um TMI or waters breaking?

[SarahJinx]

Sorry if this is weird, I'm 8 days overdue, booked in for a sweep tomorrow morning, all day I've felt a little, erm, 'moist' and have had damp patches in knickers, nothing else out of the ordinary at all and not lots of liquid, just seepage I think.

I'm a first timer and wondered if waters ever break in this way, like a tiny trickle, or am I just a bit leaky today?

Any advice appreciated

Waters can definitely break in a very gradual leaky way (rather than a gush).

Have you sniffed your pants to see if it smells like urine or waters? That's what midwives do! All sounds like a very positive sign, although doensn't mean you'd go into labour tonight. You are usually advised to put a pad in and see how much is coming. And ring your labour ward if it continues - they usually like you to have progressed into "proper" labour within a set timeframe (can't remember if it's 24 or 48 hours, or something else - anyway, roughly in the near future) because if your waters are breaking and you don't go into labour, there's a risk of infection.

Good luck - sounds potentially quite exciting!

Yes they do sometimes go with a trickle BUT afaik a trickle would still require you to wear a pad and it would be wet within an hour or so.

If I were you I'd call the labour suite for advice.

Here is some very useful advice

Thanks Wigeon what should it smell like? And you think a maternity pad?

Do you usually have the 'show' before waters go, god am so ignorant!

My midwife told me today that waters would smell like sperm.....

They do have a distinctive smell but best idea is to put on a pad and go to the hospital to let them see what they think of it. I had a v small trickle as only hindwaters had gone

I'm going to put in a pad and see whats what for a bit, sweep is tomorrow at 10 am, you think it's ok to wait until then?

Seriously hardly anything been coming out up to now, I'm more aware of it than anything else, knicks just damp, not soaked....

your show can come before the waters, after them or even just minutes before the birth, like me lol

I was advised to lie down for about an hour, then to stand, if the fluid increased on standing it was most likely the waters going. If you're concerned at all, contact the labour ward

and when you say 'very small trickle...' sorry for all the questions, it's the being overdue!

I think your waters are meant to smell a bit sweet. Basically, I'd sniff to see if it smells like wee or not! Mine didn't break until I was in very established labour, so I don't actually have personal experience (in fact I didn't notice them going at any stage, but presumably they must've).

Put in any kind of pad if you aren't gushing, just to see how much there seems to be. A very small trickle (ie just making your pants damp, rather than requring piles of towels) can still be the start of your waters going though.

Waters going and having a show can be totally unlinked - some people have both before labour starts, some people have one then the other, or vice versa, or neither. So I wouldn't take anything from the fact that you have or haven't had a show.

I would ring your labour ward tonight for reassurance - they definitely won't mind especially considering you are 8 days overdue and it's obviously easy to tell whether it is waters or not.

Don't worry about all the questions! Who knows, you might go into labour tonight and not need the sweep!

I am due next week with DC2 and I can totally see me posting something similar even though it's my second one!

Also, general damp vaginal discharge often increases in late pregnancy, so it could be that.

Thanks folks, v much appreciated