now I did feel a pop when my placenta abrupted. :-?

@kariAnnM 23

Can you describe that a bit more? I have a huge fear of placental abruption.

BabyBsOven · September 2014

I was in early labor for 36 hours before my water broke. I was bent over a table, rocking my hips through a contraction when I felt a little pop at the bottom of my spine. Then a little trickle of liquid down my leg. That was it. Once my water broke, I finally started to progress, going from 3cm (in 36 hours!) to 9cm in 9 hours. Baby was born in 46 hrs!

MsMacual · September 2014

I didn't have any warning signs before my water broke. I stood up and felt a little pop and a gush of fluid. I was very tired the day or so before, craved spicy foods and veggies, and lost part of my mucus plug so I sort of figured that I was getting close to going into labor. Your boss needs to chill. Maybe a friendly reminder that it is more likely that you will go into labor at home as you are at work 8ish hours per day and at home the rest of the time and on weekends will help?

[Deleted User] · September 2014

golfingdarwinfish said:

KariAnnM 23 said:

I didn't have any warning before my water broke. I just went to the bathroom and it went GUSH! Now I did feel a pop when my placenta abrupted. :-?

@kariAnnM 23

Can you describe that a bit more? I have a huge fear of placental abruption.

@KariAnnM 23‌ I would also like to know.

(Sorry for thread-jacking, OP!)

staryb · September 2014

deezidee04 said:

KariAnnM 23 said:

I didn't have any warning before my water broke. I just went to the bathroom and it went GUSH! Now I did feel a pop when my placenta abrupted. :-?

@kariAnnM 23

Can you describe that a bit more? I have a huge fear of placental abruption.
@KariAnnM 23‌ I would also like to know. (Sorry for thread-jacking, OP!)

No worries, I'm interested as well.

Eastie156 · September 2014

BabyBsOven said:

I was in early labor for 36 hours before my water broke. I was bent over a table, rocking my hips through a contraction when I felt a little pop at the bottom of my spine. Then a little trickle of liquid down my leg. That was it. Once my water broke, I finally started to progress, going from 3cm (in 36 hours!) to 9cm in 9 hours. Baby was born in 46 hrs!

46 hours?! Wow, momma.

wildflower75 · September 2014

Sorry to tell you this, I had no warning before my water broke.
If you're really worried about your water breaking at work I would stop working 2 weeks before your EDD if possible, just in case your baby decides to come early (which is what happened to me).

Maggie6424 · September 2014

I'm keeping a towel in my car and a few thick pads in my purse. Sorry your boss is being weird!!

caranichole · September 2014

When my water broke it was a tiny pop and gush but didn't soak me at all. It felt like when you sneeze and you pee a little for me.

meggiev123 · September 2014

My water didn't break until well after contractions started with DD, but my dr advised me to keep a diaper in my purse just in case. I feel like if in the grand scheme of things my water breaks at work it's not that big of a deal. My chair is plastic and black.

If you're really concerned maybe start wearing depends close to your EDD? Might not stop a gush, but would probably help a bit.

MuffinMom14 · September 2014

caranichole said:

When my water broke it was a tiny pop and gush but didn't soak me at all. It felt like when you sneeze and you pee a little for me.

This concerns me, because I get this feeling quite a bit (minus the pop). I'm kinda scared I won't know I have a leak.

Liss1481 · September 2014

My friend's water broke with no warning, just a pop and a gush. She was actually at someone else's baby shower at the time....

Ravenbaby · September 2014

I had an idea it was coming. I had been laboring on and off for week, lost my mucus plug and started nesting like I was on crack. Ive been a bit nervous about my water breaking at work this time as Ive started having some signs but my coworkers are WAY more worried than me. Its made me feel a bit better knowing your water only breaks 10% of the time. BUT I will say after my water broke, contractions hit hard I wouldn't have been able to drive an hour.

staryb · September 2014

OK, so what I'm hearing is there are no warning signs and the best advice anyone can offer is...

