Every pregnant woman worries about the same thing: is their water going to break in a very public situation!? This is a valid fear, considering that the most obvious water-breakages involve large sums of fluid instantly dropping onto the floor! There’s no mystery here; your water has broken if a sudden lake has appeared beneath your feet.
However, sometimes your water breaking isn’t quite a show, and can be a bit more questionable. The subtle symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for slight vaginal discharge or even incontinence. It’s tricky, because the latter two symptoms are common occurrences in any pregnancy, so it might not seem like anything new.
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Rupture of the membranes, as it is called, might not even happen before labor. Often it is during labor that the water will officially break. Sometimes if the water breaking takes place long before the actual labor begins, doctors will try to keep the labor from taking place to give the child ample time to develop. This usually happens if your water breaks before 36 weeks of gestation.
The water that breaks from the membranes is called amniotic fluid, and it was the protecting cushion that was holding your baby safe during the term of the pregnancy. It’s basically your body telling you that the baby is packing up and moving out!
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It’s good to know that only about 10% of women experience membrane rupture before labor commences. Most of the time, you’ll already be in labor and checked in the hospital by the time your water breaks. There’s usually a distinct popping sensation right before the fluid emerges, and can come in a large gush or a more subtle leak down the leg.
Water often continues to emerge right up until the baby is born, so don’t assume that you’re going to get one big flood and that’s the end of it. The appearance of the amniotic fluid can have multiple different colors, including varieties of pink, green, brown or clear.
It’s always best to call a nurse or doctor if you suspect your water has broken, even if you think it may be just a faint hunch. They can take a sample of the fluid and know for sure whether or not it’s indeed amniotic fluid.
If you’re close to your due date and your water has broken, you’re probably going to be in labor within 24 hours. If you’re premature, the doctors are going to try to hold off the birth for a while to allow the baby to develop more.
The best thing to keep in mind about your water breaking is that it’s really no need to panic. You often see in movies the image of a mother with her water breaking, and she immediately hails a cab in intense pain and panic. When your water breaks, its best to calmly make your way to the nearest exit; the baby will probably not pop out right on the spot!
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