Your midwife or doctor will make a small break in the membranes around your baby. They'll either use a long thin probe (known as an amnihook) or a medical glove with a pricked end on one of the fingers (an amnicot). This will feel a bit like an internal examination and won't hurt your baby.
It may unleash a lot of fluid at once or begin as just a small trickle. You will continue to leak fluid in small amounts for the remainder of your labor. Breaking the bag of waters shouldn't be any more painful than a regular vaginal exam to check your cervix.
Every woman's labour progresses differently, however most women go into labour on their own after their waters break. Around 7 in every 10 women give birth within 24 hours of their waters breaking and almost all women (9 in every 10) give birth within 48 hours of their waters breaking.
You may not have any sensation of the actual 'breaking', and then the only sign that your waters have broken is the trickle of fluid. It doesn't hurt when your waters break.
Rupture Of Membranes: Your Water Breaks
The so-called "rupturing of the membranes" can happen at the very start of labor or during the first stage of labor. Usually the doctor, midwife, or nurse will break your water before you become completely dilated, if it hasn't broken by then.
As long as your cervix dilates, you will lose your mucus plug. However, every mucus plug is different, just like every person is different. You may not always realize it has come out. Sometimes women lose their mucus plug more gradually, rather than in one or several clumps.
The cervix generally needs to be dilated to 10 centimeters before it's ready for the baby to pass through. Your cervix can be dilated to a couple of centimeters for a few weeks before delivery. This softening can cause the mucus plug to be dislodged and come out.
“Labor often intensifies after your water breaks, since there isn't a buffer between your uterus and the baby.” The act of your water breaking doesn't hurt (and if you've had an epidural, you likely won't feel it at all, unless the water reaches up your back), but expect those contractions to ramp up almost immediately ...
You can't actually feel when your amniotic sac breaks/tears, however. Like peeing - For some people, their water breaking feels like they're peeing due to the sensation of liquid trickling out. Pressure - Once the water breaks, some people will feel increased pressure in their pelvic area and/or perineum.
There are no proven safe ways for a woman to break her water at home. It can be dangerous if the water breaks before natural labor begins or before the baby is fully developed. During the natural process of labor, the water breaks when the baby's head puts pressure on the amniotic sac, causing it to rupture.
Does it hurt when your doctor artificially ruptures your membranes? Most people don't feel anything, especially if you are already in labor or got an epidural to manage painful contractions. Your baby also doesn't feel an amniotomy, and it doesn't hurt them in any way.
In fact, it is often the squeezing force of the contractions that pops the membranes. So, if you're worried about your water breaking suddenly when you're out on the street, you can rest assured that most women get advanced warning in the form of strong contractions. Sometimes, water breaks while you're sleeping.
If a child then only has to remain in the uterus for a few days without amniotic fluid, this does not have any major consequences for the development of the child. However, if the baby has to go four to six weeks without amniotic fluid, the lungs can no longer develop normally in many cases.
Hospitals and doctors have their own individual policies for epidurals. In most cases, however, an epidural will not be given until the mother is at least 3-4 centimeters dilated. Once the mother is fully dilated most doctors and hospitals will consider it too late for an epidural to be given.
If you're at home you're probably going to feel more comfortable. However, if you're out, simply excuse yourself and go to the bathroom. Normally, you won't experience such a huge gush that everyone near you would need to worry about getting their shoes wet (like you might see on TV).
Your baby will continue to move once your water breaks. However, without that extra fluid and cushioning, there is diminished buoyancy. This will result in the baby not being able to reposition if the baby is malpositioned (in a less ideal positionfor birth).
Think of it this way: Mucus is gooey; water is liquid. So if it's thick, it's not your water. When your water breaks, it will be like… water.
This means that the protective sac of fluid around your baby, now has a hole in it that is allowing the water to drain away. Most women go into labour soon after their waters break. 60% of women go into labour naturally within 24 hours. 91% of women go into labour naturally within 48 hours.
First, let's make one thing clear: breaking your water in labor does not guarantee that your labor will speed up or that you will get to birth any quicker than if it were intact. In fact, some evidence shows that breaking your water in labor does not have an effect on shortening the length of labor.
Instead, the umbilical cord provides the baby with oxygen until the first breath after birth. Lung development begins early in pregnancy, but is not complete until the third trimester. Between 24–36 weeks of pregnancy, the lungs begin developing alveoli – the tiny lung sacs that fill with oxygen.
Bloody show before labor is a normal part of pregnancy, so there's no need for treatment. It's a sign that your body is getting ready for labor. But you don't need to go into the hospital immediately after your bloody show, as labor may still be days or even weeks away.
Response time varies – some women start having mild contractions within a few hours of Pitocin being started. A quick response is more likely if you have had a baby before. Many women need 6-12 hours or more of Pitocin to enter active labor (when the cervix dilates at least a centimeter an hour).
During early labor, your cervix will dilate up to 4-6 centimeters. You will experience mild, irregular contractions that feel similar to period cramps.
Clear and stretchy — This is “fertile” mucous and means you're ovulating. Clear and watery — This occurs at different times of your cycle and can be particularly heavy after exercising. Yellow or green — May indicate an infection, especially if it's thick or clumpy like cottage cheese or has a foul odor.