New mama Jenna Bush Hager revealed some pre-delivery room drama today when she said her water broke (three weeks before her due date) while she was opening gifts at her baby shower.
“I kind of started sweating, which I guess is a normal thing, but then, all of a sudden, in front of all of my friends, my water broke,” she said on TODAY. “It was like a romantic comedy.”
We asked TODAY Moms to share their own water-breaking stories on our Facebook page and they ranged from the comical to the coincidental to the downright crazy.
Reeta Oun Benedict was almost two weeks past her mid-June due date. She writes,
“It was hot. I was frustrated. So, naturally, I threw a grown-up tantrum complete with jumping up and down. Too cool off, I took our dog outside to 'use the facilities.' We both ended up 'peeing.' Instant relief in knowing our baby girl would finally be joining us! Who said tantrums never solved anything.”
When Courtney Wilson Gdowski’s water broke at 4:30 in the morning, she immediately woke up her physician husband, who disregarded her by saying, “Oh, you probably just wet the bed.” But then he realized he should check, said Gdowski, so “he leans over, SNIFFS the wet spot and jumps out of bed screaming, “THAT’S NOT PEE!” To which Gdowski responded: “Duh. I told you I didn’t wet the bed.”
For some moms, water breaking can come at, well, awkward times.
Lizzie Barnhart Roscoe was at work when her water broke in her co-worker’s cubicle. (The co-worker ended up accompanying her to the hospital, which was right down the street.) Her daughter was born 12 hours later.
Writes Rosco: “When I left the company, my boss gave a touching & funny speech about how I'd 'always be part of the fabric of the company... literally!'"
Alicia Lieberherr Tillman will always remember the story of her cousin, whose water broke when she was walking up for communion at a Christmas Eve midnight mass. The baby arrived early Christmas morning, Tillman says.
Sherry Hill was about to enjoy a big family dinner at an aunt’s house. Unfortunately, she didn’t get to eat as her water broke “just as it was my turn in line at the buffet.”
Kim Grenkiewicz Carty had never had her water break naturally with her first three pregnancies, so she expected the same with her fourth. Back home after a dinner date out, Carty’s husband made a joke about how much his wife had eating at dinner. She writes:
“While turning to walk away, he smacked me on the butt. Next thing I know, I was standing in a puddle of water, my legs soaking wet!!! His 'love smack' broke my water!!! Our little Princess was here a few hours later.”
For moms like Pam Firestone Brechlin, their water broke with perfect timing.
Says Brechlin: "My water broke on the morning of my birthday. Suffice it to say I now share a birthday with my son, now 14. He was always gracious about it and makes sure I get a mention on the cake or birthday song!"
Leslie Patton, who went into labor two weeks before her due date, was at her last parenting class, learning how to do infant CPR. She writes: “Our Lilly bug just decided that while we were at the hospital, we might as well just get this labor thing going.”