Waters Breaking

[LibbyAshleigh]

I’m 38+2 weeks pregnant, with my first baby, and I was just wondering, will I 100% know when my waters break? I’ve read up on it and everything I’ve read has said i might feel a popping sensation or I might not feel the break at all, and then a gush or a trickle and it’ll be an odourless, watery substance that’s either straw coloured or clear that comes out. But I’m confused, because when my baby moves and kicks it can feel like popping, and I’ve felt something come out before and I’m not sure if it was discharge or not, because it was watery but I haven’t had contractions I don’t think. It’s all so new and confusing, can anyone help?

[MilkItTilITurnItIntoCheese]

I’ve had 3 children and all were different. With baby 1 I was contracting regularly and in hospital before I lost plug it waters which went suddenly. Baby 2 waters trickled for 2 days before contractions. Baby 3 they went with a pop in the middle of the night. So it’s hard to say for sure whether you will be certain. And hard to say for sure which order it will all happen in. Good luck

[IvinghoeBeacon]

No one is 100% sure when my waters went. I went to hospital at 10pm thinking they had, but was told they hadn’t. I then went into labour overnight, laboured all day, went back to hospital in the early hours of the next day and waters had gone. I certainly didn’t identify at what point they went.

[happychange]

Mine was pretty clear when it went as it started as a trickle then became an almighty gush!

[horse4course]

TV does a disservice in showing labour as always starting with waters breaking. Most don't start like that.

If they burst, you'll know about it - it's like a bucket of warm slop! You can leak little bits with each contraction if the membrane breaks high up, then it's less of a flood. But by then you'd be in labour anyway.

Overall, don't worry about it. You're not going to accidentally not notice being in labour!

[Kraggle]

Both of mine popped then I felt the gush. No mistaking it for me. The second time I could feel them bulging before they went and was just glad they didn’t go when I was waddling round Tesco!

[kathryn19801]

Mine went in birthing pool on the contraction before the head came out. Felt a big pop and thought I'd had an accident lol

[NameChange30]

I had one or two leaks when my labour first started. It progressed pretty quickly, with frequent and strong contractions, and I was in the birth centre by the time my waters broke. It was very obvious that's what had happened due to the volume of liquid.

[scrivette]

Mine were a tv style gush each time! Luckily I was in bed/at home when it happened.

[OhHolyNightWaking]

Mine went prior to labour both times and was more of a trickle than a gush.
With DC1 I was loading the washing machine and felt something trickling out. It kept coming in dribs and drabs but was obvious what it was, totally different sensation to weeing. Contractions didn't start until a few hours later.

With DC2 I was asleep and woke up to something hot running down my leg. It was a bit more of a torrent than with number 1 but still not a gush and I kept losing more as time went on. Contractions started almost immediately.

Both times I didn't doubt it was my waters breaking, even though it wasn't the TV style gushing puddle on the floor!

[ParkheadParadise]

With Dd1 I was hospital, the midwife broke them.

With Dd2 I was in a car park with DH and my sister. The three of us stood looking at each other as my water's poured along the road 😂😂😂

[heatingsoup]

My waters have never broken until I was fully dilated and probably about 10 minutes before the baby popped out.

[heatingsoup]

(Both times a huge release of pressure that helped relieve the pain)

[Pinkblueberry]

I remember the ‘pop’ - it woke me up, I’m sure I heard it too I think experiences do vary but unless you usually have a week bladder I think it will be quite obvious if your waters break - it’s definitely watery just like urine, not like discharge and you can’t hold it in.

[user1497718723]

Nope. I didn't know until I had a scan & they had definitely gone. I think it's different for everyone

[user1497718723]

It also isn't odourless, it's quite a strong unusual smell

[JJTWhite]

I felt a pop and thought waters had gone, jumped up but nope, decided I needed a wee and waters popped on toilet with my DS, contractions started immediately after waters went.

DD I thought I had wet myself, stood up laughed about my inability to hold my bladder and whipped me knickers off and my waters went with and almighty gush, husband whipped his towel off and chucked it under me while we both laughed hysterically. They kept on leaking for a good 3 hours before contraction started.

[Celebelly]

Mine did the filmesque gush too as I sat on the sofa! No mistaking it in that case - poor DP went rushing off for a towel while I stood there and cried while fluid gushed out of me and the dog looked at me bemused. They went with a little pop too!

[Ratbagcatbag]

I was sat on the edge of my bed having just had a shower. I bent over to put my socks on and pop!! It looked like someone had thrown a bucket of water all over the bed and floor! It gushed out. I was 37+3. I was induced 24 hours later as I hadn't got started on labour by that point.

[DramaAlpaca]

All three times mine didn't go until the baby was about to be born.

In the case of DS2, the poor midwife had just bent down to see what was happening & got a face full of amniotic fluid

[Pinkflipflop85]

Dc1...had waters broken by the midwife in hospital.

Dc2...waters broke at home. We were in hysterics because it just wouldn't stop coming!

[PlinkPlink]

I had the same as @heatingsoup

Fully dilated
Massive pop and explosion if waters on poor nurses who were quite surprised.

The relief was immense quickly followed but the most overwhelming need to push. Baby was born in 2 pushes. They were worried DS would be in a bit of shock but he wasn't 😂

Placenta delivery was pretty explosive too.

[IvinghoeBeacon]

“ unless you usually have a week bladder I think it will be quite obvious if your waters break”

Hmm well I don’t have a weak bladder, thought my waters had gone (it wasn’t urine but was more of a trickle than a gush), but they assured me they hadn’t when examined at the hospital

[IvinghoeBeacon]

I then don’t know when my waters went because they had gone by the time I was next examined when I arrived at the hospital fully dilated. So either they were wrong the first time, or they went when I had a bath

[Her0utdoors]

First time a big wet deluge tgat I caught most of in the bathroom bin, absolutely dark with meconium, so hospital transfer for me.
Second, a pulsing feeling that woke me up. I pushed my fist into my pelvic floor and woddled to the toilet, managed not to get the any on the bed or floor. It was light pink so fine to continue at home.
I'd say it smells spunky, some would say it smells of hay.....

[Reader1984]

Was like bubbles popping, then a warm trickle like 'oh am I weeing myself?!' then a gush.. all happened within about 2 minutes.