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How to find out if a pregnant woman's water has broken. How to understand that water is breaking in pregnant women: causes, sensations and important actions

How to understand that the waters have broken, and should they leave normally before the active start of contractions? How not to miss the start of labor? The closer the date of the proposed meeting with the baby, the more anxious the mother becomes. We will hasten to reassure and give the necessary information.

Amniotic fluid or amniotic fluid surrounds the baby in the amniotic sac. They are necessary to protect it from infections, noise, shocks, etc. Their outpouring occurs when the baby's head presses on the front wall of the bladder. As a result, it breaks, and the anterior amniotic fluid flows out.

As a rule, this is a volume of water up to 200 ml. And how do the waters leave - what are the visual signs and sensations at the same time? Experienced mothers answer that the discharge of amniotic fluid occurs in a strong jet or stream. But it is very palpable and obvious, to be confused with urination or vaginal discharge.

Situations are also possible when small cracks form on the bubble and water begins to leak. In such cases, the number of allocations is very small. And to determine that it is amniotic fluid is not easy.

An amniotic test will help to understand that a pregnant woman's water has broken before childbirth. It is similar in use to a pregnancy test. Only now it needs to be immersed in selections. They have an alkaline environment, and therefore will be determined on the test strip. But this test must be performed by a medical professional so that it is informative. There are also pads with a similar function, but for home use. It is very comfortable. It is enough to wait for the discharge from the vagina to get on the pad, you do not need to take any smears.

And if it turned out - it really broke the water, what to do in such a situation? You should contact your doctor immediately. In the early stages, this is a pathology and requires urgent treatment. In general, water leakage is dangerous up to 38-40 weeks. That is, before the expected date of birth. An open fetal bladder is a free access to infections to the baby. Mom can get hurt too.

After the specified period, the discharge of amniotic fluid indicates the onset of labor. Although sometimes this happens even before the start of contractions. Your actions should be as follows. Be sure to remember what color and smell the liquid came out of you. Normally, it should be transparent, with a sweet smell and white flakes. Chances are your baby is fine. Slowly gather in the hospital and go to give birth.

If the color of the discharge is greenish, with dark blotches, then this indicates an insufficient supply of oxygen to the fetus and the presence of original feces in them - meconium. The water may also have a pinkish tint, indicating the onset of placental abruption. Both cases require immediate hospitalization.

Labor activity can catch you at an unexpected time and in a completely inappropriate place, so it is very important to pack a bag for the maternity hospital in advance and not leave the house without your exchange card, so that in the event of a possible emergency, you no longer care about fees.

Expectant mothers are often concerned about the question of how to understand that the waters have broken and, therefore, childbirth will occur very soon. In general, this is an easy task if you know the main symptoms. You need to pay attention to the shade, volume and period of discharge.

There are several main signs:

  • the liquid is clear or yellowish;
  • contains mucus and whitish flakes;
  • the consistency is watery.

Why is this happening

The child during the gestation period is located in the fetal membrane, which is filled with fluid. This is a natural environment for normal growth and development. In addition, it also performs protective functions from the effects of external factors: cold and heat, physical influences. But before the onset or already in the process of labor, the integrity of the fetal bladder is violated. Amniotic fluid flows out through the hole.

In a normal state, this indicates that labor has begun, so that within 12 hours the child will definitely be born, and maybe even earlier. Every woman's water breaks differently, so sometimes it's hard to know if it happened in a timely manner or not. Sometimes it is difficult to decide whether the water is receding or just leaking.

Departure begins only with the onset of labor activity. If the process began ahead of schedule, then this is a premature outpouring. Early withdrawal begins immediately with the first contractions. At the same time, the lumen of the cervix is ​​already open, but so far it has a small diameter.

If the liquid is poured out, then the neck is already open and soft enough. The lumen is approximately 40 mm (this is determined by the doctor during the examination). This outcome is considered the most favorable during childbirth.

But there are times when the fluid bubble does not burst at the right time. Then the doctors themselves make a puncture by a mechanical method.

