Water breaking during pregnancy refers to the release of amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac surrounding the fetus. When this sac ruptures, the amniotic fluid is expelled. Many expect to see a massive outpouring of fluids when the water finally breaks, but this is not always true. It is a lot more understated occurrence for many people.
A woman’s water can rupture before or during labor. During the delivery process, a medical expert may choose to rupture the sac in certain circumstances; however, this action is often only performed when required.
In This Article
- What Is Water Breaking?
- When Does a Pregnant Woman’s Water Break?
- What Are the Causes of Water Breaking During Pregnancy?
- What Happens When Your Water Breaks and What Does It Feel Like?
- What Is Fore Water and Hind Water?
- How to Determine It’s Water Breaking and Not Pee or Discharge?
- Can Water Breaking Happen Before Labor?
- What Happens If You Don’t Have Contractions After Water Breaking?
- What Can You Do If Your Water Breaks During Pregnancy?
- What Happens If Your Water Doesn’t Break On Its Own?
- FAQ’s
What Is Water Breaking?
An amniotic sac, made of a thin membrane filled with amniotic fluid, protects and cushions your unborn child throughout pregnancy. You will experience membrane rupture, known as water breaking, during pregnancy, at the start of labor, or perhaps during the initial hours of labor.
You may feel a little dampness in your vagina or on your perineum, notice a slow, steady drip of watery fluid, or notice a sudden, large outpouring of clear or pale yellow fluid as your water bursts.
When Does a Pregnant Woman’s Water Break?
There are no warning signs that your water may break; however, most individuals will be in labor and experiencing contractions before their water breaks. Your water might break at any time throughout the labor process if you are having contractions.
What Are the Causes of Water Breaking During Pregnancy?
In most cases, your water will break because your contractions or baby are putting pressure on it. This may be compared to exploding a balloon from the inside out. But there are several reasons why your water breaks a bit early or late during pregnancy.
Inadequate nourishment or excess water during pregnancy might reduce the strength of the amniotic sac. Sometimes contractions begin, but the water doesn’t rupture. It’s possible that your water won’t break until after the C-section is performed.
In very unusual cases, the amniotic sac is not ruptured during labor, and the baby is delivered while remaining completely contained inside it which is called En caul birth.
What Happens When Your Water Breaks and What Does It Feel Like?
Amniotic fluid leaks out through the vaginal canal when the amniotic sac ruptures. This experience is known as water breaking during pregnancy, and it’s a sure indicator that labor and delivery are close at hand.
When your waters rupture, you may feel a minor popping sensation, followed by a trickle or flood of fluid that you cannot stop, in contrast to when you urinate. It is possible that you may not feel anything at all during the actual process of your waters breaking. In such cases, the sole indication that your waters have broken will be a slow trickle of fluid.
What Is Fore Water and Hind Water?
Some of the amniotic fluid may be in front of the baby’s head as the baby descends farther into the pelvis, while the remaining fluid may be towards the rear part. Forewater refers to the area in front of the head, whereas hindwater refers to the area at the back.
There is little difference between the fore and hind waters and it doesn’t matter in which order your waters break. However, distinguishing between pee and fluid can be difficult when your hind waters leak.
How to Determine its Water Breaking and Not Pee or Discharge
It might be difficult to tell the difference if you’ve never leaked urine before. However, the way it looks, and smells might give you hints. Urine has a characteristic acidic smell and yellowish color. Amniotic fluid is usually odorless or has a very mild odor.
Putting on fresh underwear and relaxing for 30 minutes may help. If you still notice dampness, then what you are leaking could be amniotic fluid.
Talk to your doctor if you aren’t sure what kind of fluid you’re leaking. Urinary leakage may indicate a bladder infection. To determine whether the fluid is, in fact, amniotic, your doctor may do a pH test and examine a sample under a microscope at the hospital. Even if you haven’t started feeling contractions, you may still be admitted to the hospital in this case.
Can Water Breaking Happen Before Labor?
Water breaking or the rupture of the amniotic sac usually happens before the onset of labor. If you are leaking amniotic fluid, it is likely that your labor is around the corner. But for some women, water breaking occurs after their contractions begin. While some women may need medical interventions like amniotomy to induce or speed up the process of labor.
However, a premature rupture of membranes (PROM) occurs when the amniotic sac (membranes) breaks open prematurely before labor has started. In cases when the membranes rupture before 34 weeks of pregnancy, the condition is referred to as preterm PROM (PPROM). Eight to ten percent of pregnancies are affected by PROM. Between 25 and 35 percent of premature infants are born with PPROM.
What Happens if You Don’t Have Contractions After Water Breaking?
Although labor may start very quickly after your water breaks during pregnancy, there is a possibility that, for some women, there will be a delay between the time their water breaks and the time that they have their first contraction.
There is often no need for concern if you do not immediately begin experiencing contractions after your water breaks if you have not yet entered labor. Moreover, if you and your doctor agree that waiting a bit is acceptable, it’s an option to consider.
What Can You Do If Your Water Breaks During Pregnancy?
If you believe your water has broken, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately so they can advise you on what to do next. If you are nearing your labor, they may start monitoring your baby’s heart rate and begin with the process of birthing.
However, if you have any symptoms of amniotic fluid leakage way before your labor or due date, and if you are not sure what it is, contact your doctor without any delay. Because amniotic fluid acts as a barrier against infection and other diseases, losing it too early might lead to premature birth and other complications.
Having said that, most premature babies thrive and be healthy. And this depends on how proactive you are in informing your doctor or your healthcare provider about any unusual experience occurring way before your labor.
What Happens if Your Water Doesn’t Break on Its Own?
During a vaginal exam, your doctor may rupture the amniotic sac to assist in inducing labor if your water doesn’t break on its own, and your doctor has to intervene to help you go into labor. Within a few hours, labor should begin. You may feel a pull and then a warm trickle or flood of water; this is normal, although it may be slightly unsettling. You may discuss your circumstances with your doctor.
Water breaking during pregnancy indicates the onset of labor for many women. Furthermore, it can be an alarm if your water breaks before you reach 34 weeks. If there are no symptoms of infection, your doctor may attempt to delay the birth by ordering you to stay in bed.
FAQ’s
When Does Labor Start After Water Breaks?
When your water breaks during pregnancy, labor often starts shortly after that if it hasn’t already started. However, there are situations when labor doesn’t begin. If you encounter a pre-labor rupture of membranes, your physician may induce labor to start uterine contractions before labor starts naturally on its own. You or your baby’s chance of contracting an infection increases the longer labor takes after your water bursts.
What Happens if Your Water Breaks Early?
If you suspect that your water breaks during pregnancy, you should contact your doctor or the delivery unit at the hospital immediately. The smell of amniotic fluid is quite similar to that of light straw. It might be clean, or it could be somewhat reddish from any dissolved blood. If any of the following apply to you, see a doctor immediately
- Water has an unpleasant smell or hue
- You have severe blood loss
- This may indicate that you and the baby need immediate medical assistance
Wear a pad instead of a tampon if you suspect vaginal bleeding so your healthcare provider can assess the volume and color of your water.
