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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Can midwife tell if waters are very slowly leaking?

12 replies

MummyMellie · 03/02/2010 18:50

Think that my waters may be leaking very slowly, but there is just a trickle every so often and I'm not really sure.
I would rather not treck all the way to the big hospital, can the midwives at our local birth centre tell in any way - other than looking at knickers? Or is there any way I can tell? The pressure on my bits at the moment is immense, feels like I'm being turned inside out!

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waitingforbedtime · 03/02/2010 18:51

They can do a speculum which should be able to tell I think.

Original poster

MummyMellie · 03/02/2010 18:57

Hmm, might give unit a ring then!

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yomellamoHelly · 03/02/2010 19:06

Yes they can with speculum as WfB said. Happened with me with ds1. They also told me I was getting regular contractions (totally unaware) and offered to do an internal - though that meant I couldn't then leave so declined it. Ds1 arrived 11 hours later that day.

Original poster

MummyMellie · 03/02/2010 19:13

Just tried delivery suite and no reply, will keep on to them. Don't want to be chemically induced as have SPD and apparently it can make labour much worse so have been putting off calling since yesterday - am I just being silly?

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ELM · 03/02/2010 21:47

How far along are you?

I had a ROM (rupture of Membranes) at 27 weeks, they saw through a speculum, and apparently amniotic fluid (liquor) has a distinctive smell.

If your waters are broken you are more at risk from infection - so at the very least they will monitor temperature etc.
Not sure what the guidelines are before they want to induce, but I would call them, and go and get checked out.

My hard learned lesson is that midwives and doctors are there to support you and help YOU make informed decisions.
Hope all goes well.

missedith01 · 04/02/2010 09:43

I would say not always ... my waters started leaking at 19w in my first pregnancy - like youn describe - just a trickle every now and again - and I went to the hospital to have it checked out. They did a swab and a scan and couldn't find anything amiss - I miscarried a few days later when I had PROM.

If you are catching the leak in a towel I would say take the towel with you - I know it's embarassing but the midwives I saw decided what I had was an ordinary vaginal discharge - my notes say "creamy white discharge". I knew in my heart it wasn't because I've seen plenty of those and this was different. I couldn't convince them that what they could see as a result of doing the swab might well be a vaginal disharge but that IT WAS NOT THE THING I WAS WORRIED ABOUT.

Again, I knew deep down it was amniotic fluid that I was losing (I was confident about it because I'd had an amnio earlier and seen the sample) but ... first pregnancy ... you know nothing and people assume you are just panicing needlessly.

I don't think there was anything they could have done for me even if they'd taken me more seriously - it was caused by an infection and it was just too early for my little bean to survive, but there will always be a tiny nagging doubt that if I'd been firmer or pushed a bit more ...

You take care and do whatever you need to do to put your mind at rest.

newmomma · 04/02/2010 11:43

How far are you MummyMellie?

The main thing with waters is (sorry if tmi) they DON'T smell like urine. If it smells different to wee (sort of sweet) then it might be waters.

My waters started leaking ever so slightly before Xmas - spoke to the midwife who sent me for a check up - they said my cervix was tight shut and that small amounts of waters will replace themselves - after about 2 weeks it stopped.

Did you speak to your midwife?

I'm now nearly 28 weeks and baby is fine so try not to worry. xxx

l39 · 04/02/2010 11:44

I'm so sorry about the baby, missedith.

All was well with my baby but I also encountered a midwife who couldn't tell my waters had broken.

They went in the middle of the night and continued to gush at intervals for hours, but the flow had almost stopped when I went to hospital next day (was at 39 weeks.)

The midwife who checked my pad, just like with missedith, decided I just had a normal discharge. Even after 2 internal checks with a torch (!) she didn't believe me! I really wished I'd brought in some of the many soaked pads from home.

I was told to wander about the hospital, with a view to going back on the monitor at half past four and then I think she was going to send me home!

My daughter was born at 4.27. I never saw that midwife again but I hope she wasn't so disbelieving of the next mum who knew her waters had gone.

Original poster

MummyMellie · 05/02/2010 20:21

So sorry to hear that Miss Edith - you poor thing!
Well I went in for a check up and they said it was just discharge - but I am sure it wasn't, have had discharge all the way through and this was nothing like it - smelled rather cloying and sweet, and although not a vast amount I was sitting totally still when it happened and felt a very definate gush.

Nevertheless, they taped me up to all sorts of monitors to check everything and all seems to be fine. I am going to be 39 weeks this weekend so am not unduly worried, and am keeping an eye out for raised temp and anything else unusual.

I am pretty sure that it was waters of some sort, but cervix still tight closed so perhaps like you NewMomma it will just sort itself out.

Watch this space!!

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ClaireyFairy82 · 05/02/2010 21:00

I had my ds at the beginning of Jan at 39 + 3 and I felt a very similar thing a couple of days before labour. I was told that my hind waters had gone but my forewaters in front of the baby hadn't so when I gave birth they had to break them for me. I didn't realise before that there were hind and forewaters so could it be that?

Anyway, good luck and I hope it all goes well. These nagging doubts will all be put into perspective whe you have your gorgeous little bundle in your arms.

Owlingate · 05/02/2010 21:11

MissEdith - me too. I have PROMed with all 3 of my pregnancies, with the first and last they knew straight away - they can see fluid pooling in the cervix with the speculum. With my second - 18 weeks - they saw nothing 3 times and I was sent home 3 times. Got an infection and baby died.

OP IME if you are in 3rd trimester they can tell by speculum exam, but to double check ask if they can do the swab which changes colour in presence of amniotic fluid. Make sure they don't examine manually as if they do and waters have gone this will start the clock ticking for induction / augmentation within a certain time limit. HTH.

nappyaddict · 05/02/2010 21:33

MissEdith and Owl When you lost your babies had they not done the swab to see if it was waters then? You'd think they'd just do it for everyone if they suspect their waters have gone wouldn't you.

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