The following factors affect how water flows:

  • the location of the child in the uterus;
  • fetal health;
  • the integrity of the placenta;
  • shell rupture site.

What does flowing water look like?

According to the color, quantity and characteristics of the liquid, doctors determine the further tactics of childbirth.

Quantity

You can understand that the amniotic fluid has departed by their volume. During pregnancy, at different stages, the composition of the fluid and its amount changes. Before the onset of labor, the volume is approximately 1.5 liters. But this does not mean that so much liquid will immediately come out of the bubble.

At first, only a part comes out. This is required in order to move the fetus closer to the cervix.

When the baby is already tightly pressed, part of the liquid still remains inside the bubble - it will come out with the baby. This is required in order to facilitate the sliding of the child through the birth canal. On this basis, the amniotic fluid at the exit is divided into anterior and posterior.

If the rupture of the shell is located at the bottom, then the entire portion of the liquid can immediately come out. As a result, there are sensations as with involuntary urination. This can happen when getting up from a lying position, when the abdominal muscles tense up, or when a woman is sleeping.

If the opening of the shell is on the side or on top, then the waters leave gradually. Thanks to small portions, a woman can already understand what is happening, but still there are often doubts, especially if the waters have moved one drop at a time.

Color

It is also difficult to understand that the waters have broken because they are transparent or slightly yellowish. There are other options.

For example, a liquid can be:

  • dirty,
  • cloudy,
  • brownish or greenish.

This is a dangerous symptom that indicates fetal hypoxia or infection inside the amniotic sac.

Another bad symptom is the unpleasant odor of the liquid. If the placenta exfoliates, then blood clots can be found in the waters. In this case, urgent medical intervention is required.

Feel

You can also understand that the waters have broken by your own feelings. When pouring water:

  • There is no discomfort or pain.
  • The woman notices moisture in her groin.
  • Sometimes a characteristic sound is heard, which is similar to cotton.

The shell may burst during contractions. In this case, the woman will feel cramps in the lower abdomen. In this area, sometimes there is also heaviness and pain of a pressing or pulling nature.

When the waters all at once departed, it seems as if a large volume of water came out at the same time. In fact, the amount is small, and these sensations are false.

What to do?

When there are suspicions that the water is breaking, you should not wait, but immediately collect a bag with things that will be needed in the maternity hospital and go to the clinic.

Why you can't stay at home:

  1. Even if labor has not yet begun, the discharge indicates that the environment inside the shell is no longer sterile. And this opens up access to possible infections to a child who has not yet developed immunity.
  2. Without water, the fetus can only stay inside the uterus for a short period of time. If 12 hours after the release of the fluid, labor activity has not begun, then doctors resort to labor induction or perform a caesarean section.
  3. Possible prolapse of the umbilical cord, limbs of the child, if there is a transverse presentation.

So, if a woman feels that the waters have broken, then it is necessary to evaluate their volume, consistency and shade.

If the waters began to break prematurely, then the woman should immediately be hospitalized in order to save the child. If this happened after the 20th week, then it is usually possible to keep the pregnancy.

At the end of pregnancy, the outpouring of water is a natural process that indicates the beginning of generic processes in the body.

During pregnancy, the baby is reliably protected in the womb from negative influences. The leading role in the protection of the fetus is given to amniotic waters. The liquid fills the child's place, in which the child is protected from harmful external influences. The feeling of an uncontrolled outflow of urine allows you to understand that the water has departed. Normally, when the uterus is ready to open, the bubble bursts, the contents begin to flow out smoothly. During pregnancy for more than 32 weeks, the discharge of amniotic fluid is possible at any moment.

There are many unfamiliar phenomena during the gestation period, and women are faced with the problem of urinary incontinence. You may not understand that the waters have broken, confusing them with urination. Therefore, in order to correctly assess what it means to break the water during pregnancy, there are distinctive characteristics of the phenomenon.

