Expectant parents frequently have questions about what happens in the order of labor. One frequently asked question is whether contractions begin before the water breaks or if the water breaks first.
Due to the uniqueness of each pregnancy, the response varies for each individual. When the time comes, though, knowing the broad patterns will make you feel more equipped.
This article explains the normal sequence of events and what to anticipate as labor gets closer.
- How it happens?
- The water moved away, but there are no fights
- Simultaneous process
- There are contractions, but no discharge
- Video on the topic
- The water has broken, but there are no contractions! What to do?
- The water has broken. Why is the rupture of water dangerous | Is it possible to save a pregnancy if the waters have broken early
- The waters have broken, but there are no contractions. Expectant tactics in childbirth. Anhydrous period
- The waters have broken – when is labor?
How it happens?
Additionally, it occurs in various ways. Any obstetrician-gynecologist will attest that no two pregnancies are the same and that no two children are alike. The process of carrying a child is entirely personal and has many subtleties and complexity. Everybody’s beginning of labor is also unique. Doctors believe that the order in which regular, genuine contractions start first is the most desirable.
They are not the same as instruction. True contractions, in contrast to false ones, are not alleviated by shifting one’s posture, taking a No-shpa tablet, taking a warm shower, or maintaining a horizontal posture. The cervix, which has been tightly closed throughout the pregnancy, smoothes and opens simultaneously to indicate the start of true contractions, if any have started.
True contractions are involuntarily longer, more intense, and have shorter intervals between them because this process is uncontrollable and cannot be stopped by the woman.
When the contractions recur every ten to fifteen minutes, you should visit the maternity hospital. Waiting for the water to break is not a good idea.
When labor progresses as it should, following the traditional pattern found in every obstetrics textbook, the water breaks on its own when contractions become regular and intense enough. The baby starts to move forward through the birth canal as a result of the fetal bladder’s integrity being compromised by the pressure of the uterine walls during the moment of tension, or the peak of the contraction. The pushing starts.
Generally speaking, optimal labor follows this order:
- the cervix becomes smoother, it is leveled with the body of the uterus, opening begins;
- the smooth muscle fibers become shorter with each subsequent contraction;
- the walls of the uterus become denser;
- the external os opens, the opening increases with each contraction;
- the pressure on the bladder increases;
- under the pressure of the fetal head and the amniotic sac itself, the internal os opens;
- the waters are released and pushing begins – the uterus "pushes" the baby out.
The pushing stops when the baby is born, and the placenta emerges in 20 to 45 minutes. To the immense delight of all those involved, this marks the completion of the proper textbook birth process.
As with everything perfect, classical birth is extremely uncommon.
The sequence may vary because there are a lot of variations within the norm. Not quite, but we have addressed the question of whether contractions can start before the waters break. Rarely, the waters suddenly burst at the eleventh hour, allowing the baby to pass through the birth canal and emerge into the amniotic membrane.
In this instance, the baby is said to have been "born in a shirt." Such individuals are said to have extraordinary luck and fortune throughout their lives according to folklore and signs.
The water moved away, but there are no fights
It is thought that this type of childbirth is dysfunctional. However, everything will depend on how prepared the woman’s body was for the impending birth and how soon the uterus will start contracting.
Forecasts are more favorable if contractions start right away after the water discharge, are fairly strong, and the neck discloses at the ideal pace. An immediate emergency cesarean section is thought to be the best course of action if the birth activity is weak, painful, the cervix is opened slowly, or it is not revealed at all.
Long-term exposure to anhydrous environments (more than 8–12 hours) can cause acute hypoxia, which can result in the child’s death and irreversible health consequences due to post-hypic disorders in the brain. Miracles can happen even in a 48-hour anhydrous period, which is regarded as critical (fatal). Everything is unclear during this time.
When the water breaks first, there is no tolerance for even a minute’s delay.
The woman must be brought to the maternity hospital as soon as possible so that medical professionals can evaluate the baby’s condition, monitor its heart and motor activity, determine the cervix’s maturity, and quickly and accurately decide whether to induce labor or perform a surgical delivery.
The primary risk associated with the anhydrous phase is the potential for fetal infection. The water is sterile, that much is true. Should it break, the infant is left without any shield. The baby is obviously not ready to meet bacteria and viruses just yet, as they can enter the body directly without the amniotic fluid and mucus plug.
Pregnancy-related inflammatory or viral illnesses, isthmic-cervical insufficiency, polyhydramnios, twin or triplet pregnancies, and thin fetal membranes (due to unknown idiopathic causes) are the most common causes of the water leak that occurs prior to contractions. Also, falling on the stomach, butt, or back in a late pregnancy can result in an early rupture of the water before contractions.
Simultaneous process
There are situations when the start of contractions and amniotic fluid leakage occur nearly simultaneously. Hospitalization in this situation ought to be urgent as well. It is risky to remain at home and wait for contractions to become regular enough to be considered periodic, as was discussed extensively in classes for expectant mothers.
The risks are identical to those associated with an early water rupture. Initially, the infant may suffer from acute hypoxia, and intrauterine infections frequently happen, particularly if the mother’s own infections are left untreated.
When contractions start almost at the same time as the water breaks, it can lead to dangerously rapid labor. This can cause serious complications for both the mother and the child, such as massive bleeding, premature placental abruption, and birth injuries.
There are contractions, but no discharge
Medical intervention may be necessary in certain situations where the baby is located within too dense fetal membranes. The cervix is fully dilated, the entire fetal sac is punctured, and the procedure known as an amniotomy is carried out when there is no time to wait and pushing is about to occur.
The bladder is punctured with a long hook to prevent an excessive outflow of water. Rapid water release can cause the fetus’s arm or leg to prolapse into the genital tract or cause the umbilical cord loops to prolapse.
These births tenfold increase the baby’s risk of suffering a birth injury. After the prolapse, the obstetrician must perform a real delicate, almost jewelry-like art in order to either deliver the baby with the prolapsed limb first or quickly and carefully put the baby’s limbs back.
Maintaining an eye on the water discharge following an amniotomy is crucial to avoiding prolapse and delivery-related complications. The amniotic sac’s pathological endurance, which prevents it from rupturing at the appropriate moment, can be caused by a large fetus, polyhydramnios, weak cervix dilation, or the baby being positioned incorrectly in the uterus.
| Scenario | What Happens First |
| Most Common | Contractions start before the water breaks. |
| Less Common | The water breaks before contractions begin. |
Pregnancies differ in when they experience contractions or whether the water breaks first. Expectant parents feel more equipped to handle labor when they are aware of both scenarios.
It’s critical to get in touch with your healthcare provider if your water breaks before contractions begin. They will advise you on what to do next to guarantee a secure delivery.
However, if your water breaks before the contractions start, record the frequency and force of the contractions. You and your physician can use this information to decide when it’s best for you to visit the hospital.
Since each labor experience is different, it’s critical to keep yourself informed and have faith in your body as it goes through these preparatory phases of childbirth.
Every woman will experience labor at a different time. While some people may feel contractions prior to their water breaking, others may experience their water breaking first, indicating the beginning of labor. Both of these situations are typical, and pregnant women can tell when to visit the hospital by being aware of these symptoms.
