Helping mothers rediscover natural birth

Do not panic!! Panic scenes are only for movies! Even though we help mothers and dads be prepared for this event, we get scores of phone calls at our Healthy Mother Birthing Center from our mothers who are close to their expected due date when their bag of waters breaks. All of a sudden panic sets in, and mothers (and fathers and even their parents) frantically start to play out scenes which are so commonly portrayed in movies. But is this panic really grounded in scientific facts and evidence-based practice?

In this post I will try to demystify what really happens when the bag of waters breaks on its own. ( We recommend strongly that mothers discourage their hospital or doctor from performing an ARM (Artificial Rupture of Membrane) unless there is a sound medical reason for doing so and that they should do so ONLY after discussing it with you and your family).

The “Bag of Waters” is also called the Amniotic Sac, that contains fluid in which the baby grows inside the womb. The bag of waters protects the baby against infections and the fluid allows him to move around. There is no way telling exactly when your bag of waters will break. Sometimes, it may break very near to your expected due date, or during labor, or quite some days before your due date. We even had situations at our Birthing Center where a perfectly healthy baby was born with the bag of waters in tact.

However, in most cases, if mother’s labor is allowed to progress, the bag will break when the baby’s head bears down against the narrow opening of vagina and exerts pressure, causing the bag to break and the amniotic fluid to either gush out in some cases, or to trickle down in other cases. The color and nature of the fluid gives us many clues as to what your little fellow or gal was doing inside the womb. If the color is clear then it indicates that everything is going well. Call your healthcare provider and inform them about the characteristic of the fluid that you can see. One thing you must insist is that your healthcare provider does not do frequent internal exams after your bag breaks, because risk of infection increases.

You should be calm, and realize that in most cases, your baby can tolerate at least a few hours more of being inside you even if the bag breaks. If you can feel the baby moving well, usually there is enough time before you can head to the hospital. You should know that most hospitals ask you to come in immediately and once you are in, the probability of induction increases. There is no need for your husband to zip past other cars in panic, and bring on unnecessary stress. You should leave that to the movies…. You must drink plenty of fluids, eat reasonably well as you feel comfortable and start collecting last minute items that you will need in the hospital. You might want to take a warm shower, try to get some sleep, listen to soothing music, and be in touch with your healthcare provider. Absent any events which are of concern (which your healthcare provider will tell you), the time to start heading to the hospital will be when your contractions are strong enough. Most times, this is usually 4 to 5 hours after your bag of waters break, and when the contractions are 5 mins apart, though we have had some of our mothers come to our Birthing Center even 12 hours after their bag broke. However, being in constant touch with your healthcare provider will help both of you decide when the time to head to the hospital is.