Waters breaking before labour starts

If your waters break before you go into labour, it is best to contact your midwife or maternity unit.

They will be able to ask you some additional questions such as if you are having any bleeding and if you are feeling unwell, this will help to decide the next steps in your care.

You may go into labour naturally within 24 hours. If not, and you are full term, you may be offered an induction of labour. 60 in 100 labours start naturally within 24 hours of the waters breaking.

If labour does not start within 24 hours, this is where you are given medications to try and start your labour. You can continue to wait for your labour to start if you would prefer. Waiting for your labour for a prolonged time can be a risk to you and your baby. The risk of serious neonatal infection is 1 in 100 for women whose waters have broken before labour starts compared to 0.5 in 100 for those who have their waters intact.

This risk increases as time goes on. If at any point your baby’s movements decrease it is important to report this to your local maternity service as soon as possible. You may also be offered some antibiotics depending on how long your waters have been broken. You can continue bathing and showering as normal as they don’t increase your risk of infection, however, sexual intercourse might.