Myth or Fact?

Ok, since I can't sleep and DH and I have been "discussing" this for a few weeks now, I thought I might put it to the wise people on BB!

When your waters break, is it corrosive?

DH has been told (who knows by whom) that our waters are corrosive and can eat materials like car seats, mattresses and carpet. Is this true? And what do you do to clean it up if your waters do happen to break when you're in bed or standing on carpet? And if my Belly Buddy girls are reading this NO MY WATERS HAVEN'T BROKEN! LOL.

I'm off to keep surfing BB until I feel sleepy....

Love MG

I just did a quick search on here and there was a similar discussion and someone said that they learned it was corrosive and loves leather!!?!?!?? ...and my google search only came back with one 'hit' and it was that same thread on here....lol...so I don't know....

LOL Mae! I don't have leather anywhere so I'm safe there! I haven't found anything on the net either - but I'm sure someone on BB will know the answer!

MG :)

I know it stains, but didn't think it was corrosive. I only think that because I know that you're supposed to sit on a towel on the way to the hospital/birth centre to protect the car seat, but I'm sure you can wash and use the towel afterwards.

Having said that, we have very old towels that will be used for that purpose and aren't used for drying us any more, so will be using those!

At least leather repels fluid! Fabric seats will just let it soak in...ewww!

Yep I think it jut stains.

When my water broke I was in bed, they made a lovely stain on the matress, but that was about it.

My gosh... how bad would it be if it was corrosive!!! Stains seem the be the common answer. I have no idea as my waters were ruptured...but nothing come out til DD was born. Her big head was blocking the opening the whole time!

My mum says that when she was having us, the hospital told you to put plastic on EVERYTHING cos your waters will wreck stuff! So she put plastic on her mattress etc JIC, but her waters never broke on their own!

I have heard that they will ruin your mattress, and I don't like the idea of my car seat absorbing all that fluid, but I've never heard that they're corrosive ;)

LOL Thanks girls! Wait until I hit DH with the "I told you so"!!!! He is so gullible at times! ROFL

OK I have been thinking about this question for a few hours and the answer I have come up with is:-
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I have no idea

I hope that helps
LOL

It didn't stain my tracky pants when they broke all over them!

I really don't know for sure either, but I have to say what are the chances that your baby has been soaking for nine months in something corrosive?
To be on the safe side, we put a plastic bag on the car seat and an old towel over top. My water broke when I was at home with clothes on, and those clothes were definitely wearable after. (not that I ever wanted to put maternity pants on again! ;))

MIne broke in bed with maddy & trickled all over the carpet on my way to the bathroom, I then sat hanging over the bath & it peeled the paint off the bath.......


Just kidding :nana:


Nope mattress, had a wet stain but it certainly didnt disappear, nor did the carpet or bath!!!!!

Same as Mummy Mel, mine broke in bed, just left a stain on the matress. I also agree with what Mumma of 2 said about bubs being in it for 9 months.

Thanks everyone! Can't wait to show DH this thread! Hope he goes BRIGHT RED! ROFL.

Alan, just saw you are on your way to Vic! WOOHOO!

MG - i would recommend if you can get your hands on one,, getting a plastic backed "kitty"?? not sure if that is the name you know them by,, but they are used in hospitals etc and are just plastic backed padded sheet type things used to go under patients,,,,, try having one of those on your car seat folded to fit that is,or have a towel with a plastic sheet or even a thick hefty bag over your seat upholstery with a coule of folded towel on top, then your car is safe,,,,, as for the bed,,,, (and i know this is gonna sound wierd) but get yourself a shower curtain,, and lay it under your sheets on your bed,, so if it does happen in the middle of the night,, your mattress is safe as well. As for your carpet,, unless you have scotchguarded it,, then all i can say is pray like all heck that you miss that lol.
I was really lucky,,, the only pregnancy where my water broke was my first. At 28 weeks when i was on the loo at my inlaws house,, my DS gave one HUGE almight kick,, right when i was about to stand up and pull up my knickers,, and my waters broke all IN their loo lol. They were very grateful that it did not happen on their carpets lol.

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DH has been told (who knows by whom) that our waters are corrosive and can eat materials like car seats

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Ok, my waters broke with Lexie in the car on the way to the hospital.....it was the most bizarre feeling BTW......very squishy!

IT HAS LEFT NO STAIN & NO SMELL AND NO CORROSION HAS OCCURRED AT ALL!!

