My Water Broke at 29 weeks Pregnant, Back Labor Pain

by Donna
(New York)

My water broke at 29 weeks pregnant and I was scared out of my mind. I am telling this pregnancy story to hopefully help some other soon-to-be mother out there.

I always heard about how contractions felt like bad menstrual cramps, and I knew that towards the end of the pregnancy you could have Braxton Hicks contractions. But I was never aware of exactly how back labor would feel at all.

It seems like I was actually in the early stages of labor for almost a week before my water broke at 29 weeks pregnant and I didn't even know it. The entire week prior my back was hurting me more than usual, on and off. The back pain/contractions were in my lower back and right above my tail bone.

I thought this was just one of the aches of pregnancy so I didn't even call my doctor. Then, on a Saturday night, as me and my husband were watching tv, my water broke at 29 weeks pregnant! But that isn't the fun part. I had drunk a big McDonald's sweet tea just about an hour before watching the movie. So when my water broke I thought that I just couldn't make it to the bathroom in time and urinated on myself.

So I finish my business in the bathroom and go back to watching the movie. I talked to some of my friends and family the next day about exactly how it felt when your water broke, but I was convinced that I just peed myself due to all of the liquid I drunk earlier that night, and I used the bathroom a few more times that night as well.

A few people told me that it was my water breaking, but I didn't have any contractions yet, or so I thought. It wasn't until Monday morning, when the pain in my back became unbearable, that I decided to go to the hospital. I honestly thought I had a urinary tract infection or something.

It was at the hospital that they told me I was in the early stages of labor and I was two centimeters dilated. Needless to say, they admitted me and put me on antibiotics. I lasted for two more days before my little bundle of joy could not wait anymore.

The back labor pain was never consistent the entire time. It was sporadic. A pain/contraction now, then one in 30 minutes, then maybe another almost an hour after that. The whole time my baby was slowly making his way down the birth canal.

The big moment came when I felt like I had to go to the bathroom. I was on complete bed rest in the hospital, so they gave me a bed pan. I sat up to "use it", but something just didn't feel right. I screamed for the nurse and they rushed me to the delivery room. It took just two pushes and my son was here saying hello to the world.

He weighed in at 2 pounds 10 ounces, and 14 inches long. He is a strong little fella, but he will be in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) for quite a few weeks before he can come home. But we pray it will be sooner rather than later.

I'm not sure what they would have been able to do at the hospital if I went at the beginning of the week when the back labor pains first started. But I thank God I didn't get an infection after my water broke and before I went to the hospital.

So if you are having back pains call your doctor. Let him or her know if they are getting worse, or if things don't feel right. If they aren't available, don't put off going to the hospital. It is better to be safe than sorry.

And if you have an uncontrollable, very long, unending, can't stop it mid-stream to save your life kind of "pee", most likely your water broke. Go to the hospital!