Is it possible to hold back the water when it breaks? How the waters break before childbirth

Amniotic fluid has been a natural environment for your baby for all 9 months, but the time has come for the baby to be born, and many mothers are very concerned about the question of how the waters break, whether they will miss this moment. Particularly fearful people and those who are giving birth for the first time ask more experienced mothers in a panic if it hurts.

Such an important point is simply impossible, unless, of course, the waters have really broken and are not leaking quietly. But first things first.

How do waters break during pregnancy?

When the time comes, the baby presses his head on the wall of the bladder, after which the latter bursts and amniotic fluid flows out. The birth process is considered advanced, and only a few days remain before the baby is born.

In theory, the bubble should burst on its own, but in practice sometimes you have to puncture it. More details about the indications for such manipulations, the necessity and possible risks will be written in the article below.

How can you tell when your water has broken?

Ideally, the normal release of water occurs according to the following scenario: as contractions intensify, before the water breaks, the woman hears a pop, after which a lot of fluid flows out of her at once. The volume can vary from 100 to 300 ml. In this case, the liquid flows out in a stream or stream, and this is comparable to urinary incontinence, when nothing depends on you.

But in reality, things can go completely differently. It happens that the waters recede without any reason. Even if contractions begin after this, they will be weak and less productive, since the cervix is ​​not yet ready. In this case, you must urgently call an ambulance and go to the hospital. Most likely, the doctor will prescribe stimulation of contractions to open the cervix.

How long will it take for contractions to start?

Pregnant women should experience strong contractions before their water breaks, but for 10% of expectant mothers this occurs before contractions begin. This condition is not very good due to the risk of infection. If the water breaks prematurely and the fetus remains in this state for a long time, doctors administer antibacterial agents to the pregnant woman.

There is such a thing as early effusion. In this case, before the water breaks, contractions still appear, but they are still very weak, and the cervix has not had time to prepare sufficiently. The pharynx is dilated 4 cm or less.

Timely departure is the ideal course of circumstances. The bubble bursts and the water pours out as soon as the opening of the pharynx becomes more than 4 cm. The contractions are painful and prolonged.

The case when effusion occurs at the moment of full dilatation of the cervix or water recedes in pregnant women just before childbirth is known to be uncommon, but quite possible. In this case we are talking about a belated outpouring.

As a result, the water may break both before and after labor. Timely release of water provokes increased contractions and accelerates the dilation of the cervix.

Amount of amniotic fluid

Each pregnancy is individual, but there are standards by which doctors determine the degree of threat to a pregnant woman’s condition. It is believed that in a positive pregnancy, the volume of amniotic fluid should be 1-2 liters.

As a rule, at the last ultrasound examination, the specialist checks the amount of water and a diagnosis of “polyhydramnios” or “oligohydramnios” can be made. Both conditions are fraught with complications and require hospital treatment. If you are concerned about the question “how do your waters break before childbirth?”, know that they never drain completely. First, about 300 ml of fluid comes out, and the rest comes out directly with the child.

Looking at the color of the waters

We have figured out how water breaks in pregnant women, now let’s talk about the color of the liquid. Under whatever conditions the water breaks, the pregnant woman should first pay attention to the color; this information is extremely important for the doctor. So:

Yellow Waters. Of course, normally amniotic fluid should be colorless, but yellowness is considered as a variant of the norm. There is no need to panic too much, but you will still have to hurry, because after your water breaks, you will only have a few hours before labor begins.

Green waters are already serious. The reason for this color may be oligohydramnios, which is fraught with fetal hypoxia, that is, the baby will have oxygen starvation. Another reason is that the child managed to empty his bowels, which is also very dangerous. If your baby swallows meconium, he or she may develop pneumonia.

Water with blood. If, despite the normal color of the liquid, you notice small streaks of blood, this should not scare you. The fact is that before the water breaks in pregnant women before childbirth, the cervix opens and small discharge is possible. It’s a completely different matter if there is a lot of blood in the fluid, in which case placental abruption is possible and immediate hospitalization is required.



Water leakage

There are times when the water does not recede all at once, but only leaks. This happens for two reasons: if the bubble bursts along the side seam and if the bubble does not burst, but only cracks. It is very difficult to figure out on your own whether it is water, urinary incontinence or discharge.

So how do you know when your water has broken? Everything is very simple. At any pharmacy you can buy an amniotest to determine the nature of the leaking fluid at home. This test consists of strips similar to panty liners. This test is very convenient to use; it gives a 100% result.