OK, got it

Klavanga74 · September 2014

With my first I was crampy and I think I had lost some of my mucus plug, but somehow I didn't think I was in labor. It was all barely noticeable. Then after a few hours I went to the bathroom and had a pop and big gush. With the second I was in active labor, epidural placed and they had to break my water. So, not only can it vary person to person, but it varies among pregnancies. Not the helpful answer you're looking for. If it makes you feel any better, even though I've done this twice, I'm feeling as nervous about all of it as I was the first two times!

ss265 · September 2014

Is working from home an option? I worked from home right before my due date with DS1 and am planning to do the same with this LO even though I am having a RCS.

Regarding water breaking, I felt a pop too (in fact, I think it woke me up) and when I went to the bathroom, I could definitely tell that there was fluid coming out of my vag so I knew it wasn't pee. Mine didn't gush but came out periodically and felt like a period but with more fluid. And I had no warning either. Because of the way it happened, I was able to throw a pad on and it didn't make a mess on my bed or in the car (I sat on a towel, just in case).

gooberdoofus95 · September 2014

Sorry I'm not much help here since I had to be induced with my first and the hospital broke my water. Although I am worried that this time around if my water breaks like if I'm peeing or in the shower that I won't know, but from what I've read from others is that it usually doesn't come out in one huge gush like in the movies and that it constantly leaks. So if I don't know it's broken then the constant feeling of peeing on myself is a warning sign.

I however wouldn't recommend driving yourself to the hospital or home from work when your water breaks. Every pregnancy is different and for some it takes hours before baby arrives and for others not very long. Even though I was induced I was at 3cm for hours and then they broke my water at 3:35pm and I delivered my DD at 4:17pm so it happened very quickly and I'm sure the last thing you want it for super strong contraction coming while your trying to drive or the baby for that fact! Listening to your body is probably the best thing you can do when that time comes!

crystal8503 · September 2014

I had no clue. I got up in the MOTN to use the bathroom and just as I got back into bed, something didn't feel right and I hightailed it back to the bathroom. Mine was a gush and it just kept flowing. I waited it out on the toilet for a few minutes, then took a shower, and sat on a towel until I was ready to get dressed to leave. I sat on a towel in the car as well because I was still leaking at that point, just way slower and a lot less.

pepperpotts317 · September 2014

I knew something was up that day. I wasn't hungry and I had some discharge that was runnier and smelled faintly sweet (weird!). I went to sit down on the toilet and felt a pop. I actually did have a towel with me and had time to run home and take a quick rinse before heading to the hospital (DH drove). Contractions didn't start until I was in the car headed to the hospital. I was 40 weeks 1 day.

BabyBsOven · September 2014

@eastie156 It was all early labor. I could talk through contractions and they were between 10 and 20 min apart so it wasn't that bad. It was after my water broke that shit got real (not to scare anyone)!

Keeping a towel in the car sounds like a great idea! I didn't even think of that. Also, panties, pads, and pants are a great idea to keep in your desk if your worried at work. I already have a cover on my mattress just in case.

edit: quote fail

megsandjohn · September 2014

If my boss was being weird about it that would make me hope it happened at work and made a big awkward mess just cuz I'm a bitch like that.

I would also be tempted to fake my water breaking just to freak her out.

2goingon3 · September 2014

The statistic of women whose water breaks before they're in active labor is pretty low (something like 10% or 30%, I can't remember which one) so I wouldn't dwell on this too much! It's far more likely that you'll head to the hospital with contractions, and your water will break there.

swizz09 · September 2014

SPurp13 said:

caranichole said:

When my water broke it was a tiny pop and gush but didn't soak me at all. It felt like when you sneeze and you pee a little for me.

This concerns me, because I get this feeling quite a bit (minus the pop). I'm kinda scared I won't know I have a leak.

I had that exact worry yesterday which had me at the hospital to get checked out. That was unbelievably not fun though. A speculum suuuucks.

sagegoodenough · September 2014

I didn't feel anything but a trickle. After telling doctors for 3 days my water broke, and fevers of 105, they did an ultrasound to see I had no amniotic fluid left around baby. They tried to induce me and failed so I ended up with an emergency c section.

