This may sound like a silly question, but did you have time to shower?
At 36 weeks, I'm really starting to mentally prepare for what to expect when labor starts. Last night at 2am, when I was once again trying to determine if I was having poo pains or contractions, I couldn't help but think, "If these are contractions, I hope I have time to shower!"
Needless to say, they weren't contractions. You would think I'd know the difference by now!
grapefruit / 4235 posts
I started having contractions (prelabor) around 930 am on Sunday. My water broke around 6 am Monday and L didn't arrive until almost 9 pm that night.
grapefruit / 4903 posts
My water broke at 7:20pm and it was a couple hours before contractions got going. LO was born at 10:10am the next morning.
apricot / 483 posts
My water broke at 9:30am and DD was born at 6:30pm, so 9 hours. That was the first thing I did after my water broke though, shower bc it was gross haha.
coconut / 8498 posts
My contractions started at 2 am and my water didn't break until 5 hours later. And I know it's annoying to hear this, but I promise you will know when you're having contractions.
pear / 1642 posts
My water broke @ 11pm and LO arrived at 9:45 the next morning, so just under 11 hours. I immediately took a shower because like @smocks: it was pretty gross feeling. Mild contractions started while in the shower, but it was probably an hour or two before I believed that they were the real deal!
coconut / 8305 posts
Most women don't start labor with their water breaking but with contractions. Even if it did break first you'd likely have plenty of time to shower (rushing to the hospital in a panicked fit is just in the movies... Like 90% of the time).
For me, my water was broken by the ob about 5 hrs before G was born & with P my water broke about 30 seconds before P was delivered.
bananas / 9118 posts
Yes, plenty of time, and I wish I had thought of that! I was too busy finishing work, watching a basketball game and tying up loose ends. My last peaceful shower ever... sounds nice!
My water broke at 2pm, and I had baby in my arms by 9:50 pm the same day. My contractions didn't start (noticeable) until 4pm when I got into the car to get checked at the hospital since my doctor was on call and already there. I remember feeling like a bad parent already because I hadn't bothered to time any contractions. From there it was a runaway train, everything went SO fast that I couldn't wrap my brain around it.
honeydew / 7586 posts
@Weagle: Not annoying at all! I just have no idea what to expect. Everyone always says to wait until contractions are bad before you go to the hospital. I've never had any before though, so how do I gauge what is "bad?"
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6581 posts
@rahlyrah: lol... I've been having the same thoughts myself... Yesterday I was on the verge of going to the hosp and then they went away... I'm sure we will totally know when the time comes, but right now, I'm having a hard time convincing myself of that!
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
Water broke at 615 am. No contractions. Needed pitocin to jump start them. Had LO st 945 that night.
pineapple / 12566 posts
I hadn't felt a single contraction when my water broke at home around 9:30PM on a Tuesday. We left for the hospital about an hour later (I showered!) and the contractions didn't start until about an hour after we arrived at the hospital. LO was born at 7:59 AM Wednesday morning. So about 10.5 hours total.
I had an epidural, but I think he would have been born much sooner had I not had it...I arrived at the hospital dilated at 7cm.
bananas / 9118 posts
@rahlyrah: I know everyone says you'll know, I hate to say it again, but you'll know! I was fine talking and joking with my husband until the bad ones started... I got quiet, that's how my husband knew I was hurting. You won't be able to talk through them.
I had nights of pre-labor in the week leading up to the real deal, but it always stopped when I went to bed.
I'm finding it really interesting that those of us whose water broke first seemed to have 8-12 hours for labor and that contractions took a little while to start.
GOLD / pomelo / 5737 posts
I actually convinced myself I was still in early labor and wimping out by going to the hospital...at 8 cm, after 2 days of contractions. Because the day before I had gone in to get checked out before bed because I had this fear of waking up in labor.
You'll have time to shower though...and if you don't have time to shower, you won't care.
To answer your question, my water broke when I was at the pushing stage (pushed until it broke.)
bananas / 9118 posts
@lamariniere: me too, it definitely slowed things down, but I was happy to get the break, and have the opportunity to labor down and rest for a while- what a wild ride!
pear / 1571 posts
With my first birth, it broke about 18 hours before birth, while I was laboring in the shower, lol. With my second birth, it broke about 2 hours before birth, also while I labored in the shower. And I know this has nothing to do with the question, but I MUCH preferred laboring with my waters intact nearly my entire labor.
honeydew / 7586 posts
@FarmWifeGina: Interesting! If you don't mind me asking, what difference did it make?
