breaking bag of water

So I would NEVER have thought of this or expected my OB to offer but last appt he said he would break my water and "let me walk around L&D" at 39 weeks if I wanted.

I did some rather fast changes for non-labor going from 0-2 in a week but I have not effaced and the baby is not engaged......he says that is typical of 2nd pregnancies.

I want a natural childbirth and honestly would not have thought of saying yet but now it's in my head! (*&&^%Doctors for putting thoughts of early labor in our minds.

Anyone else have their labor induced just by breaking their water?

 

I have found with some of the research that I have done is that it is better to go into labour naturally. I know this isn't done that often anymore but some studies show that labours that have had no interventions at all have better outcomes and less medical interventions needed. In this research breaking the water was one of the interventions. I say if you are willing to wait and do it naturally than that is the best way to go. Otherwise they are trying to force your body to do something it isn't ready for yet and your labour could be more difficult. I would say go with what you are comfortable with.Good luck with your delivery.

 

I agree with the PP because I'm pretty sure when they break your water you have to be delivered within 24 hours to prevent infection. So if your body doesn't get going on it's own you would probably be given pitocin, which isn't any fun and then if things still don't progress you could end up with a c-section. I personally would wait as hard as I know that is.

 

Unless there was a medical reason for induction I think I would avoid the intervention especially since you arent effaced and baby has not engaged.
One invention usually leads to another quite like a domino effect and that will end up far from "natural" childbirth.

39 weeks you are soooo close to being done. I say let the baby enjoy its last hours/days/weeks in the comfort of your womb before it has to come out and face the world!

With the twins I went to the hospital dialted 5cm, 100% effaced, and baby A at 0 station. They tried pitocin for 4 hours and had no results. Doc broke my water at 2pm and thats when Labor really began.

 

unless there's a medical reason for it, i would say not to do it. once they've broken your water you're committed to birth that baby - so, as a PP mentioned, if breaking your water doesn't get things going, they'll start you on pitocin (which usually also means an epidural as pitocin induced contractions are often more intense & frequent than naturally occuring contractions), which can lead to fetal distress due to not enough recovery time between contractions, which will lead to an emergency c-section. or if the pitocin doesn't work, you'll have a c-section because they'll be concerned about the increased possibility of infection with having your water broken. not to mention that once your water is broken, baby is just generally at higher risk of infection because s/he is exposed to the outside world (so to speak) at that point.

there are other options for encouraging the start of labour at this stage. some non-medical options are intercourse & nipple stimulation.

other options for medical induction include cervical gels to help ripen things up - with these at least you aren't committed to giving birth. if it doesn't work than at least you can leave it & try again later. you'd want to chat with your OB about this though - there could be other reasons that he didn't recommend them to begin with.

i would encourage you to investigate your options some more. but honestly, if you really do want an unmedicated birth than i would strongly encourage you to wait it out. it can be so hard when you're so close! :hug:

 

I agree with all of the previous posters, and also wanted to add that I actually just recently read that your water should usually not be broken until the baby's head is actually engaged and ready to come down. I believe that otherwise you risk things like a prolapsed cord. Seems like a strange suggestion from your doctor anyhow...any reason why he/she would be eager to have you not go to 40 weeks?

 

I think he thinks it's a big baby (not a good reason in my book since they can be off.

More I think he knows that I have been having contractions like crazy since 28 weeks and I think he knows I am sick of them. I don't plan on taking him up but it is SOOO tempting. This AM I woke up with a cold sore though so it would be nice to go another week to not have to worry about spreading it to the baby. Any one ever had a cold sore when they gave birth - I made the mistake of looking on line.

 

ITA with other posters. I too have lots of contractions from 24 weeks on. I've had several painful ones already today. I know they are exhausting and frustrating, but hang in there. Like the others said, once your water is broken you are committed, so if your body isn't ready you'll wind up with a c/s. Doctors love managed labors because they are in the driver's seat instead of your body being there. And don't stress about it being a big baby. Doctors and even u/s can be very wrong on this... and unless the baby is over 10lbs there is no statistical significance to the size versus the odds of successful vaginal delivery. Even if the baby is over 10lbs it still doesn't have a huge impact.