My case is EXTREMELY rare though so don't psych yourself out. I had a lot of other complications that caused my water to break

ashwri1015 · September 2014

I thought there was a 24 hour rule? My doctor said if you go over 24 hours in labour they do a c section...how is 46 hours possibly healthy for the baby and why the hell did they not do something sooner?! Lol I would of been mad!

rapaulson · September 2014

If I remember right, I lost my mp and had bloody show in the morning about 14 hours before my water broke. I still assumed it could be days and wasn't expecting it. I tripped over my dog that evening, caught myself, went to bed, felt some leakage, and made it to the toilet before a gush. Baby was born 28 hours later.

golfingdarwinfish · September 2014

ashwri1015 said:
I thought there was a 24 hour rule? My doctor said if you go over 24 hours in labour they do a c section...how is 46 hours possibly healthy for the baby and why the hell did they not do something sooner?! Lol I would of been mad!

I think some hospitals have a rule about how long the baby can be in a dry environment (ie still in utero after water broke) due to increased risk of infection and complications. At least that's what I have heard about a few NYC hospitals.

swizz09 · September 2014

golfingdarwinfish said:

ashwri1015 said:
I thought there was a 24 hour rule? My doctor said if you go over 24 hours in labour they do a c section...how is 46 hours possibly healthy for the baby and why the hell did they not do something sooner?! Lol I would of been mad!
I think some hospitals have a rule about how long the baby can be in a dry environment (ie still in utero after water broke) due to increased risk of infection and complications. At least that's what I have heard about a few NYC hospitals.

Yeah I was in L&D on Tuesday because I thought my water had broken on Monday. My gut told me it didn't but my head said "what if" so we went in.

I got lectured 3 times about how you have to be in within 24 hours of your water breaking to avoid risk of serious infection. Whoopsy-doodles.

ashwri1015 · September 2014

Ya my hospital says when water breaks if baby isn't out in 24 hours a c section is performed but if it's just labour contractions they'll send you home. I've been so many time where I've been having SERIOUS contractions and the nurses send me home without calling my doctor. & they sent me home because my contractions aren't 5 minutes apart. They just say ok well if your water breaks come back, but not all peoples water breaks right? It's my first kid so I'm just confused why I have all these serious contractions to where I'm in tons of pain and I feel like I could push but the nurses send me and my husband home and say "wait till your water breaks" and I've had discharge of mucas plug (without a bloody show) pieces and they just say it's probably from intercourse...my husband and I haven't had intercourse in 3 weeks because thats what they told us before so we stopped, but the same nurse keeps saying it's just semen from the last time we had sex...doesn't it die within 5 days..? Just confused lol

MuffinMom14 · September 2014

ashwri1015 said:
Ya my hospital says when water breaks if baby isn't out in 24 hours a c section is performed but if it's just labour contractions they'll send you home. I've been so many time where I've been having SERIOUS contractions and the nurses send me home without calling my doctor. & they sent me home because my contractions aren't 5 minutes apart. They just say ok well if your water breaks come back, but not all peoples water breaks right? It's my first kid so I'm just confused why I have all these serious contractions to where I'm in tons of pain and I feel like I could push but the nurses send me and my husband home and say "wait till your water breaks" and I've had discharge of mucas plug (without a bloody show) pieces and they just say it's probably from intercourse...my husband and I haven't had intercourse in 3 weeks because thats what they told us before so we stopped, but the same nurse keeps saying it's just semen from the last time we had sex...doesn't it die within 5 days..? Just confused lol

What does you doctor say about these nurses?

Dubsgirlie · September 2014

KariAnnM 23 said:
I didn't have any warning before my water broke. I just went to the bathroom and it went GUSH! Now I did feel a pop when my placenta abrupted. :-?

I didn't have any warning signs for water breaking or my placental abruption. :-/ good luck!

golfingdarwinfish · September 2014

@dubsgirlie Eeeekkk!! How did you know your placenta 'abrupted'? Pain? Bleeding? I'm so paranoid re: placenta issues....

shunt1983 · September 2014

of 3 labors its broke on its on before labor once i woke up thought i peed on mylself ran to bathroom and continued to trikle. I was 35 weeks soon after that I called because I had go the bathroom alot as well. Contractions started an hour later 5 min apart.

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