Medically reviewed by Dr Kristy June Dinampo.
Whether it’s a trickle, a dribble, or a gush, when your water breaks it’s time to spring into action!
For many women, the idea of their water breaking is a rather mystical and somewhat confusing moment.
We’ve all seen those Hollywood movies when there’s a surprised clutch of the stomach and a tidal wave appears.
Don’t worry ladies, it’s normally not like that!
What happens at that very moment for you could be anything from a tiny dribble, to a trickle, to a small gush which ends as quickly as it starts.
It all means the same thing: labor isn’t far away.
So when the rather wet moment occurs what do you do?
First things first, let’s discover what is actually happening when your water breaks.
What Does ‘Water Breaking’ Mean?
During pregnancy, your baby is protected by a sac filled with amniotic fluid.
This gives your baby a comfortable and safe place to rest while he or she is growing throughout those long nine months.
When it is time for your baby to be born that sac tears and your baby is ready to emerge.
Of course, something has to happen to that fluid which is inside the sac.
In this case, it begins to slowly leak out of the cervix.
Eventually, it leaks out of the vagina in varying amounts and at varying times.
Your baby is no longer protected by that fluid-filled sac, labor is beginning and your bundle of joy is ready to be born.
Sometimes you might hear your midwife or doctor talking about membranes or ruptured membranes.
This is a medical term which literally means your water has broken.
This is because within that sac of fluid there are membranes.
When the sac tears, the membranes break too.
Nothing to worry about, just fancy medical speak!
When Does This All Happen?
When it’s ready.
In an ideal world, your water will break sometime around your due date, but there are occasions when it happens earlier.
This is called premature labor.
For that reason, if you notice your water has broken and you are not due to give birth, you should go to the hospital immediately.
If you’ve gone past your estimated due date it may be that your midwife offers to break your water for you.
This is one way to induce labor and speed things up when pregnancy has dragged on just a little too long!
Is it Your Water Breaking or Just Pee?
Most women have already been having contractions when their water breaks.
For others, it comes out of the blue.
Water breaking basically means that you are either in labor or about to be.
It can be either in the first or second stage of labor.
When your water breaks, you will notice a fair amount of fluid ranging in color from clear to pale yellow or pink.
You may find that your contractions start to become more intense after your water has broken.
What Should I Do When My Water Breaks?
Put simply, when your water breaks, this is the time to call your midwife or ob-gyn and let them know what is happening.
The ideal situation is that you will be at home when your water breaks.
You can monitor things and move calmly when the time is right.
Of course, life rarely goes as planned.
If you’re away from home when your water breaks, don’t panic.
To avoid any potential embarrassment, it may be a good idea to carry a maternity pad in your bag after about 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Even if you’re not noticing contractions when your water breaks, call your midwife or maternity unit.
You’ll be asked lots of questions and will be advised on how to progress. Most likely, the advice will be to go into the maternity unit for a check-up at the very least.
Once you arrive, you’ll be checked over, and your baby’s heartbeat will also be checked.
Whether or not you have a vaginal examination at this point completely depends upon the situation and how sure you are that your water actually broke.
When Does Real Labor Start?
When strong contractions begin completely depends upon the woman, but most women are in labor within 24 hours of their water breaking.
If your water has been broken as part of an induction process you will probably go into spontaneous active labor within 24 hours.
If you go into the maternity unit for a check after your water breaks and are advised to go home because labor hasn’t started yet, you should simply relax and chill the hell out!
You do need to check for any signs of infection occurring however, as now your water has broken and you are more susceptible.
If you notice shivering, feeling generally unwell, a high temperature, flushing of your skin, or if your baby is moving less, call the unit immediately.
If for some strange reason you feel like having sex, don’t.
It increases the chance of infection.
Water breaking has long been a source of confusion for pregnant women and they often wonder what it will feel like.
The only thing to think about is that when that water goes, your little bundle of joy is soon to be making an appearance!