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
About 6 hours? Mine broke 10 hours into labor. Once my water broke, the pain ratcheted up BIG TIME
honeydew / 7586 posts
Ahhh! Why must the thought of labor be so scary? I am ready to get it over with. The anticipation is killing me!
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
I was one of those people who had to rush around! O was born around 4.5 hours after my water broke. My labor started with my water breaking, contractions started 15 m later or so. I labored a bit in my shower so I did "shower," even though we ended up flying to the hospital within an hour!
squash / 13764 posts
9 hours after my water broke, lo was here! Eta my labor started with my water breaking so the whole thing was 9 hours.
squash / 13764 posts
@lemondrop: also m experience! Contractions started about 3 hours after my water broke.
persimmon / 1180 posts
Mine broke at 430am. I took a shower before we went to the hospital and I delivered (c-section) at 1041pm.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
My water broke at 9:15 at night. Got to the hospital around 10:15, contractions started sometime after 11. At 2:15 or so the next afternoon I started pushing, 7 pushes later, at 2:34 Miss R made her appearance.
persimmon / 1153 posts
My labor started at 2am with contractions 4 minutes apart. Water broke around 7am, I think. Contractions got a lot worse once my water broke. LO was out by 10:36am.
I had lots of early labor that would come and go on the days leading up. Those contractions were nothing compared to active labor. When I started having real contractions I knew because even breathing through them was difficult at times.
cantaloupe / 6397 posts
My labor started with my water breaking at 6:30pm, then contractions came strong and fast, and she's was born at 5:15am. So just under 11 hours!
papaya / 10560 posts
Water broke at 11 pm I was holding DS at 154am...I had a precipitous birth!
pineapple / 12566 posts
@lemondrop: yes! When my contractions did start, they were every 2 minutes, so I didn't have time to "ease" into them with the 4-5 minute interval contractions. Also, the hospital was VERY busy that night so I think they were happy to give me the epi to slow me down.
pineapple / 12566 posts
@matador84: wow! Talk about fast! Did you labor a long time before your water broke?
bananas / 9227 posts
My water broke in bed at 2:30am without any contractions. I was induced because my waters were heavily ladened with meconium and I gave birth vaginally at 4:30pm later that day.
GOLD / papaya / 10166 posts
Early contractions started at 6pm, water broke at 8pm, got to the hospital at 9:30, had DD at 8:38am.
papaya / 10560 posts
@lamariniere: nope I was exactly 40 weeks. Not one contraction until my water broke and then they were about 5 mins apart for an hour before they came like tidal waves. I went from a 2 to a 6 to 10 in about an hour.
pomelo / 5789 posts
Contractio s started at 2am, water broke at 8am, baby was born at 11pm via c section, since he wouldn't exit on his own.
pineapple / 12526 posts
My water broke at 11pm on April 1st. C was born at 7:31pm on April 3rd. So, 45.5 hours. I was in actuve labor for 15.5 hours.
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
@matador84: sounds like we had similar labors, I was 40 weeks to the dot too! Well, 40 weeks from what I knew to be my date & what she measured, they insisted I was off. Haha.
pear / 1571 posts
@rahlyrah: The bag of waters acts something like a shock absorber. Labor may not go quite as fast with the waters intact (both my labors were long, no matter when my water broke), but it is gentler on mommy and baby. With my first birth, it took 7 hours to go from 7 cm. to complete and that was 7 hours of HARD labor, having to concentrate and focus the whole time, even between contractions- it was like one long, continuous contraction that peaked every 1-2 minutes. With my second birth, before my water broke, my contractions were as strong as they'd been during those last 7 hours of my first birth, but between contractions I could talk and be completely connected with the world around me. When my water broke, that was when the hard labor started and required much more concentration again- but this time it only lasted 2 hours (went from 6 cm. to baby in 20 minutes). And, those are only my experiences, but many, many women will tell you the same thing. Personally, I'd rather have a little longer labor with intact waters than to have them break and then everything goes BAM, BAM, BAM!
honeydew / 7586 posts
@FarmWifeGina: Wow. That was incredibly informative. I had no idea. Thank you! 
pomelo / 5178 posts
With my first, my water broke three times; the first time at about 11:30 am (contractions started immediately after), the second time around 1:30 pm (at 4 cms), and the last time at about 8:00 pm (right before I started pushing). I had DD at 8:30 pm.
With my second, my water broke at about 4:00 pm; I was 6 cms and had been in labor for 7 hours already. DS was born about 5 hours later at 9:00 pm.
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