( I was worried it would........but DH left the window open fo r a few days JIC, and it has not stained, no smell, no nothing......you would NEVER know I gushed amniotic fluid all through the seat at all!)

MG
I just had another thought. I have had amniotic on my shoes, in my shoes, on my shirt and pants, and on one occasion on my glasses. They survived so I guess it is nor corrosive.

Also for a cheap plastic sheet for the bed get a cheap shower curtain

why would it be corrosive? the baby has to LIVE in it ROFL...:cryinglaugh: :p

:cryinglaugh: ROFL yes, my DH DID overlook the fact that our baby has been swimming in this fluid for the past 39 weeks! But hey, what would I know? ROFL.

I'm personally not too worried about whether or not it stains anything! We have a mattress protector on the bed so figure that would take the brunt of it anyway... But to appease him, I WILL put something on it before I go to bed tonight. And we have a towel in the car to protect his precious baby :rolleyes: LOL. Besides, I read somewhere only about 5% of women actually have their waters break before bub arrives - the rest break when bubs is well and truly on the way out! LOL.

That did occur to me, that babies swim in this stuff for up to 40 weeks! So it can't be too bad.

Tracey, you are a crack-up! Peeled the paint off the bathtub :cryinglaugh: LMAO!

MG,
I hope your waters dont break this weekend, and no it is not corrosive. ROFL at your DH for thinking that!!
My waters broke with Kymmy when i got out of the shower and dribbled down my leg and i still have 2 perfectly good legs..... Well DF thinks so!!
Love Jen

Thanks for the good giggle girls. I agree though, there is no way in the world it is "corrosive" how could a baby develop and grow in a corrosive environment.

Tracey, pmsl at you and your bathtub.

I just bought some bluey's and put them under my bottom sheet on the mattress, JIC. Of course it was never needed though, but when you have some left over move them up to the top of the bed coz your BB'S are bound to leak overnight too.

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why would it be corrosive? the baby has to LIVE in it ROFL...

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VERY TRUE!

Ok great subject MG as my Mum asked the very same question at my birthng class last week. Basically in "her" day, they were told the same thing as your DH. But our MW said no they cant "eat away" at anything, may just stain.

For my own benefit, I will be lining my bed anyway and putting towels on the car seats :)

hay MG my waters broke as i went to get up to go to the loo with DS and it didnt stain the carpet, and then i had to get into our car and put towels all around me and its didnt stain there either, but boy did it keep coming i was shocked at how much i kept leaking. not long now my love.
love TG

yeah mine always broke on the loo LOL (thats where i go when im in pain haha)

ROFL Brooke! LOVE IT! DH loves Myth Busters so maybe I should email them? LOL.

Trish - great idea with the bluey's. Might have to see if someone can swipe some from work for me and drop them off ;)

For the car, I'm just going to use the "dog" covers we have, they're plastic lined and cover the entire back seat of the car, even has slots for the seat belts.

Shower curtain - must add that onto the list of "things to buy".

I covered the blow up bed I had for Tehya's birth with a shower curtain too. I put on 2 sheets, it had the shower curtain in between them, so I could use and dirty one sheet, rip them off and still have another clean sheet already on the mattress. Never did dirty it though ;)The pool was much better for any messy stuff, like giving birth :)

I've got a drop sheet (those ones you get from Mitre 10 for when you are painting) on the bed. It covers the whole bed under the mattress protector (which I figure can be washed later if need be) - it cost $1.25.

It's most definitely not corrosive - unless you happen to be giving birth to an alien being - I think the concern is that if it gets in to the padding in you car seats it can rot them, like any liquid would. We have leather car seats and my husband would absolutely freak out if my waters broke on his beloved leather, which he conditions by hand every month. (He's gunna get a shock when master/miss comes along and pukes!!)

I've heard it doesn't smell so flash, but I guess I will find out if that is true well enough. Of course, Alan having had it in his shoes would be able to tell us that.

Tell DH that it will be corrosive so if youre at home and go to the hospital, Then he cleans it up for you! LOL

:cryinglaugh: SS! I had a thought the other night that I might just tell him to get up and clean up any mess I make! ROFL. I WAS going to be nice and let him sleep as long as possible if I drop during the night!

Oooh, I want to collect and test it now! DH and I decided to apply our brains to this one and we think it may well be slightly acidic, as skin is slightly acidic and the fluid would need to be what's best for baby. I now want to collect a few samples and pH test them LOL. But only corrosive if you don't clean it up, I mean even water is corrosive over a long enough period of time (see cliffs et cetera for proof).