If you're 37 weeks or more pregnant, call your doctor for advice about when to head to the hospital if your water breaks and you're not having contractions. But if it's been more than 24 hours since your water broke or you're under 37 weeks pregnant, head to the hospital right away.
Waiting longer than 72 hours
95 women in every 100 will give birth within 4-5 days of their waters breaking however the risk of infection in your womb increases significantly after 24 hours. This is the reason we recommend planning an induction after 36 hours.
If your water breaks, but you have no contractions, your doctor may discuss labor induction with you. Intervention to help bring on contractions can reduce the risk of infection, because this risk increases with time between the water breaking and contractions starting.
If your water breaks, whether you're experiencing contractions or not, go to the hospital. This will help reduce the risk of infection. Note the color, odor and amount of fluid when your water broke.
Typically, after your water breaks at term, labor soon follows — if it hasn't already begun. Sometimes, however, labor doesn't start. If you experience prelabor rupture of membranes, your doctor might stimulate uterine contractions before labor begins on its own (labor induction).
you notice any change in the colour or smell of your vaginal discharge. you feel your baby's movements have changed or they are moving less. You should continue to feel your baby move right up to the time you go into labour and during labour. Find out more about your baby's movements.
Once it starts flowing, the amniotic fluid will continue leaking until all 600-800 milliliters (or roughly 2 1/2-3 cups) of it empties out.
Your water can break in a gush, or leak slowly. I think a lot of women expect the giant gush of fluid that happens in the movies, and while that does happen sometimes, a lot of times a woman's water breaks a little more subtly.
While both amniotic fluid and vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) tend to be odorless, the latter is generally stickier, thicker, and may look like clear or milky white mucus. Amniotic fluid, on the other hand, is typically very thin and watery.
Your doctor may advise you to stay home and wait to see if contractions start, or they may want to evaluate you. (There are tests that can be performed to see whether your water has actually broken.) As you wait for your labor to progress, you can rest, take slow walks, or focus on other ways to relax.
The seal between the baby and the outside world breaks when the birthing parent's water breaks. The baby may get exposure to oxygen during the birth process. But while the baby remains connected to their birthing parent through the placenta via the umbilical cord, the baby doesn't have to breathe on their own.
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.
However, if your water breaks, the best thing you can do is to call your healthcare provider or head to your delivery facility right away. Your doctor may perform a physical exam to check if you're leaking amniotic fluid. An ultrasound may also be helpful if they want to check your amniotic volume fluid.
Your water can break at any time — before labor begins, after contractions have started or right before delivery. Your healthcare provider may even break your water for you (amniotomy). The amount of water that comes out can look like a bucket of water spilling. Or it can be a slow trickle that goes unnoticed.
After your water breaks, contractions usually follow within 12 to 24 hours, if they're not underway already. However, in some cases, women have their water break before their bodies are ready to start the labour process. Premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) usually requires induction to get things moving.
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.
Your healthcare professional inserts a small strip of litmus paper or a special swab into your vagina. It changes color when it comes into contact with amniotic fluid, but not with urine. If your underwear or pad is wet enough, your provider might be able to use that fluid without doing a vaginal exam.
Amniotic fluid is clear and pale. Sometimes it's difficult to tell amniotic fluid from urine. When your waters break, the water may be a little bloodstained to begin with.
If your water (aka “amniotic sac,” “bag of waters” or “membranes”) hasn't broken on its own when you arrive at the hospital, and you're five or more centimeters dilated, your OB might recommend bursting the bag by hand—especially if your cervix seems to be making slow (or no) progress.
During the active stage of labor, your cervix dilates from around 6 cm to the full 10 cm. (The last part of active labor, when the cervix dilates fully from 8 to 10 cm, is called transition.) This process takes about 5 to 7 hours if you're a first-time mom, or between 2 and 4 hours if you've had a baby before.
You will be asked to come in to either the birth centre or labour ward for assessment. A midwife will carry out a routine check of you and your baby, which may include a speculum examination and a vaginal swab (similar to a smear test). This is performed to confirm the membranes have ruptured and test for infection.
Royal College of Midwives Director for England, Jacque Gerrard, says there's no known cause for the apparent nightly trend. Oxytocin levels rise during labour, but no studies have indicated a connection between this hormonal surge and waters breaking.
Your water can break in a gush, or leak slowly. I think a lot of women expect the giant gush of fluid that happens in the movies, and while that does happen sometimes, a lot of times a woman's water breaks a little more subtly.
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.
Natural Labor Stimulation
You may opt to stimulate labor using natural means. You can try nipple stimulation using your hands, or a breast pump. This helps produce oxytocin, which can help start contractions.4 If you don't have a breast pump, you can usually get one from a hospital lactation consultant.