How will I know if my waters have gone?

[MassiveBumperlicious]

Sounds like a silly question as this is DC2 but when I had DD my waters didn't go till I was in 2nd stage of labour, urgh, it was like pushing out a water balloon!

This time though, I have 7 weeks to go, and am panicking that my waters might go and I won't notice. Could I mistake slowly leaking waters for a) the sweat that my underwear is regulary soaked in , b) discharge or c) wee, because let's face it if I sneeze at the wrong time my pelvic floor doesn't have a chance any more.

How will I know if it is my waters and if they go does it mean I am in labour?

mine kind of felt like an internal pop - then steady leakage.
Everyone is different;
with ds1 contractions started about 30 mins after waters went, and he was born 2 hours after that;
with ds1 contractions started about 10 mins after waters went, and he was born 15 mins after that.

I thought I'd weed with both of mine.
BUT, the only difference is that I ran to the loo, it leaked out (sorry if TMI!). I stood up, thinking it had finished and it started leaking again, I couldn't stop it leaking.

I believe if it is your proper waters (i.e. not just hind waters), then you have to deliver within 48 hours, to prevent risk of infection.

If you ring maternity ward, you can go in and they'll check whether it is your waters. Put a pad on and keep it.

Good luck!

Mine went when I weed. I finished my wee and the liquid just kept coming. I could feel it wasn't my wee muscles. No pelvic floor clenching would stop it coming.

I think often you hear a pop. It's not like discharge, it's more liquidy. In my experience anyway.

Mine went at about 1am and contractions started slowly from a couple of hours after. I know people who's waters broke and then nothing.

A tip if you're worried about your mattress. Go to a pet store and ask for puppy training pads. Basically big absorbable pads that you can put under the sheet. They use the same kind of thing in hospital, though I doubt they come with pictures of doggies on the front. Same thing though.

Thanks for the replies, what worries me is that DD had meconium in her waters, which I gather can be a sign of distress (she wasn't distressed though, she was as cool as a cucumber!), but I am planning a home birth (well, semi planning, thinking about it) and I understand that meconium in the waters would be something they sent you into hospital for, and I worry that if they went in a gush how could they tell if there was meconium?

I may just be making up things to be worried about now though

I have no idea on that but as waters often break with a gush, if they couldn't tell whether the baby was going to be ok, no one would have home births. Hope that makes some sense!

Think maybe you're just still trying to get your head around homebirthing and latching onto this as a worry. Is there a support group locally you could attend? Ask the NCT for contact details.

They don't always make you transfer with meconium in your waters, it depends on the midwife as meconium alone doesn't necessarily mean a problem, some midwives will be happy to keep an eye on things and let you deliver at home barring no other indicators. Often the midwife will check to see if it is just one bowel movement or 2, from the colour, 2 is more likely to be a problem. Meconium will make the waters coloured, green if it's fresh, darker if its not, otherwise the liquid will be clear. I imagine you would not fail to notice.

Incidentally you don't have to deliver within the hospital's time limit if your waters go, like anything else, they can't force you to have an induction if you don't want one. If you make it clear that you would like to wait, they can monitor you for signs of infection at home (because you don't want to be in hospital where infection is more likely) for a few days, taking some precautions and keeping a log of your temperature.

I heard and felt a huge pop with DC3 I actaully yelped I was so suprise even though I was in process of being induced and so not totally unexpected.

Mine went with a gush with ds2 (and like you ds1's didn't go until 2nd stage) but i could still tell what colour they were (ie not meconium stained). It was my first sign of labour - had been happily sleeping until then- and i still went ahead and had my home birth.

You'll be fine xxx

Tinglelingle, you have hit the nail on the head. I am anxious about the decision, I don't really want to think about it really, but it's getting close (7 weeks). Partly I am nervous, I hated giving birth the first time, partly I am just too tired to think about anything at the moment.

I did buy some nappies and breast pads today so I am sort of thinking about it. Should I be taking my notes places too? I'm sure they are around here somewhere...

I know how you feel but after my birth experience first time (homebirth turned marathon turned hospital full on drugs experience), I would suggest that if you can take time to plan and have a plan b, c, d & e too. Then you'll feel more in control and maybe more relaxed. Even if you end up drugged up, having a section, it could be your choice of drugs, for example. I'm definitely doing that this time (with twins!) as I was so terribly unprepared last time and spent ages afterwards beating myself up for having to go in.

Remember too, if you decide on a home birth now, you can still change your mind at any point. That's why having alternative plans would be a good idea. 'Hmmm, contractions, I chose to start with plan c today'.

Sit down, write a plan, then spend the next 7 weeks trying to relax. I know it's hard when you've got one but I think spending 7 weeks getting stressed sounds harder. Get it done woman!

PS I never remember my notes. If you're not complicated, surely they're not that crucial.

bumper when my waters went with dd they were green. if you think they have gone put a pad on and go to the hospital. if it is your waters it will keep on leaking.

with me the hospital were not in a rush to induce just because of the meconium, so i don't see it being too much of a problem if you have a hb and are in established labour.

i'm sure you will know when they do go though. good luck when they do

I just had DC5.

I still wouldnt know for sure.

I have never had the 'big gush in the supermarket' type thing.

I think mostly it happend in the last stage of labour. DC4 was slightly different I think they started to trickle about 1am and I had him 3ish in the afternoon.

But I couldnt be sure.