tmi discharge?

I’d get checked if I was you, to be in the safe side, if it’s your waters the sterile field around baby has been broken x

I'd get checked... the amount that comes out varies depends on where it breaks, if it's closer to your cervix it'll be more of a gush, but if it's at the top near your ribs or something it can be a slow trickle

Go and get checked. Still baffles me why in the US it’s standard to do cervical checks so frequently in pregnancy. I hope you know you have control over declining them as with so much else in pregnancy and labour.

I would go get checked. When your waters break it isn't always just one gush, sometimes there's just a tear in the bag that leaks. Better safe than sorry because once your water breaks you should deliver fairly quickly to reduce risk of infection!

@Lottie I’m in the us and cervical checks weren’t even offered to me. I had to ask. Maybe OP asked for it. Don’t judge and certainly don’t make assumptions that it’s frequent. It’s actually really not. If on L&D then yes they can be frequent. But you also can ask for minimal or even no checks.

@Gabrielle thanks for your message, I guess it’s hospital dependent then, but I’ve seen a lot of posts before where it’s so common during pregnancy but it’s just not needed. Why do they need to ‘check’ what’s going on in there? Why can’t women’s bodies just be left to continue cooking a baby and then go into spontaneous labour.

@Lottie it’s not just my hospital… I’ve given birth at 2 different hospitals. One a civilian hospital and this one was at a military hospital. Both times was like that. I also have several friends that have given birth in different states at different civilian hospitals and have a friend whose mom works at an ob office in Texas and they all have been the same way. Most women here ask for them during appts to see where they are. As for being on L&D they want to make sure you are progressing. If not they can add medications and medical intervention if needed. Again that’s all by choice. I had 4 during 19 hours of labor. 2 during prenatal appts. 38 wks and 39 wks. Both didn’t do anything to kickstart labor. 39wks I also asked for a membrane sweep. Went into labor naturally at 39wks and 6days. Had her on my due date. I was checked at triage, before balloon was placed, after 12 hrs of pitocin, and then 4 hours after they broke my water. I was also a VBAC and a high risk pregnancy.

Also they do mandatory checks at 40 wks as many hospitals don’t go over 41 weeks here and will schedule for induction. Its also dependent on if you are high risk, or induction. Both of those they want to make sure everything is okay, and for induction specifically they want to check how far you are closer to induction date to see what methods they need to use

@Gabrielle okay cool. I understand all of what you’re saying, I’m a midwife in the UK. Nothing kickstarts spontaneous labour until the baby is ready. The terms you used ‘don’t go over’ and ‘make sure you’re progressing’ are not great. Your body will labour perfectly if left to do what it needs to do. Nothing is mandatory when it comes to your body. Everything is a choice.

I had gotten 3 checks at the hospital before being admitted (to make sure I was in labor and progressing and it wasn't a false alarm... once I was admitted they checked me 3 more times and it was to see Joe far I was so they could call my OB to come in and deliver when I was ready... one check they only did because they went in to break my water and said I was 6cm

@Lottie maybe in the uk but in the us research has proven going over 41 weeks is actually more deadly to baby because the placenta starts dying. And when you’re in labor after water has broke or even if it hasn’t and you’ve been contracting awhile our providers have to make sure you are progressing because some women just don’t progress and need medical intervention such as a foley balloon, pitocin or even cytotek. Some women do not labor naturally. Genetics plays a huge part in it. And actually scientific research shows sex and pumping or self expressing can kickstart labor due to the hormones released, and membrane sweeps can also kickstart labor because you are trying to get the bag of water to break. It’s just not a high probability rate. You stated you don’t understand why it’s common in the us to get checks and I responded. At this point I feel like all you want is an argument. I told you it’s not common and most women just ask for the checks. That drs don’t just do it.

Also adding that it’s not needed is an assumption. I got them because I wanted to see where I was. I was stuck at 2cm for well over 2 weeks and even when I was contracting I was not progressing. My body wouldn’t have progressed at all and i would’ve labored for days and eventually would have to get another C-section due to my previous C-section if I hadn’t gotten checks. I did not want another as I had a bad experience. I could very well say the same thing about elective csections in the uk. But I haven’t because it’s probably not common but people post about them more than vaginal deliveries on this app. Please don’t assume it’s common to get checks for no reason, and don’t assume everyone will progress naturally if left alone. Especially saying you are midwife… if you were you’d know that everyone’s body is different and some women just can’t progress.

@Gabrielle I’m not going to argue with you on this thread but a lot of what you’re saying is incorrect. Women can birth without intervention or any vaginal examinations. Maybe view it ask you weren’t ’stuck at 2cm’ but your baby just needed a bit of extra time in the womb and so didn’t send you into labour! I hope you had a redeeming birth given your previous bad experience and are recovering well.

@Lottie I was literally in labor stuck. I only progressed due to medical intervention. My cervix does not dilate past a 2 without medical intervention. As someone that is currently in school to be a nurse more specifically on L&D what I said is not incorrect. It’s completely true. Again it may not be in the uk but here in the us the studies have been done and a lot of women cannot labor without help. Everyone’s body is different. I’m done with the conversation but I urge you to look at the research done here and see. I also urge you to not make assumptions about OBs doing checks and saying it’s common. When we talk about it’s because we asked for the check. Not because they forced us. Also to respond, I’m 2 months pp, and have been 100% fine since a week after birth. Hell the day I was released I was recovered. I say a week because I tore slightly because she came out in 10 min with 5 pushes.

@Gabrielle I’ll definitely look into it, thanks! I still stand by the fact that a lot of women all over the world don’t know they have a choice with everything recommended in healthcare. I urge you to research more about ‘failing placentas’ to help you with your studies. https://www.downtobirthshow.com/150-myth-of-the-aging-placenta-with-midwife-author-dr-rachel-reed/ https://www.sarawickham.com/information-updates/the-myth-of-the-aging-placenta/ https://sophiemessager.com/the-myth-of-the-aging-placenta/ All the best!

@Gabrielle I’m glad recovery is going well for you!

@Lottie eek… the .com sites… definitely don’t trust any .com websites. Go to medical journals and scientific research studies… .com sites don’t have any validity to the claims they make. It’s why when doing research papers you are told to get sources that are .org, .edu, scholastic journals and scientific journals. This article from national library of health talks about the risks of going past 41 weeks to 42+ weeks. There are risks to not only baby but also mom. And they are severe. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991404/

@Gabrielle oh my gosh. If you actually look at who wrote the blog posts before berating me! A lot of that article is 20 years out of date.