Term. The effusion begins over a long period of 32 to 42 weeks. The process is considered natural, however, there are deviations from the norm in these terms. If the amniotic bladder has burst and contractions have not begun (this occurs from 32 to 37 weeks of pregnancy), delivery is stimulated artificially. The fetus is weak by this time and special medical care is required to save life.

Volume of liquid. When the waters leave, their volume is felt, since by the time of delivery, about 1.5 liters of fluid is formed inside the fetal bladder. Most of it is located in the front, above the head of the fetus. It is poured out first when the bubble bursts.

How many liters of water leave before giving birth? The volume is from 600 milliliters to 1 liter. Therefore, women claim that the discharge of water looks like a powerful outpouring of a bucket of water. The remaining part is blocked in the passage of the uterus by the fetal head, the remains of the amniotic fluid come out with the fetus at birth. The fluid acts as a lubricant as it moves through the birth canal.

Color. The normal color of the waters is yellow or colorless. A brighter shade means that when the bladder ruptured, there was pressure on the urinary canal, and urine came out along with the fetal fluid. This is fine.

Red blotches in the composition should not frighten a woman. These are natural particles of tissues of the uterine canal.
Green and brown color - a harbinger of danger. The waters are called dirty and dangerous to the life of a child. In 90% of cases, a caesarean section is prescribed. Scarlet color means heavy bleeding inside. Movement is prohibited, you need to lie on a flat surface and urgently call an ambulance.

Can the waters break in parts? Yes, if a hole has formed in the wall of the fetal bladder. The situation threatens with complications of the birth process. Harbingers of bubble rupture are characteristic sensations. If a woman is late at home, you need to carefully monitor them.

signs

If during urination a clot of mucus fell out with a slap or remained on the linen, it means that the water will soon leave. Cork in some mothers departs in parts in a couple of days. In the absence of pathologies during pregnancy, there will be no other clear signs. But there are a number of possible changes in the body.

What does a pregnant woman feel when the water breaks:

  • pain in attacks if contractions have begun;
  • pulls the lower abdomen - a harbinger of the onset of contractions;
  • abundant moisture of the genitals;
  • the sound of cotton inside.

To feel that the waters have departed, a woman should at the time of a strong flow from the vagina. From this moment, labor activity begins active development. If there are no contractions within 10-12 hours, surgery is required. Without amniotic fluid, the child will begin asphyxia.

How to determine if the water has peed or broken:

  1. if the fluid flow is controlled, then it is urination;
  2. if not, then the waters began to break.

Does it hurt to break water? No, pain is associated only with the onset of contractions. Since the fetal bladder does not have nerve endings, the woman does not feel the rupture.

If a pregnant woman claims that while she was washing, her water broke or that this happened in the toilet, then 90% is true. The phenomenon is typical for timely contractions, when the uterus expands and presses on the bladder. Along with this, the amniotic sac also bursts.

Difference from selections

Leakage of water is dangerous at any time, you need to be able to distinguish it from secretions. Worries about whether the waters break or the discharge are justified.

  • period: leakage is of a long systematic nature, and the discharge disappears for a long time;
  • consistency: the discharge is thicker and denser, in case of leakage, water flows;
  • the color of the discharge is white, and the amniotic fluid is clear;
  • the smell is not characteristic of natural secretions.

During physical activity, the intensity of humidity increases, there is a feeling as if the birth is about to depart. If this feeling persists, it is most likely a leak.

How to determine that amniotic fluid has broken during pregnancy:

  1. when the fetal membrane ruptures, a soft pop is heard, the sound will be reflected in the ears;
  2. the liquid is transparent, the linen gets wet through;
  3. positive leak tests.

How to determine the discharge of amniotic fluid at home using a test:

  • pee, wash yourself, dry yourself thoroughly and lie down on a white cotton diaper. If after 30 minutes a wet spot forms, then the amniotic fluid in the pregnant woman has departed or there is leakage;
  • attach a special pad to the panties. Tests sold in pharmacies contain a specific reagent that reacts with color to the bladder fluid. The instructions describe the detailed values ​​\u200b\u200band the rules for the procedure.

