Can you tell if it's your waters breaking?

With my my first two children, my membranes were artificially ruptured to speed up labour, and with my third, my waters broke in a spectacular gush only about 3 mins before bub arrived, so I've never had the experience of leaking of amniotic fluid.

I just wonder though if there's any mistaking it? I was getting deep twingy feelings in the nether-regions last night in bed and bub was also doing some rather painful kicks and swipes down there. A few times I felt like I was wetting my pants, which I now know was probably bub putting pressure on my bladder and me having a little 'incontinent' moment.

But it did make me wonder though if your membranes did rupture, whether you'd just know it.

love
sushee

With my DD I got a small trickle, like doing a wee in the morning before I had her - I knew it was my waters and not urine - it came out of a different hole! And it was a different sensation, like I couldn't control it coming out, like you can with urine.

When I got to hospital the doctor tried to tell me that it must have just been a wee but I knew it wasn't and sure enough I was right. It was only my forewaters that had broken though, the rest of it came out during labour.

Bon

In a normal physiological labour most women's membranes rupture around 8cm. Try these to get some ideas:

A hindwater leak occurs when only a small amount of fluid is released. There can be many reasons for this occurring rather than a full ROM.

Gentlebirth says

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Obviously, the risk of infection will be higher when there is a large opening in the amniotic sac directly over the cervix, and the risk of infection will be almost negligible when the fluid is leaking from a high leak in the hindwaters. Bacteria would have to be awfully clever to find their way against a tide of outflowing fluid to find a small opening high in the amniotic sac.

Some ways to tell that the fluid is coming from a high leak in the hindwaters:

Belly still feels full of fluid, and baby's body isn't clearly outlined in the belly
Without touching the cervix, do a vaginal exam with sterile gloves to palpate the lower uterine segment directly inside the vagina. If the baby is easily ballotable, meaning it kind of floats up a bit, then there's still fluid in the belly, and the leak isn't over the cervix.

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Also:

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There are two layers of membranes - the outer sac (the chorion), and the inner sac (the amnion); it is possible for the outer sac to break while the inner sac remains intact; this can still release some fluid that might have accumulated between the layers. This would tend to be a small amount of fluid, and generally there is not a continuing trickle.
It is possible for baby to poke a hole through the membranes at some point. Then, as fluid is released, the sac may double over on itself at that point and, like Glad Wrap, stick to itself, forming a seal over the leak. Again, this would tend to be a small amount of fluid, and generally there is not a continuing trickle.

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There is no inherent benefit either way. Some women find drippy labours irritating after ROM, some women’s membranes do not rupture until crowning, some never do and the baby is born “in the caul”. If you’re birthing in a hospital, regardless of how much fluid has left the building, stay home until contractions are strong and close together or you’ll be on a timetable and pressured to induce. You will be told that you are at risk of infection.



NICE guidelines from the UK state that women can go up to 96 hours without being induced. The likelihood of infection is significantly reduced if you put nothing in your vagina (this includes VEs which are a major way germs are spread) and stay home in your own friendly germ environment as long as possible.



NICE guidelines:

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5.5 Induction of Labour in the presence of Prelabour Rupture of the Membranes (page 28)

5.5.1 ....Epidemiological data on time interval from term PROM to spontaneous labour demonstrates that most women go into spontaneous labour within 24 hours of rupturing their membranes.

86% of women will labour within 12-23 hours
91% will labour within 24-47 hours
94% will labour within 48-95 hours
6% of women will not be in spontaneous labour witthin 96 hours of PROM.

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In a normal physiological labour most women's membranes rupture around 8cm.

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... LOL Janet, that is if you can even get past the 'if it's not broken, break it!' mentality... and with induction through ARM ironic they only give you an hour or two to get going or else up goes the Synto ... *sigh* I've had a few of those battles of late...

Yeah, this was something that was a revelation to me in my antenatal classes. The midwife had asked us what signs we could name that might mean labour was imminent. So many people said "the waters breaking" and then she told us that very often, that is one of the last things to happen!

I'm kind of relieved because I can stop worrying about where to put down the drop sheets.

Sushee, my waters broke before I started labour and you really couldn't have mistaken it for anything else. If you were going to pee that much you'd know all about it before it started and it smelt totally differant. When I went to the hospital it ended up all over the floor at reception LOL - no pad on earth could have held it.
I wasn't really put under any pressure when I was in hospital - when I didn't gointo labour they just transferred me to the ante-natal ward and started giving me IV antibiotics about 12 hours later. I went into labour spontaneously the next night (the cow midwife wouldn't believe me and kept trying to moniter me).

I've read once that if you're unsure you can empty your bladder and then tighten your pelvic floor mucles and bear down lightly - if any fluid comes out its likely to be your waters.

I know I would be reluctant to have my membranes artificially ruptured now, but 16 or so years ago, I didn't feel like I was given much of a choice. And you're right, with Ariani, they put on a drip to speed things up even more, making feel completely out of control! I refused the drip with Shay despite them saying I would be hours longer if I didn't use it, yet I had the bub within 2 hours of that conversation.

The fact that my membranes stayed intact until just before I had Zaki made his arrival the easiest of all my deliveries. He was the biggest, 8lb 1 ounce, but I didn't feel it having had a 'wet' birth as compared to a 'dry' birth.

I would love it if my waters stayed intact with this little'un too, but wanted to know what to look out for just in case. The info you've given me has helped heaps, Janet, as I would be reluctant to go into hospital until I was in established labour anyway. And dach and Jillian and everyone else, thanks for letting me know that you can't really mistake it. I think that was my main worry, that I'd completely miss it! Lol!

love
sushee

Mine had a slowtrickle with Indah I remeber going to toilet & recognising the smell but not realising waht it was, it has a sweeter smell as such than urine!
I knew it was my waters, but it was only slight & so I didnt worry or panic!!!

Most sources agree, and I concur, that liquor smells a lot like semen. \:D/

When my waters broke, i defiently knew it was my water, coz as soon as i stood up its all literally came gushing out.. It was unreal.. and there was sooo much of it!! My waters completly broke and i was standing above a towel for about 10 mins, and then had to wear big maternity pads on the way to the hospital which was soaked too..

My waters broke while getting into bed, sort of was like a pop really, then a warm sensation flowing out , ran to the toilet as i knew it wasnt urine !! Like you mizzsocial it just kept gushing out!! took 2 hrs before i felt any contractions.

Once i was at the pushing stage they said that my waters hadnt broken yet?? Im not sure what they meant??? had my hind waters broken and not my fore waters??Anyone got any ideas??

Was a nice way to go into labour as i knew it was the real deal, just hope it happens just as easy this time??? 8-[