I was all ready to buy lots of stuff and have a change of clothes with me, based on my OB's prediction that my water breaking would be pretty eventful. However, It didn't break until she broke it in the hospital about 4 hours before DS was born.
I think I put a towel on the seat of the car, but only because I have a light tan interior and didn't want to deal with potentially getting the seat cleaned with a newborn.
We put a waterproof mattress on our bed, with the intention that it would also be useful after the babies were here. My water broke in bed a few days later (34 weeks, but twins) so we were pretty glad for that!
I did put a twin size waterproof pad on my side of the bed JIC and did have a waterproof pee pad in the car in case something happened at work and I had to drive somewhere, mostly b/c I didn't want to ruin my car.
Water breaking as the first sign of labor only happens in 10% of cases--so it's unlikely that your water will spontaneously break with no warning. Still, I bought a waterproof mattress pad just in case! (and my water ended up breaking in the hospital after a bunch of pitocin.)
The second time, I had a stockpile of old towels, plastic bags and those pee-pad things for the cab because I was convinced I would give birth en route to the hospital.
I ended up being induced.
I never slept on anything special either time. Isn't that what the water-proof mattress cover is for? I did end up using the pee-pad things when I came home from the hospital, though, and was bleeding a lot (I had a pp hemorrhage).
Post by chickadee77 on Sept 28, 2015 7:02:30 GMT -5
I got a waterproof mattress pad. My water broke in bed, but didn't really gush until I stood up, so the floor got way wetter than the bed. I put a towel on the seat in the car on the way to the hospital, but by then the maxi pad was doing its job.
I put a pee pad on our bed, but only because we already had them (DH is a germaphobe who will be using these as disposable changing pads in public restrooms). My water broke naturally in the hospital.
I put a pee pad on the bed and kept another in the car just in case. With my first, my water broke in a gush at the beginning of my induction/labor, but with my last two, it didn't break until the very end – so I was always already in the hospital each time and didn't need any precautions.
My sister, meanwhile, had her water break as the first sign of labor at home in the middle of the night with both of her kids.
I didn't do anything to prepare for this either time. You would think after my waters broke spontaneously while I slept first time around I would know better and do something to prepare. But no.
Second time around it gushed, which woke me up. I had to wake dh to get him to get me a towel so I wouldn't wreck our carpet. Every time I changed position I gushed. Sit on a towel en route to hospital? I sat on a plastic bag! I had a porter mopping up behind me as I moved through the hospital. And still no contractions at all until I was there half an hour...
H tried to get me to leave a chux pad in my car seat because they're leather. I lived on the edge and the doc ended up breaking my water in the hospital.
I was more concerned about my water breaking at work because what would I do with my chair? Take it with me? I couldn't leave it for my cw'ers, right? I have a friend who works in a fancy law office and her water broke at work. All over an $$$$ rug in their reception area.
I didn't prep but should have, my water broke in bed. Luckily my husband is a quick thinker and pulled all the bedding off before it soaked through to the mattress!
This time I will probably prepare more in case that happens again, in bed or the car, etc.
I put a towel in the car in case it broke while I was out and/or to sit on during the drive to the hospital. The first time mine broke in bed. I jumped up so fast that barely a drop got on the bed. This time I was 10 cm and the doctor asked the nurse to get the hook to break my water and then said "nevermind" as my water broke.
I never did anything. I had a waterproof mattress pad on my bed but we bought that in preparation of having a baby in our bed. It has been useful many, many times. (My kids like to puke in my bed).
I have had 3 kids and done none of this. My water broke all 3 times in the hospital.
And honestly, even if it doesn't break in the hospital I don't think there's much preparing. My sister's water broke when she was standing up at a filing cabinet at work....there's no preparing for that.
Post by christy082 on Sept 28, 2015 7:41:19 GMT -5
I had chux pads under the sheet on my side of the bed, where I sit on our couch and on my work chair (I work from home). I was paranoid about having to clean it if it broke on the furniture.
I woke up in bed to my water breaking as the first sign of labor. Thankfully it was just a trickle and I made it to the bathroom without getting the carpet. I sat on a towel on top of a chux pad in the car.
We put a waterproof mattress cover on our mattress, but that's it. And we would have done that regardless because it was a brand new mattress and we figured it was a good idea anyway for nursing the baby in bed, etc.
I did nothing. My friend actually had her baby 3 weeks before me and gave me the remainder of her pee pads. I just threw them in the hospital bag. My water never broke. The doctor broke it as I was pushing.
Post by undecidedowl on Sept 28, 2015 7:47:28 GMT -5
I put a waterproof pad on the bed because that would be a pain to clean. Otherwise, nothing. I did wear a pad to work when I thought I might be leaking (I was). And I threw a towel in the car on the way to the hospital.