In a maternity hospital or gynecological clinic, such a procedure must be done free of charge, upon contact. The service is provided in a private clinic, without a queue, but for a decent fee. Examination by a gynecologist gives a 100% guarantee - the waters have broken before childbirth or not.

Timing

Regardless of whether the pregnancy is pathological or not, it is important to notice the process of rupture of the amniotic bladder. This can be expected at different times.

At what point do the waters break? When the uterus is ready for labor, the amniotic sac bursts. At a period of 32 to 37, as well as after the end of 42 weeks, there are serious risks of complications in childbirth and a threat to the health of the baby. It is forbidden to do without doctors in this situation.

Time differences:

  1. prenatal;
  2. timely;
  3. lingering.

Prenatal outpouring. In the period before 37 weeks, the rupture of the amniotic bladder is called premature and entails the risk of serious complications. The degree of danger depends on the duration of pregnancy and timely hospitalization.

Consequences:

  • entanglement of the umbilical cord;
  • malposition;
  • death due to physiological prematurity.

Labor activity does not occur in the early stages, so urgent surgical intervention will hang the chances of a successful outcome. To avoid a bad development of events, it is necessary to exclude risk factors.

  • ignoring leaks;
  • hit;
  • trauma;
  • exacerbation of chronic infections;
  • excessive physical activity;
  • severe stress.

Timely release. In the absence of pathologies, by week 37 the uterus is ready to miss the fetus, the organ becomes softer and open by 3.5-5 centimeters. The gradual discharge of water should begin before the end of 42 weeks, due to the natural rupture of the amniotic sac. Contractions should start at the same time or within the next 10-12 hours.

Protracted outflow. Approximately 10% of women in labor do not leave the water in due time. In this case, an amniotomy procedure is prescribed - a puncture or rupture of the amniotic bladder. With the right medical approach, the procedure goes well, without consequences.

Pregnant women have a method of speeding up the process of childbirth and the discharge of water. Unhurried constant walking increases the rate of onset of labor by 30%.

How to speed up the discharge of amniotic fluid:

  • special preparations sold without a prescription in pharmacies;
  • eating fresh pineapple;
  • light physical work;
  • sexual contact;
  • nipple stimulation.

Doctors insist not to stimulate the process on their own. If necessary, the obstetrician will perform the puncture operation in the hospital at the scheduled time.

Actions at the outpouring

After the departure of the waters, excitement begins. Mom is confused, there is a feeling that the woman does not control the actions. As soon as the volume of liquid comes out, this feeling passes. It is believed that if the water leaves, the weight decreases, but this is not so.

If a woman is in the hospital, obstetricians will do everything necessary for the safe birth of the baby, stimulate childbirth. When the woman in labor is still at home, you need to mentally plan the course of action in advance, clearly follow the accepted order.

Actions when pouring out:

  1. calm down and exhale;
  2. call for emergency help;
  3. if necessary, take a shower, change panties;
  4. collect documents (it is better to do this in advance);
  5. collect things for the hospital;
  6. wait for the arrival of doctors;
  7. if contractions have begun, breathe deeply;
  8. if the waters are red or green, you need to lie down and not move.

Can I take a shower if my water has broken? Yes, but the uterus may already be open, so you should not wash deep, just rinse outside. Feelings after the discharge of water do not bring a negative effect to the woman in labor. First, it is absolutely painless. Secondly, thoughts and feelings are filled with excitement in anticipation of meeting with your own baby.

Does the stomach change after the water breaks? Obstetricians say that only the position of the fetus changes, the child sinks to the bottom. This is logical, since after the outpouring, the head crashes into the cervix. It can be seen from the belly that the baby is moving down.

About 10% of women claim that the stomach decreases after the discharge of water. These are unsubstantiated facts, the stomach looks voluminous and elastic until the very delivery.

Throughout pregnancy, the fetus is surrounded by amniotic fluid. It plays the role of a protective shell and shock absorber, softens shocks during movement. The way your water breaks before giving birth can affect the outcome. The doctor is able to guess the condition of the child by their color, to determine that additional assistance will be required after birth.

