Normal amniotic fluid is clear or tinted yellow. Fluid that looks green or brown usually means that the baby has passed the first bowel movement (meconium) while in the womb. (Usually, the baby has the first bowel movement after birth.)
If a person begins leaking amniotic fluid before the baby is at term, this can lead to premature birth and other complications. If the water breaks at term, this is a normal step of the birthing process, and just means the baby is coming soon.
Amniotic fluid surrounds the growing fetus in the womb and protects the fetus from injury and temperature changes. It also allows for freedom of fetal movement and permits musculoskeletal development.
At first, amniotic fluid consists of water from the mother's body, but gradually, the larger proportion is made up of the baby's urine. It also contains important nutrients, hormones, and antibodies and it helps protect the baby from bumps and injury.
You may get clues from its appearance and smell. Urine will typically have a yellowish color and a distinctive acidic smell. Amniotic fluid often doesn't have an odor, or it has a slightly sweet smell. You might try putting on a clean pantyliner and sitting or lying down for about 30 minutes.
Clear fluid isn't always leukorrhea, however. It could also be amniotic fluid — the liquid that nourishes and safeguards your baby in the amniotic sac. Amniotic fluid looks a little different than leukorrhea, though. It's watery and straw-colored (like pale urine), instead of whitish and mucus-like in consistency.
Does leaking colostrum mean labor is close? Colostrum leaking from your breasts doesn't mean labor is coming. Leaking colostrum is normal and some people notice it as early as the second trimester. Some don't notice any signs of leaking colostrum while others will see dried colostrum on their nipples.
Leaking amniotic fluid might feel like a gush of warm fluid or a slow trickle from the vagina. It will usually be clear and odorless but may sometimes contain traces of blood or mucus. If the liquid is amniotic fluid, it is unlikely to stop leaking.
In general, it looks like water, but there are exceptions. Sometimes amniotic fluid is green or brown when meconium (stool passed by the baby) is present. It can also appear white-flecked as a result of mucus. And when blood is present, amniotic fluid may appear red-tinged.
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.
Vernix caseosa is a white, creamy, naturally occurring biofilm covering the skin of the fetus during the last trimester of pregnancy. Vernix coating on the neonatal skin protects the newborn skin and facilitates extra-uterine adaptation of skin in the first postnatal week if not washed away after birth.
Meconium is the baby's poo, and is sometimes found in the amniotic fluid ('waters') during labour. If the fluid contains thick meconium or lumps, your midwife will advise that you are transferred to an obstetric unit for the birth if you are not already there.
Just like newborns, fetuses spend most of their time sleeping. Indeed, throughout much of the pregnancy, your baby sleeps 90 to 95% of the day. Some of these hours are spent in deep sleep, some in REM sleep, and some in an indeterminate state—a result of their immature brain.
Risks to mother and baby
By stimulating their nipples and expressing milk while pregnancy, women could bring on regular contractions of the womb and give birth early. This is because nipple stimulation leads to an increase in the hormone oxytocin, which plays a role in both milk let-down and contraction of the womb.
We recommend you start colostrum harvesting from 36 weeks of pregnancy. It is unlikely to trigger labour but please check the 'reasons why I should not hand express colostrum before birth' information in this leaflet prior to commencing.
Fluid leaking from one or both nipples when you are not breastfeeding is called nipple discharge. Clear, cloudy, or white discharge that appears only when you press on your nipple is usually normal. The more the nipple is pressed or stimulated, the more fluid appears.
Check Color and Odor
If it smells like urine, it probably is urine. Bladder control issues are not uncommon in pregnancy. If it smells like bleach, it is more likely to be amniotic fluid. Normal vaginal discharge is odorless.
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.
Irregular contractions are not the same timing, duration, or strength as each other. They are common in early labor, as active labor is approaching. They are usually one of the strong signs labor is 24-48 hours away. Irregular contractions can feel like your belly is tightening, with cramping lower in your pelvis.
Main symptoms and signs of amniotic fluid leakage include: Wet underwear, but the fluid is odourless, colourless; Wet underwear more than once a day; Decreased movement of the baby in the uterus, when there has already been a major loss of fluid.
When you leak urine, it's generally intermittent and in small amounts. Amniotic fluid leakage is more continuous once your water breaks and is often described as a gush.