Home birth

Amanda - posted on 06/03/2011

Trust your body...it knows what it needs to do to deliver your baby. Fear and anxiety will only lead to complications. Trust yourself!

Heather - posted on 01/09/2011

Keep in mind that once you break the waters, your baby is at more risk of infection. The longer the water stays intact, the better. If you have a natural labor, I would not worry about things not progressing.

Angela - posted on 12/09/2010

My first the water broke in early labor. She was posterior and at the time I had no idea there was anything you could do for a posterior baby (I didn't even know that was her position until she was born). That labor didn't go as I planned but it was a vaginal birth.

The second labor: the membranes never ruptured until baby was coming out and the midwife was trying very hard to break it with her gloved hand. I know my daughter would have come out in the bag if it wasn't for that.

22 hours total for the first (about 10 hours from the rupture to the birth)
8 hours total for the second (only the last 2 hours were what I would really call LABOR).

Rachel - posted on 08/03/2010

Your labor can still progress quickly without breaking your water. In fact, you will find that it is less painful and easier on you and your baby too. You can read some good stories about other women's experiences at http://bringbirthhome.com/. You are also welcome to read about my home birth experience at rhiser.wordpress.com

Mason - posted on 06/14/2010

I'll play devil's advocate :)

I've seen many a birth for a mama having her second or subsequent baby where breaking the water brought the baby almost immediately. For a first time mama sometimes it's the difference between home birth and hospital transport.
Just presenting the other side :)

Mason, midwife

Jenny - posted on 02/25/2010

My labour with my second was only 45 min, my water didn't break until just before she was born.

Shaina - posted on 01/06/2010

It's actually considered by the medical community a minor complication if your water breaks before you are in active labor. Mine broke early with my first, but didn't break until I was pushing with my 3rd.

Allison - posted on 01/01/2010

My labor with my second son progressed quickly and naturally with no interventions. From the time of my first contraction until my son was here was only 6 hours. I had been drinking red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) infusions throughout the pregnancy. Red raspberry strengthens the uterus to make contractions more efficient. A strong brew of red raspberry taken at the onset of labor is said to help you progress. I drank 1 qt of this infusion about 1 hour into my labor. My contractions broke my water about 2 hours later.

Nettie - posted on 12/15/2009

Oh, and from personal experience- the first one was popped for me, the 2nd 2 kids didn't pop until I was pushing the baby out. A lot smoother, and slippery, so naturally it's easier to push out!!

Nettie - posted on 12/15/2009

I'll just ditto what everyone else has said. You want to have that sack there for safety issues, and from reading all these posts, it looks like it doesn't really shorten or lengthen the time of labor.



Trust your instincts, be informed. Breaking the water is a practice they do in the hospital, not in natural birth.

Lauren - posted on 12/08/2009

I just had my second child at home. The labor and delivery were very graceful (first one was very hard and long). It was just under four hours at home and my water bag didn't break until the VERY end. I was 10 cm dilated with a big bag of water still totally intact. I got out of the tub and the midwives let me push with my own urges. After a half hour of intermittent pushing (I didn't feel totally commited yet) and letting my uterus do most of the work, my bag of water broke exlosively soaking the room! It was hilarious and wonderful! I was a little tired after that and so I TOOK A NAP for a half hour while my contractions got stronger again! Crazy! Then I stood up, and pushed the baby out in one contraction! No tearing! It might has sped things up slightly had I broken the water bag, but, in my gut, I feel like it wouldn't have happened so smoothly. That little girl was READY to come out when she came and it was SOOOOOOOOOO easy. Hope that helps! Hope you have a wonderful labor and birth!

Karen - posted on 11/23/2009

I recently birthed my second child in an unplanned homebirth....(although my husband and I were thrilled because we had originally wanted homebirth but couldn't afford it). I started labor at 10:30 and the baby was born at 6:30, so things in my opinion moved right along, especially when I got closer to the end....I went from light contractions to pushing in about 45 minutes My water didn't break until I pushed out her head, so I don't believe that keeping the waters intact impedes labor at all. It is actually better for the baby because they have a sort of cushion on the way out. My daughter had the most beautifully formed head. Plus, I believe it decreases chances of infection, etc.

However, it is your body. If you truly feel uncomfortable with the thought, have a talk with your midwife and don't be afraid to be your own advocate.

Stephanie - posted on 11/21/2009

With my second baby, he would not drop. I was in labor 2 days (I was with my 1st also). My midwife said to call her when my water broke...because baby boy was not low enough. She told me when I have a contration to push with it to drop baby boy and to try squatting. Well I was squatting and felt a contraction so I started pushing with it....pop went my water!!! It did not speed up my labor at all; I pushed with my contratctions for 4 more hours (not fully dialated) to move baby boy down. When he finally did drop he was born in like 4 pushes. 9lb 13oz 23in
So long story short...your body will do what it needs to get that baby out...when that baby is ready to come. Dont fret the small stuff; like getting your water broken. It will be wonderful!!!

Dawn - posted on 04/06/2009

By breaking your bag of water, you increase your chances of infection. That is why in a hospital, they give you 24 hours, and then whisk you away for a c-section if you haven't delivered. With your eighth child, I would hope your labor goes fast. Relax and let nature take its course. At home birth experience is so much different from a hospital birth. My midwife told me to get off the toilet w/ my 2nd one. I swear I had to pee. She wasn't there yet (they missed the first one, too), gravity pulls that baby down. Sit on an exercise ball, it can work great wonders. Good luck!!!!!

Nóra - posted on 04/01/2009

My water broke half an hour before labour. My contractions never got strong, I was in labour for 63 hours....And I don't think having your water broken or not matters at all

Bethany - posted on 03/30/2009

The only real difference (from what I've studied, at least) is that the contractions feel harder once the water breaks or is broken, because there is nothing to cushion the baby's head pushing down on your pelvis. It shouldn't make a difference in the length of labor. Also, as a general rule, unnatural intervention tends to lengthen labor unless the baby is ready to come anyway.

Kathy - posted on 03/30/2009

out of my 3 births, the longest was my first baby. his waters broke even before i was in labour. 33 hrs later he was born. my quickest was my 3rd baby. his waters broke in the same contraction that his head came out. his birth was a bit like being spewed forth from a whale:-)hence his name, Jonah. my belief in birth is leave it alone as much as you can. trust in your body and in your baby. statistics show that interfering has a snowball effect - needing more interferance. the waters are there to protect your baby during the labour also. inform yourself, then trust your intuition above everything else. you are the one in tune with your body and your baby. good luck :-)

Emily - posted on 03/30/2009

In my oppinion it makes no difference! My first was born in her amniotic sac. It didn't break at all. She was 29 hours total. About 29 hours into my second labor I begged my midwife to break mine (actually my busy body mother did and I went along with it) thinking it would speed things up. It didn't. That was a 42 hour labor. Breaking the water carries much more risks than it does benefits. I think if yours gets too long for you to handle she may change her tune to avoid more unatural interventions, though. But I would wait until that moment actually hits and hope things progress well without it.