The experience of your water breaking during pregnancy is one that you will never forget. The trickle or stream often sends women into active labor, but it isn’t always obvious when it happens. “Don’t expect a gush,” says Kristine Adams Cowan, a certified birth doula of Bump Birth Baby. “It may be a steady stream, may be a slow leak, may be a bit of water. As you move during labor, and as your baby moves, more water will be released, most likely with each contraction.”
What Should You Know About Water Breaking?
So what exactly does it mean when your water breaks? Cowan explains that there are various stages to your water breaking. “Forewaters — the water between the lowest part of your baby and the cervix — releases, and baby drops down, essentially covering the cervical opening. With each contraction, as baby is pushed, more water may come out,” she explains. “And you may get a second release once baby is born, which is the hindwaters: the water higher up in the uterus.”
However, as Demetria Clark, the director of Birth Arts International, indicates, your water breaking is a normal part of labor and not something to panic about. “Remember that when your water breaks it is just another step in labor. It can break hours before labor begins or during labor,” she says. “If you are in a public place when your water breaks you may find yourself telling others not to panic, but it is usually not a ‘panic’ situation. Embarrassment is possible, but nothing to overall panic about.
In the movies mothers will be shopping, their water breaks and then they are on the floor giving birth in the next shot. Waters usually break in early labor and most often when you are asleep or at rest. It feels like slick warm thick water. Just to reassure you, less than 15 percent of women’s water breaks before labor, so don’t stress about going out the last few days too much.” New Health Guide outlines some of the different ways a woman’s water may break, which may give you an idea of what it could feel like.
What Should You Be Aware Of?
There are certain situations when your water breaks and it’s a cause for concern. These include preterm labor, which occurs when your water breaks prior to 37 weeks gestation, or if active labor contractions don’t start within 24 hours of your water breaking. That’s not all, as “an odor or discoloration to waters, and/or heavy bleeding are all things that should make you contact your care provider immediately,” Cowan says. “Once your waters have released, you may want to have few to no vaginal exams, and to stay at home as long as it is safe and comfortable to do so, lessening likelihood of infection.”
Your amniotic fluid should be clear and not have a distinct smell to it. It should also be colorless. “When your water breaks, as long as the water is clearish and devoid of a strong smell you can notify your care provider and continue with your day. If contractions pick up or start, communicate that when you notify your care provider,” says Clark.
“If it is not your normal care provider, make sure you tell them if you have precipitous labors, herpes or group B strep. If you are less than 37 weeks, please call your care provider and notify them of your water breaking. After your water breaks it is not advisable to have sex, travel long distances or insert anything into your vagina. When you notify your care providers make sure you call and update your support people or doula if you have one so everyone knows what is going on.”
Women should also be aware of a few other red flags that could signal an abnormality. “If you feel like something is protruding into your vagina, please call your care provider. It could be an umbilical cord and this can be a serious issue,” Clark explains. While this is rare, it’s often best to speak out about your concerns. “If you feel something is wrong, you are scared or feeling something deep in your core, listen to that and call your care provider,” she says.
Remember, this is a normal step in the labor process and means your baby is getting ready to arrive!
Shannon Moyer-Szemenyei is a certified birth and postpartum doula, mother of two busy boys (Owen, 4, and Graeme, 10 months) and the writer at Sweet Stella’s.