The concept of norm

The liquid shell of the fetus comes from several sources. It is partly produced by the epithelial cells of the amniotic membrane. In the 1st trimester, maternal blood plasma takes part in the formation of fluid, which is impregnated into the amnion cavity. In the 2nd trimester, they are produced by the fetus itself, they are based on urine and alveolar fluid, which is formed in the lungs.

At the beginning of pregnancy, the waters are yellow, then they gradually brighten, and by the end of the term they become a little cloudy due to fluffy hair, epithelium particles and cheese-like lubricant. Amniotic fluid has a specific composition:

  • pH 6.98-7.23;
  • amount of protein 0.8-1.2%
  • urea 23mg%;
  • glucose 22 mg%.

During pregnancy, there is a constant renewal of the amniotic fluid. Studies in 1959 with labeled isotopes proved that a complete change occurs in 3 hours, and sodium is replaced by a new one in 14 hours. But the fluid does not flow out, its renewal occurs due to the ingestion by the fetus and outflow through the chorionic and amniotic membranes into the mother's bloodstream.

The unborn child secretes 300-400 ml of lung fluid and 400-1200 ml of urine per day, and swallows 200 ml at 18 weeks, and up to 500 ml at 40 weeks. The remaining milliliters go through the placenta. Normally, amniotic fluid does not go outside during pregnancy. Leakage of a clear liquid indicates a fissure of the fetal bladder and requires medical attention.

The role of fluid during childbirth

During pregnancy, the liquid medium protects the fetus from injury, infection. The baby presses his head against the bones of the pelvis and limits the volume to 1 liter. The water bubble in front of the head plays the role of a hydraulic wedge. It gently presses on the neck from the inside and helps it open up.

With a rupture at 32 weeks of gestation, they are guided by the state of the birth canal and the fetus. A wait-and-see approach may be applied. The woman is hospitalized, the fetus is continuously monitored with CTG.

The lungs of a child are not yet able to breathe on their own. Surfactant, which ensures the expansion of lung tissue, begins to be produced after 34-35 weeks. To accelerate the maturation of the lungs, glucocorticoids are prescribed.

At the 34th week of pregnancy, hormones are no longer prescribed, only broad-spectrum antibiotics are used, as for any shorter period.

If the waters have broken without contractions, expectant management is contraindicated in the following cases:

  • serious condition of the mother or fetus;
  • chorioamnionitis;
  • detachment of a normally located placenta or its presentation;
  • gradually develops active generic activity.

Drugs that suppress uterine contractility are used to delay labor after premature rupture of the membranes, but not longer than 48 hours.

How long can a child be without water and without harm to health?

It all depends on his gestational age. The smaller it is, the higher the risk of complications and poor outcome. Clinical protocols define a waiting period of 12 hours for pregnancy after 37 weeks. If during this time contractions do not begin, then they resort to.

In practice, doctors try to reduce the risk of infection during the anhydrous period. Antibiotics also carry a risk of side effects. In order not to prescribe medications, they try to start stimulation after 4-5 hours of an anhydrous period, but focusing on the condition of the fetus and the woman in labor.

When will childbirth begin after the outpouring of water?

The period of time that the body needs to start labor is called the latent period. In pregnancy with a normal term, the percentage of independent births is as follows:

  • within 12 hours - in 50% of women in labor;
  • within 24 hours - in 70%;
  • after 48 hours - in 85% of women;
  • after 72 hours - 95%.

The rest require medical assistance and stimulation of labor. With a shorter gestational age, it all depends on the week of gestation. The smaller, the longer the latent period. In women up to 28 weeks, it can take up to a month, but with the mandatory use of antibiotics.

Complications

Conditions where the water first breaks or contractions begin without outflow of amniotic fluid require the same attention from the doctor. But with premature damage to the membranes, the frequency of complications is higher. If this happened to a premature baby, the chances of death for him are 4 times higher.