If you don’t have a test on hand or you couldn’t find it at the pharmacy, then you can try the following: after using the toilet, wash yourself and wipe yourself dry. Next, you should lie down on a white sheet and rest for an hour and a half. If a wet spot appears on the sheet, it means water is leaking.



What to do, how to behave?

It is very useful to know how pregnant women’s water breaks before giving birth, because very often this happens at home or on the road, and the expectant mother and her loved ones have to take emergency measures.

What to do:

Call an ambulance and explain the problem.

Change clothes and change underwear.

Under no circumstances should you wash yourself, because there is a risk of infection.

If there is blood in the waters, be sure to lie down and not move.

If everything is normal with the waters, you can carefully prepare to go to the maternity hospital.

Try to calm down. Just a little time left and you will soon meet your baby.



Medical intervention

In cases where contractions intensify, the cervix opens, but the bladder does not burst, the doctor can puncture it himself. The procedure is painless and practically harmless for the baby and mother. Since amniotomy is a medical intervention, the following indications are required for its implementation:

A very dense bladder that does not burst even when the cervix is ​​fully dilated.

Long and weak contractions. If labor is prolonged, the doctor may puncture the bladder to speed up the dilatation of the cervix. In addition, some drugs cannot be administered when the bladder is full, for example, oxytocin.

The bladder is pierced if more than 40 weeks have passed and the process has not yet begun.

Low placentation.

Rhesus conflict.

Polyhydramnios or flat bladder.

The bladder is pierced using a long hook, the procedure is painless, since there are no nerve endings in that very place. The puncture is carried out on or on the couch.



Now you know how your water breaks before childbirth. The most important rule is to remain calm and tune in to a successful completion of things.

Many pregnant women experience fears due to the fact that they have very little idea of ​​how their water breaks and what needs to be done in this case.

Let's start a little from afar.

Amniotic fluid is the liquid medium in which the baby lives in the uterus of its mother. They are vital for him, as they create the world around him, protect him from infections and injuries, without them he will quickly die.

The amount of amniotic fluid depends on the duration of pregnancy; usually, with a normal pregnancy, by the due date a woman has about one and a half liters of amniotic fluid.

If we talk about normal pregnancy and physiologically occurring labor, amniotic fluid plays an important role in its development. During childbirth, the head or other presenting part of the fetus is pressed against the woman’s pelvic bones, dividing the amniotic sac into two parts, and this anterior part (anterior waters), with each contraction, presses on the cervix like a wedge, helping it to open faster. Thus, if the water breaks early, this is already bad, the birth will not go quite right.

Unfortunately, this complication accompanies every tenth pregnancy.

If a pregnant woman’s water breaks close to delivery, hospitalization in a maternity hospital is necessary. Even if the waters have broken and there are no contractions, doctors will call them at a period of more than 35 weeks, because the child is already ready to be born, and his further stay in the uterus is dangerous for both him and his mother. Now the baby is defenseless, infection can easily get to him from the vagina, and there is absolutely no room for him to move, because the uterus now fits tightly around him and literally suffocates him.

How do waters break during pregnancy?

Many are afraid that they will not be able to grasp this moment, and these fears are justified. How can you tell when your water has broken? How do you know if your water is breaking and not something else?

The fact is that this will not necessarily be a whole waterfall; a very small hole may form in the shells, from which they will leak little by little, almost in drops, but this is also dangerous for the child. Considering the increasing discharge at the end of pregnancy, and in some particularly unhappy ladies, urinary incontinence, which can be mistaken for water, many begin to think about it constantly, sometimes simply needlessly worrying themselves with unnecessary fears.

The waters drain when the integrity of the fetal membranes is damaged. This can happen in different ways, and it is simply impossible to say how long the water will recede; for some it will be a waterfall in a few seconds, for others it will leak for weeks. In any case, if the water breaks, there is no question of what to do, consult a doctor immediately. If they go away little by little and there are doubts, in any case you need to go to the antenatal clinic.

Today, special tests are carried out to determine the leakage of amniotic fluid. You will have to buy the test yourself, and it will be carried out by a gynecologist who, using a tampon, will take a little secretion from your vagina.

Women are often afraid to even take a shower in later stages, for fear of not realizing that the amniotic fluid has broken. There is no need to be afraid of this. When you leave the shower, if the water has receded, it will continue to leak. A reliable way to tell if your water is breaking is to wear a white cloth pad. It will make it possible to objectively evaluate any discharge. If there is a lot of leakage, it will get wet all at once, and your clothes will get wet; with a small amount of leakage, you will see wet spots, which normally have no odor, unlike urine.

