In labor, breaking a woman's water may be futile

[snopes]

Often, a pregnant woman has just been assigned a hospital bed when her doctor pops in to break her water -- supposedly a way to get the show on the road. But new research suggests the procedure may do no such thing.

http://www.latimes.com/features/heal...,5075232.story

[lunchlady]

My water broke naturally, but DD wasn't delivered for another 6 days. She just wasn't ready to give up her snug hideaway.

[Zorro]

My water broke naturally at 11:30pm. The Zorrling wasn't delivered until 9:07pm the next night.

[stalker]

My sack (fnar, fnar) was cut when I was being born.

When I got out, I had a cut across the top of my head where they'd snipped me when they cut the sack. I was also, apparently, bright purple.

My Dad always tells me that I looked so scary he wanted me put back!

[annabohly]

When the doc broke my water for the twins, they were delivered 30 minutes later.

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

I had four babies, and my water never broke on its own. The doctor always broke it after I got past 9-10 centimeters.

At my third birth, the doctor wanted to hurry me along (something about a hurricane coming) and wanted to break my membranes when I was at only 4 centimeters. I told him no (one of the few assertive moments in my life) because I didn't believe it would speed things enough to compensate for the amount of pain I knew I'd be in as soon as the head started pressing against my bones with no amniotic cushion.

[carter108]

Out of my four deliveries two of them the sack broke on its own and two of them the doctor did the breaking. I noticed a big comfort difference when it happened naturally. I had the urge to push before I was fully dilated when the doctor did the breaking.

[kismet]

Plus, breaking the water prematurely exposes baby to risk of infection. So it's not just that it probably doesn't help, it may hurt. Also, once the membrane is ruptured, doctors will not let labor go on for too long (because of the infection risk they just created). So even if rupturing doesn't speed progress, it still starts the clock for a c-section due to "failure to progress."

[guruwan2b]

With my first daughter, the doctor tried breaking my water after the second day of inducing. A tiny bit of water dribbled out, so he tried again... no water. When my daughter finally came out she had a scratch on her head where he had tried to break thru....

If I recall correctly, none of my kids had much fluid around them....

I had a slow leak with my first birth, so the water was mostly gone when I went into labor. But as soon as the doctor went in to rupture the bag I went into hard labor and delivered in 45 minutes. With my son, I was at 4 cm being induced and they were turning off the pitocin to wait for the next day, and a doctor gave me an extremely rough exam. A minute later the water broke, and 45 minutes later I delivered. I think breaking the water probably helps for some people. No guarantees though.

[notjustnebodee]

Originally Posted by carter108

Out of my four deliveries two of them the sack broke on its own and two of them the doctor did the breaking. I noticed a big comfort difference when it happened naturally. I had the urge to push before I was fully dilated when the doctor did the breaking.

The doctor had to break my water, and I had the urge to puch at only 9 1/2 cm. I almost cried when they told me a i wasnt ready. I also pushed for 2 hours, though I dont know if that has anything to do with it.

After my water broke (either by doctor or on it's own) I delivered in less than 15 minutes. It did work for me but I experience precipitous labor so I don't know how accurate it would be for the average woman.

[Ms. K]

I think, that just like all things labor and delivery wise, it really depends on the woman giving birth, and what her body will and won't do.

In my case, the doctor did not break my sack of water, but once I was moved from an exam room to delivery, and was at 7cm dilated, my water broke on its own, and I progressed from 7cm to 9cm within an hour.

Early labor lasted three days, active/hard labor lasted two hours, pushing lasted fifteen minutes, and whammo! Baby was born. And I had no desire to EVER do that again!

[Tzarina]

Let's see:

- Amnio at 10am
- Pitocin started at 11am
- Water broken by doctor at 2pm
- water gushes with every contraction for over an hour. Nurses laugh at the mess, Holley is mortified.
- Pain that feels like a steel spike in my spine begins. We find out kid is face up.
- Pushing begins at about 4.
- C-section because the contractions won't let up at 8:30. (one solid contraction for about an hour)
- Kid born at 8:50.

Somewhere in there the anesthesiologist came in and said I couldn't have an epidural, due to some spinal damage that I have. I had nothing for pain until my spinal before the c-section.

Before they broke my water I was ok. After that I was in so much pain, I couldn't think. I wish they had waited.

[smackmac]

Originally Posted by lunchlady

My water broke naturally, but DD wasn't delivered for another 6 days. She just wasn't ready to give up her snug hideaway.

SIX DAYS!!! I would think they would have done a c-section because....

Originally Posted by kismet

Plus, breaking the water prematurely exposes baby to risk of infection. So it's not just that it probably doesn't help, it may hurt. Also, once the membrane is ruptured, doctors will not let labor go on for too long (because of the infection risk they just created). So even if rupturing doesn't speed progress, it still starts the clock for a c-section due to "failure to progress."

This is what I was always told. Don't break the water unless delivery is imminent.

They broke for DS#1 when I was (I think) 9 cm. For DS#2, my water broke on its own, but labor still didn't progress well (I was induced). The doctor came in after I was in hard labor for about 12 hours and said if I wasn't dialated enough, he was going for the emergency c-section. Thank DOYC that I was dialated enough.

[lunchlady]

Originally Posted by smackmac

SIX DAYS!!!

I was in every day for bloodwork, pelvic exam and the belt to check the girlies status and progress. Their count was 4-5 weeks early (my count 2 weeks early) and we wanted to wait to make sure her lungs were ready. My midwife was calm, telling me to keep lots of fluids going, showers only, watch out for bleeding and whatnot. On the 6th day, I finally dilated beyond 2-3 and they started Pitocin (hate that stuff, kicks like a mule ) and delivered in 6.5 hours.

If it had gone on much longer, the midwife would have brought in a surgeon consult and we likely would've c-sectioned. I was terribly resistant to the idea, though.

Midwife and the nurse thought my choice of listening was unique. I didn't know moms-to-be were supposed to listen to whale song or Mozart or soft music. I like comedy shows and after all, it was almost April Fool's day

Does it bug anyone else that we're cautioned that "questions remain" and "some of the research was of inferior quality" this study that shows a lack of benefit ... but we aren't pointed to a study that shows a benefit?

Oh, for the day when all routine interventions are research-based, and the protocols for non-routine ones, as well.


Personal history, since that's what we're doing:
#1: Water broken at 7 cm, hellish contrxns followed, baby born within the hour
#2: Water broken at 9 cm (husband protesting), baby born within 15 minutes.
#3: Water broke spontaneously on second push, baby born within 15 minutes.

[kismet]

smackmac, one of the reasons the risk of infection is so high after membranes are ruptured prematurely is that the mother is in the hospital. Doctors keep sticking their fingers in there to check dilation. If the mother is at home, avoids soaking in the bath and any other activity that might introduce infection into the vaginal area, ruptured membranes are a much smaller risk of infection.

Originally Posted by kismet

smackmac, one of the reasons the risk of infection is so high after membranes are ruptured prematurely is that the mother is in the hospital. Doctors keep sticking their fingers in there to check dilation. If the mother is at home, avoids soaking in the bath and any other activity that might introduce infection into the vaginal area, ruptured membranes are a much smaller risk of infection.

Indeed. Going to a hospital with a doctor you trust helps. A woman doesn't need to be checked hourly. Most women know when it's time to push, even with an epidural.

My first birth was like that, with nurses wanting to check every forty to sixty minutes. My second and third was a lot more laid back, with them asking if I wanted to be checked.