Common complications of prenatal rupture of the amniotic membrane are:

  • at the birth of a child up to 34-35 weeks;
  • infectious complications in the fetus in 30% and postpartum endometritis in women in labor;
  • the birth of a child in a state of asphyxia;
  • anomalies of labor activity;
  • detachment of a normally located placenta.

Newborns often have complications associated with prematurity: intraventricular hemorrhages that cause cerebral palsy, retinopathy, enterocolitis.

Pregnant women may lose water before contractions appear. Staying at home after this is dangerous for the child's condition. Therefore, when watery transparent discharge appears, it is necessary to go to the maternity hospital to save the pregnancy or childbirth.

I am not one of those pregnant women who are ready to stay at home until the beginning of the attempts, so I run to the doctor with any “sneeze”. This is probably why in the last week I have already gone to the maternity hospital three times with the suspicion that my waters have broken. And it's good that it was a false alarm - it turned out to be discharge due to thrush, because the period is only 32 weeks, it's too early to give birth. So I'm wondering how to understand that the waters have broken? Are there any ways to distinguish them from regular selections?

What is amniotic fluid?

The baby during intrauterine life is in the fetal bladder filled with amniotic fluid - a clear, colorless or slightly yellow liquid with unique abilities. Amniotic fluid is not only the protection of the baby from injury and infection, but also a source of nutrients and a simulator for the digestive tract. Approximately every three hours, the amniotic waters are renewed, while their number remains unchanged. The maximum fluid volume is reached by week 36 and corresponds to 1000-1500 ml.

How to understand that the waters broke earlier than expected?

For most of us, the idea of ​​receding waters is somewhat distorted and exaggerated. Indeed, the discharge of water during pregnancy may look like a small "flood", but if this happens long before childbirth, often the fluid begins to simply leak. In such a situation, it is important to timely establish the leakage of amniotic fluid and take all necessary measures, because it is the integrity of the fetal bladder that is the main factor in protecting the baby from infection.

There is such a thing as a high tear of the amnion, when there is leakage of amniotic fluid in a small volume, which often goes unnoticed. To understand whether the waters have broken or not, it is better to use a special pharmacy test or take a water test in the laboratory.

IMPORTANT! Unlike normal physiological vaginal discharge, amniotic fluid leakage increases with physical exertion, such as walking or straining. In addition, the process of water leakage is not subject to control, such as the process of urination, which can be stopped at any second.

How to understand that the waters have broken, and how to distinguish them from secretions?

So, you can distinguish amniotic fluid from abundant vaginal discharge by conducting a sheet test. To do this, lie down without underwear on a white sheet folded several times after washing and wiping dry. A colorless and odorless stain on the sheet after an hour makes it clear that the waters have broken and it is time to go to the hospital.

How to understand that the water has broken if there are no contractions yet?

Normally, the rupture of the fetal bladder occurs during childbirth, when the opening of the internal cervical os exceeds 6-7 cm.

Premature rupture of amniotic fluid - this diagnosis is made when the rupture of the membranes occurs in the absence of labor. With a favorable course, soon after the outflow of amniotic waters, the first contractions appear, which gradually intensify and develop into active labor. If this does not happen, the doctor's task is to assess the condition of the mother and fetus and decide on the further management of childbirth. If everything is fine with the baby and mother, the woman is left under observation in the delivery room, waiting for the start of contractions. In the absence of labor activity during the day, a decision is made to stimulate labor or surgical delivery, depending on the maturity of the birth canal.

IMPORTANT! It is a mistake to believe that if the waters broke, then the baby was left there completely without them, since when the fetal bladder ruptures, only “front” waters flow out in an amount of up to 300 ml.

What to do if you suspect a discharge of amniotic fluid?

If you have more or less sorted out the question of how to understand that the waters have broken, you need to clearly know what to do next. One of the mistakes that women often make is waiting for contractions after the waters have been poured. So, in no case should you wait for any contractions at home, you should grab your “alarm suitcase” and go to the hospital. The fact is that the more time has passed after the outflow of water, the higher the risk of infection of the fetus.