In others, the membranes may break before labor. This is called premature rupture of membranes. Most will go into labor on their own within 24 hours of their water breaking. The earlier your water breaks, the more serious it is for you and your baby.
Others may feel dampness in their underwear that looks like they've peed or had a heavy vaginal discharge. The difference between amniotic fluid and urine lies in their odor and color. While urine has a pungent smell, amniotic fluid is odorless or mildly sweet-smelling. Also, amniotic fluid is rather pale and straw-colored, but vaginal discharge is usually thin and white.
If you notice fluid leaking, use a pad to absorb some of it. Look at it and smell it to distinguish between urine and amniotic fluid. The amniotic fluid will flow down more while you're standing if your water has broken. It may flow continuously over a period of time. If you think your water has broken, call your healthcare provider immediately. Normally, your water will break during labor. However, sometimes your water can break before you go into labor.
When your water breaks early, it's called premature rupture of membranes PROM. Your water usually breaks when you have reached 39 weeks of pregnancy. The cause of PROM is unknown in most cases. Some causes or risk factors can include:. It's important to note that most people whose water breaks before labor do not have a risk factor. Your water must break before your baby can be delivered. Contractions in your womb can be delayed for a few hours after your amniotic sac breaks.
Here are some signs that labor is 24 to 48 hours away. There are some natural ways to induce labor. If your due date is here, read this and talk to your doctor about what's right for you.
When you're getting ready to give birth, packing for the hospital stay can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. Our hospital bag checklist can help…. A new study finds that epidurals do not affect child development in their later years. A fetal arrhythmia is an irregular heart rate — too fast, too slow, or otherwise outside the norm.
It's often benign. Postpartum diarrhea after a C-section is normal. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Causes Early water break Next steps Can you make it break? What causes water to break? What if my water breaks early? Learn how these mums managed to keep calm. More labour and birth videos.
Your baby may also be vulnerable to infection after he has been born, so you'll need to stay in hospital for at least 12 hours after the birth NCCWCH If you have any concerns about your baby's health in the first five days after birth, phone your midwife immediately, so your baby can be checked promptly NCCWCH Read what mums say about induced labour.
Visit our community Do you have more questions about going into labour? Ask questions and get tips and advice from women who've been there in BabyCentre's friendly and supportive community. References Bailey J.
The placenta. Myles Textbook for Midwives. Physiology and care during the first stage of labour. Myles textbook for midwives. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, Lowth M. Labour: childbirth. Patient, patient. Planned early birth versus expectant management waiting for prelabour rupture of membranes at term 37 weeks or more.
Induction of labour. Intrapartum care: care of healthy women and their babies during childbirth. Updated February Meconium aspiration. Patient, Professional articles. Choices when pregnancy reaches 41 weeks. If the baby's head is well applied to the cervix, breaking the bag of waters allows the head to apply more direct pressure on the cervix to encourage dilation. If amniotomy is not performed, the sac will usually spontaneously rupture during active labor anytime between the first signs of labor and delivery.
If the amniotic sac does not rupture spontaneously, the bag of waters can be broken by a medical professional to either start or augment labor. The best method for starting labor for any indication depends on the favorability of the cervix. Amniotomy may be done to start or induce labor and, in some cases, may be used alone.
More commonly, and with a favorable cervix, the most effective method is usually a combination of this procedure and IV pitocin.
Amniotomy may also be done after a woman is already in labor with the hope of speeding up or augmenting the process. While it does not always hurry things along, it can sometimes provide a slight reduction in the need for a Cesarean birth C-section , though with some tradeoffs.
If your baby requires close monitoring, your obstetrician or midwife may need to break the amniotic sac. Amniotomy is required when internal fetal monitoring is needed, as a monitor must be placed on the baby's scalp. Breaking the bag of waters must also be done to insert an intrauterine pressure catheter.
In this procedure, a catheter is placed in the uterus to determine the strength of contractions. Breaking the bag of waters can reveal the presence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid. If meconium is found during amniotomy, it gives the healthcare team time to plan appropriate measures, which will depend on the thickness of the meconium.
Before your bag of waters is broken, your obstetrician will calculate a number known as the Bishop's score. The score gives an estimate of the "favorability" of your cervix, which in turn helps estimate if breaking your bag of waters is likely to start labor or not. Your Bishop's score is calculated by assigning points based on the dilation of your cervix, your effacement how thin your cervix has become , your fetal station how low the baby is in your pelvis , as well as its consistency and position.
A score of 8 or more means your cervix is "favorable" and there is a good chance of having a vaginal delivery. Your bag of waters should not be broken unless your fetal station is 0 or positive. If your cervix is not favorable your Bishop's score is less than 6 , induction with amniotomy and pitocin is usually not recommended.
However, there are other procedures, such as using prostaglandin gel or Cytotec misoprostol to ripen your cervix, which may be recommended instead. You may also choose to wait until your cervix is more favorable.
There are a few situations in which amniotomy should not be performed. These are usually fairly obvious and can be determined by reviewing a routine ultrasound during the second trimester or later and performing a vaginal exam. These include:. After explaining an amniotomy and making sure your cervix is "ripe," your obstetrician or midwife will get you set up for the procedure.
Then, your doctor or midwife will perform a careful vaginal exam to make sure the baby's head is firmly applied to your cervix.
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