ready for labor

[Ro_80]

My question is how soon after your water breaks does labor start?  

[ajaynes84]

Well, actually the water breaking is not the first sign of labor... practitioners have a term for the water breaking before someone is in labor: premature rupture of membranes. The point is when it breaks you need to go be evaluated.  

[Pattyann215]

With my first it was 4hrs. After

[2girlsboyontheway]

Both my girls where born 5mins after my waters broke.

[Nikki4289]

My docs counted my water breaking as the moment labor started. So you should go in as soon as you can. Good luck. :)

[cb9587]

Actually the longer the labor the more stress on the baby too not just mom. But water breaking is the sign of labor starting so immediately is the answer to the question asked. Contractions on the other hand do not necessarily start right away. My water broke but my contractions had to be induced with my son.

[ajaynes84]

Geekmom, you are completely correct.

[GeekMom1213]

Actually, not necessarily. There is an increased risk for infection (mainly to the mother) if membranes are ruptured for too long, and antibiotics are routinely given after a period of time determined by individual facility policy (for my birthing center it was 18 hours, but I refused as I showed no indications of infection). As long as everything else is going well baby is likely to be perfectly healthy even with prolonged labor.

[bgermain007]

U have to have the baby with in 24 hours of ur water breaking it could harm ur baby.

[GeekMom1213]

My son arrived 21 hours after my water broke, contractions started less than an hour after it happened. I didn't go anywhere right away. About five hours into it I was seen by my midwife to confirm that what I'd seen was really my water breaking, just in case. Then I went back home to labor in my own space with my partner in a stress free environment. I was admitted to the birthing center more than 12 hours after my membranes ruptured on purpose and nothing went wrong. There's no rush. It takes a while most of the time.
However -
Most people actually start labor before their water breaks - about 80% of women don't have their membranes rupture until they're already in the hospital. So you likely won't have to worry about it at all.

[ajaynes84]

The previous commenter is right, if you water broke you do need to go into the hospital but that doesn't mean you are necessarily in labor. When you will be in labor is anyone's guess, your need to have contractions with cervical change to be in labor, by the definition.  Good luck!  :)

[bgermain007]

If your water broke you need to go in right away.