Emergency Plan Advice – Waters Breaking While Home Alone

Have you been tested for GBS yet? The only reason you’d have to rush to the hospital in the event your water breaks is if you’re positive and even then you’d likely have some time….especially if it breaks prior to contractions starting. But in all honesty I don’t think you’ll want to go in a taxi if your water breaks. It’s like ALOT of fluid and it just keeps on gushing for quite some time. Buuut chances are you won’t go into labour that way anyways. Most of the time it starts with contractions and you arrive at hospital prior to water breaking. Out of my 3 only 1 the water broke first at home and tbh I think it might’ve been due to sex 🙈🙊

It might depend on the situation. When my waters broke it was a medical emergency so I had to call 999.

With my first, I was GBS positive and my waters broke in the middle of the night. Even so, my midwife said it wasn't an emergency, and to meet her at the hospital at 8am (water broke 3am). Water breaking typically doesn't mean you need to rush to the hospital in an ambulance, on its own. Especially with your first, labour will likely progress for many hours before you need to be at the hospital, unless there's some other complication/conditions that would require earlier monitoring.

So I had to take my husband to work because his car has been broken and my water broke 30 minutes after I dropped him off. I dropped them off. I was literally backed in my driveway. Got out of the car and my water broke. My son was not born for 19 hours after that. I drove myself to the hospital. I had my GBS test 2 days before my water broke. I saw my midwife at 36w2 and we did not do a cervical check just the GBS .my water broke 36w4 at 9:00 a.m. and he was born at 4:05 the next morning. I was also 0 cm dilated when I got to the hospital

You need to call the hospital to advise them your water are broken and they will tell you to go to the hospital for a check. That's what happened to me. No rush or anything because I was not in labour yet

No, I haven’t been tested for GBS – I don’t think it’s something they usually do here in the UK 😊 Just trying to be as prepared as I can really! I was induced with both of my previous pregnancies and I’m hoping to avoid that this time if possible x

My water broke before contractions, at home. We called the hospital as per the usual advice and they told us to come for a check up but not to even bring the hospital bag for now as it's unlikely I'll give birth soon as a first pregnancy etc.

My partner doesn't drive, and I wouldn't drive when in labour for obvious safety reasons, so we got into a taxi. Tbh, I never thought they wouldn't let us. By the time the taxi came it was like an hour or so, I had lost a lot of the liquid anyway. Had one of those pads that are almost like adult nappies on just in case and sat on a towel.

They were wrong, btw. I went with my instincts and brought the bag anyway. Almost as soon as we arrived I started contracting and delivered a healthy baby girl 8 hours after my water broke.

As a whole, if it's clear water when it breaks, there's no rush, so I'd be prepared to hop in a taxi maybe an hour or so after.

Typically, if your water breaks your water breaks, you still have plenty of time.

waters breaking doesn’t mean emergency. Some waters can break days before the baby arrives.

First thing to do is call the hospital you’re booked at. They will assess you and advise.
- If it appears you are very close to delivering they will advise 999. Generally unless it’s a life threatening emergency they will take you to the hospital you are booked at. In life threatening situations they will take you to the nearest point of help

- if things are happening but not quickly they will advise to either get a taxi or that you have time for partner to come get you

My water broke with my first in the parking lot of the hospital across the street from my OB, but he wasn’t affiliated with them. I requested the ambulance took me to the hospital I was supposed to deliver at, and they took me. Just advocate for yourself babes they’ll take you

At the hospital I've been having my pregnancy care in they have a number you can call if you think you're going into labour, and they can give you advice over the phone (including whether and when you should come in). Does your hospital have anything like that? If they've given you your medical notes to take home, check if the number is listed in there too

it can sometimes be an emergency. It was for me (suspected cord prolapse).

a situation like that is rare and will likely have predisposing factors that the family will have been warned about. Even then it’s always worth calling the hospital as well as the ambulance as they can then prepare for arrival (ambulance call centre don’t always get the message to the right departments) generally in normal circumstances though it is not an ambulance requiring emergency

yes just you said “waters breaking doesn’t mean emergency” but sometimes it does so I wanted to point that out.

I just read the OP again and realise I misread slightly. I thought the OP’s midwife had advised to call 999 so I assumed there was a good reason for that and that they would suspect emergency but I realise now reading it again she was probably given incorrect advice for a general situation and I see why my comment maybe seemed a bit out of context.