# encouraging your waters to break?



## chazzette

hiya

I was wondering if any of you have tips on how to encourage your waters to break during the last week of pregnancy?

Obviously i would never dream of DIY sweeps or anything stupid but didnt know if anything else helps.

I have a birthing ball and have been gently bouncing on that. is there any other exercises i can do on it?

any other suggestions? Am desperate for things to be moving more than they are lol

cheers x


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## holywoodmum

dunno, i've heard going up stairs sideways can be good to encourage head lower, or walking along the footpath with one foot in road, the other up (sideways rocking motion) and then come back the other foot up...


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## Kimboowee

Mine broke on my ball lol but when I was in hospital they told me to walk up and down the stairs, not partical way though. Good luck!


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## LesleyP

Walking... lots and lots of walking haha!


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## happygirl666

iv been told walking aswell so thats what i do walk clean walk ... lol thats all i seem to do 
when I have the energy


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## happygirl666

some one please help i want something to happen i feel so ill help help help


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## LankyDoodle

You don't WANT your waters to break before labour starts, because particularly in first pregnancies, you are not 100% likely to start labour straight away and infection risk is doubled after 24 hours of waters breaking and baby still inside, then increases after 48 hours and so-on. You will need to be induced around 24 hrs after your waters break if established labour has not begun (established meaning regular contractions and dilation from 3cm onwards). Induction leads to a whole host of other complications (or it can) such as increased fetal distress and possible c-section.

I was induced 36 hrs after my waters broke because despite painful dry contractions that had been coming between 4 and 20 minutes apart since about 1 hour after my waters went, all they'd done was soften and thin the cervix. I was given a bishop's score of 3 and told I'd not start labour for maybe days on my own. So I had my show and niggly pains/tummy ache all day Sat, then Sat night my waters broke, all day Sun I had these irregular contractions and was induced on the Monday morning with a pessary (they will only give one due to risk of infection and you are also likely to need more monitoring if your waters have been broken a while). I did OK on my own for a long time and managed with no pain relief until 6cm dilated. Then I had to go on the drip, baby started to become distressed, was prepared for needing a section etc. I delivered naturally on Tuesday morning. Established labour was recorded as being 24 hours give or take, but I'd also had 24 hours of irregular contractions and before that I'd had niggles for 24 hours!

It really isn't worth the extra pain, intervention (possible) and disappointment afterwards.

Your baby will come when they want to. Mine came on her due date and I'd rather she'd come 10 WEEKS late than go through that again.


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## calais

Id say walking but not everyones waters break. Mine didnt till i was 9cms.
Id rather be dilating first so that there was no hurry to get bubs out because once your water breaks they want em on 24hrs


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## emsiee

I dont think there is much you can do, besides, as previous posters have said, you dont want your waters breaking before you start to dilate.

Keep going on that birthing ball and do lots of walking. :flower:


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