[Lokum]

So my mother is a bit anal... and she's always been on at younger relatives about putting a waterproof on the bed in their last weeks.

I have no plans of having this baby in the next 8 weeks, but we are getting to the business end.

So did your waters break in bed, or sitting on the couch or car upholstery? Was it disgustingly messy?

Should I have a garbage bag under me on the couch and car seat ? Put a tarp in the bed, lol?

Or are the chances of making a mess pretty small?

This post has been edited by Lokum: 03/05/2010, 10:59 PM

[mumtomakandissy]

I have two DD's and our third baby is due next Monday. WIth DD1 I was induced and my waters broke in the shower towards the end of labour. With DD2 I went into labour spontaneously but once again my waters didn't break until right on when I felt the urge to push. So this time, I haven't done anything ( except for a towel on the car seat) as I am thinking the same- that they will break when I am in labour again.

If you are worried, put a towel down on the car seat and perhaps under you in bed. I have heard it can make quite a mess but like me, many women go into labour without their waters breaking straight away or first.

[Lightning_bug]

disclaimer: I can't believe how hard it is to be 'tactful'... lol.

My waters broke walking to the toilet just after I got out of bed. eta: when they did go it wasn't that messy at all, just like wetting yourself but more like watery jelly. Basically I made it from our bed to the bathroom with a few localised blobs on the floor. (sorry)...

I hadn't worried about the bed so much because, um, I figured it would only come out when gravity permitted.

But for the car-seat and lounge I used a towel because of the angle and the fact I couldn't stand quickly all the time. So, there were other leakage issues anyway

This post has been edited by Nightinggale: 03/05/2010, 11:12 PM

[Aidens_mama]

My waters broke at about 4am (while asleep ). I actually woke with a start, a strange feeling, and got up to go to the toilet (as you do when you are heavily pregnant!) when i realised that I wasn't peeing!. Same as PP, figured with the gravity issue, the bed shouldn't be a problem, but had a towel for the car.
Good luck!

[soontobegran]

If it is any comfort the majority of women do NOT rupture their membranes at home, mostly (if not artificially ruptured) they will rupture after several hours of labour
It seems that most women have a pain or a twinge or a cramp just before they rupture if they are going to rupture at home and will be asleep and woken by a 'feeling' I always kept a towel beside the bed and one in the car------although I never needed them

[my little pony]

MIL was a midwife, so when she came over in the middle of the night to look after DS when I went into labour, her first job was to put a tarp and a towel in the car - she reckons she'd seen too many car uphosteries ruined by waters breaking and the smell is impossible to get out of the car.

As for the bed, I had a towel in the crucial part between the sheet and the underlay for the last couple of weeks.

Neither thing mattered, as my waters were artificially ruptured by an impatient OB (but that's a whole other story!)...

[Swahili]

DS- my waters were broken by the midwife about 10 mins before he was born.

DD- waters broke in bed. I had just returned from the bathroom and was settling back into bed when I felt a 'pop' and immediately LEAPED back out of bed. It came gushing out and all I could do was stand there shocked and shouting out to DH that my waters had broken! It was messy, but not a single drop was on the bed!

[caterpillar~girl]

My waters broke at about 4am (while asleep ). I actually woke with a start, a strange feeling, and got up to go to the toilet (as you do when you are heavily pregnant!) when i realised that I wasn't peeing!. Same as PP, figured with the gravity issue, the bed shouldn't be a problem, but had a towel for the car.
Good luck!

Very similar situtation. I awoke at 6am, felt a trickle and decided to go to the loo. I thought I was either incontinent or it was my waters.

I did have beach towels underneath the sheet on my side of the bed just in case my waters broke in bed.

[SarahW79]

According to the nurses at the hospital where we went for our antenatal classes, only 20% of waters break prior to labor.
I'm 34 weeks and haven't even thought about putting anything on the bed, even though I've been getting braxton hicks for the past 11 weeks.
Maybe next weekend when I change the sheets...
I think the idea of a garbage bag kept in the car is a good idea though!

[flapjacks]

1st labour my waters broke at home, middle of the day, just felt like I had wet myself, it was not messy.

2nd time was further into the labour and I wasn't really aware of it happening.

I just had a towel in the car and ontop of the underlay.