After the waters break, the question of when to give birth is decided individually. If the pregnancy is premature and the child is not suffering according to CTG and ultrasound, the pregnancy is prolonged. You will have to lie down without getting up, take medications that relax the uterus and an antibiotic to prevent complications. You cannot stay at home if you and your child are not protected by modern medicine; infection of the fetus can cost both their lives. And don’t be afraid that labor will be induced; they try to maintain the pregnancy, even if the water breaks at 20 weeks. If you can lie there for several weeks, the child will be saved. If your water breaks early, it will still end in a miscarriage...

What you can feel when your water breaks:

In rare cases, it happens that a woman does not notice how her water breaks. There is almost always an unusual feeling of moisture; many women describe their sensations as “peeing”; 100 or more milliliters of liquid can spill out at a time. Almost immediately, with premature rupture of amniotic fluid, a feeling of abdominal pain, contractions, or simply a periodic increase in the tone of the uterus appears. With minor leakage, there may be a feeling of increased discharge, but it looks unusual and watery. Usually there is a feeling of increased leakage when moving or walking.

If the fetus experiences hypoxia, the admixture of meconium in the amniotic fluid can give it a green color; if the water is brown or pink, this is very dangerous. Normally, the water discharge is light and not colored in any way.

If your water breaks at home, you should immediately call an ambulance and go to the maternity hospital. It doesn't matter what stage you are in, you need qualified help.

If amniotic fluid ruptures in early pregnancy, when the baby is premature, the sooner you contact us, the greater the chance of prolonging the pregnancy. If the waters break on time and labor is due to take place the other day, what happened means that you will give birth in the next 6, maximum 12 hours, at least the doctors will try to make it so, because it will be better for you and the baby.

The discharge of amniotic fluid is one of the significant signs of impending labor, so every pregnant woman must promptly determine the beginning of this important process. Especially if this is the first pregnancy and the expectant mother will experience these sensations for the first time.

Amniotic fluid is a biologically active environment that means a lot for the safety and proper development of the baby. The volume of fluid increases gradually and by the time of birth reaches 1.5 liters. Before the fetus begins to move through the birth canal, the bladder with water bursts and pours out. For a woman, this is a “bell” that it’s time to grab her bags and go to the maternity hospital. When childbirth occurs depends only on the individual characteristics of the body. The baby may be born within a few hours or the next day.

How do the waters break?

Normally, the discharge of water should occur after the cervix opens and contractions begin. But for many women this happens suddenly, without any preconditions or pain. The only thing a pregnant woman experiences is the feeling that a huge stream of fluid is gushing out of her. The water drains both immediately and in several stages: first, most of it is about 1 liter, after some time the rest is 200-500 ml. When the bubble bursts, a characteristic sound similar to popping or cracking may appear. Most often, amniotic fluid drains at night when there is sudden muscle tension or a change in body position.

What does amniotic fluid look like?

You can recognize amniotic fluid by its slightly sweet smell and liquid consistency. Amniotic fluid is transparent, sometimes it may contain all kinds of mucus impurities.

Color of amniotic fluid:

• Yellow is considered normal and should not cause concern.
• Red is a very alarming signal, indicating bleeding in a woman or baby. When red amniotic fluid is released, the woman is prohibited from moving. Take an upright position, call an ambulance and wait for its arrival.
• Green is not normal and often indicates possible oxygen starvation of the fetus.
• Brown - the darker the amniotic fluid, the greater the threat to the life of the fetus.

Leakage of amniotic fluid prematurely

The leakage of amniotic fluid can occur long before contractions, and this is very dangerous for the unborn baby. Under no circumstances should you wait for anything - you must urgently call an ambulance, explain the situation and wait for specialists to arrive. While the ambulance is on the way, prepare your bags and get dressed, because you will definitely be taken to the maternity hospital.

Premature rupture of amniotic fluid can occur not only due to impending childbirth, but also as a result of falls, blows, physical exertion, and emotional shock.

Such discharge of amniotic fluid is dangerous due to infection of the fetus and disruption of its nutritional regime. If breech presentation or umbilical cord entanglement is additionally observed, the risk of oxygen deprivation and the development of serious pathologies increases. Therefore, the doctors’ task is to carry out an emergency birth as quickly as possible and save the child’s life.

Do your waters always break before childbirth?

Many pregnant women believe that the water breaks first, and then labor itself begins. But there are many cases when the bubble cannot burst on its own, and its puncture is carried out in the prenatal room. There are no nerve endings in the membrane that protects the amniotic fluid, so this procedure is absolutely safe and painless.

Leakage of amniotic fluid

Often, pregnant women in their last stages experience a small separation of amniotic fluid. A woman may not always understand that this is amniotic fluid and not ordinary discharge. This can have a very negative impact on the health of the fetus, so if you have any doubts, be sure to contact your doctor. In pharmacies you can find special tests that allow you to determine the likelihood of amniotic fluid leakage yourself.

Premature rupture of the membranes is a serious complication of pregnancy, which is accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the bladder and is characterized by leakage or massive rupture of amniotic fluid at any stage of pregnancy.

Causes of premature rupture of water

The risk factors and causes of early rupture of water, they have not been fully studied and it is impossible to answer with certainty which of them is the trigger. The following are confirmed and most common risk factors:

• the presence in the past of one or more pregnancies ending in premature rupture of amniotic fluid. The most significant factor, the probability that another pregnancy will end the same, is approximately 23%;
• inflammatory and infectious processes of the genital tract. The source of inflammation forms a kind of “weak spot” on the wall of the bladder; over time, a rupture or crack may appear in its place;
• isthmic-cervical insufficiency. Protrusion of the bladder into the lumen of the dilated cervix can lead to easy infection of its walls, and as a result, rupture;
• instrumental medical interventions. Chorionic villus biopsy and amniocentesis. Contrary to myths, examination with a speculum, sexual intercourse and vaginal examination are not able to provoke premature rupture of the membranes;
• a strong change in the volume of amniotic fluid - oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios;
• injuries. This includes both a fall and direct injury to the abdomen;
• multiple pregnancy.

Diagnosis of premature bladder rupture

There are many diagnostic techniques aimed at identifying membrane rupture. These include a smear for amniotic fluid, a gynecological examination, and all kinds of tests to determine the acidity of the vagina, but they are all uninformative an hour after the rupture of the bladder. Their results can be affected by impurities of blood, urine, sperm, and they show a high percentage of errors from 20 to 40, both false negative and false positive, which is extremely high and fraught. In the second case, this leads to unnecessary hospitalization, labor stimulation and drug therapy, and in the first, all of the listed complications that are characteristic of premature release of amniotic fluid, which can lead to serious consequences.

How long before birth does your water break normally? As a rule, the active process of labor begins with the release of amniotic fluid. The one in which the baby is in the amniotic sac. One of its main functions is protection against possible third-party microorganisms. The environment inside the uterus is completely sterile.

At the moment when the head presses on the amniotic sac, it bursts and the water comes out. This does not always happen immediately before childbirth. It happens that the water breaks without contractions, when the cervix is ​​not yet ready for labor. In such cases, you should contact the maternity hospital. And if no changes occur, then doctors stimulate natural childbirth or perform a caesarean section. That is, there is no definite pattern regarding the question “when does the water break, how long does it take for contractions to begin?”

A safe water-free period is within 6 hours. This is due to the fact that usually not all of the water pours out, but only the front ones, located between the head and the wall of the bladder. In addition, the waters are gradually rising. If the waters have left the bubble, then you have some time to calmly get ready and get to the maternity hospital.

How to understand that amniotic fluid has leaked, how do waters usually break? Experienced mothers in labor claim that it is difficult to confuse this with anything else. It feels like a torrent is gushing from within. Although the volume of water poured out is about 200 ml, that is, about a glass. The color of the amniotic fluid should be transparent, odorless or give off a slightly sweet odor. All this is an indicator of the baby’s good condition. Small flakes from the child's lubrication are also acceptable. If the waters are cloudy, greenish, or have dark sediments, you should not hesitate to contact a doctor. This is not a very good sign indicating oxygen starvation of the fetus.

Sometimes the water does not pour out, but leaks in small portions. This is possible if the bladder is cracked. In such cases, amniotic fluid can easily be confused with discharge or urination. The characteristics described above will help you distinguish fetal fluid. You can also use special pads - amniotests. They react to the alkaline environment of amniotic fluid.

It is very important to detect water leakage in time and minimize the waterless period. Since the lack of fluid deprives natural protection against infections. They pose a danger to both mother and baby.

For some women in labor, amniotomy (mechanical rupture of the membranes) is performed directly on the birth table. The integrity of the amniotic sac until the last moment of the birth process, as a rule, facilitates contractions and promotes better dilatation of the cervix.