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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

so what actually happens when your waters break?

27 replies

pinkgirlythoughts · 16/05/2011 17:27

Due date today, and midwife said this morning that she can feel a big pocket of fluid towards the bottom of my uterus. She laughed "somebody's going to get wet feet when these waters go!" So of course I've been panicking all day about what's actually going to happen! Do you get some kind of warning beforehand? Or could I just be standing in the queue at Tesco and it suddenly happens? Argh!!

OP posts:

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Crevix · 16/05/2011 17:29

could be a big splosh or a little trickle. might go before labour starts or during or after babe pops out.

Bogeyface · 16/05/2011 17:33

Sounds like you could have a gusher!

When mine went it was like doing a really big wee that I had no control over. Thats how I knew it was my waters as I squeezed as if to stop a wee and they just kept coming.

And sorry to say that unless you are having contractions and know you are in labour, they can just go with no warning so yes, in theory you could just be in the queue at Tesco when they go! When mine went with my eldest I was standing by the sink in my mums kitchen, no warning at all and the next time I was crouching down to put a video away and the popped all over our video player which was never the same again :o

Okonomiyaki · 16/05/2011 17:34

I was having a lie down a felt a popping sensation. Thought it might be the baby kicking and then thought I had wee'ed. I only had a small amount of liquid.

Things progressed very fast from there, my contractions immediately got stronger and more regular. I carried on losing waters throughout labour - midwife had to keep mopping up

madwomanintheattic · 16/05/2011 17:35

use a mattress protector if you aren't already...

WidowWadman · 16/05/2011 17:38

When mine went I actually wasn't sure at first whether it was wee or waters. Most weird experience.

Didn't have a warning at all, well, I had a show a few hours earlier, but no contractions or owt.

mrsravelstein · 16/05/2011 17:38

i had a hind water leak (apparently) which was like an uncontrollable wee with every contraction, very annoying and messy on my new carpets

mouseanon · 16/05/2011 17:40

Mine went both times after the contractions had started. First time I was in the bath and heard them go and felt the waters gushing out (at least it was all contained LOL). Second time we were in the car on the way to hospital and they went with a big gush again. It can be different for everyone though!

LawrieMarlow · 16/05/2011 17:43

When mine went with DS I was asleep (luckily in a hospital bed) and I vividly remember having a dream about two snooker balls hitting each other. Liquid gushed out everywhere .

With DD they got broken for me near the end of labour which wasn't so dramatic. And I'd got a mattress protector after DS's dramatic gush

AngryFeet · 16/05/2011 17:54

I had no warning. I got out of bed and suddenly fluid was trickling out then it came in biggish gushes over a couple of hours. Bit embarrassing at the hospital as I was wearing jeans and they were soaked! This was my second child though. With the first I had a trickle then nothing again until delivery.

LostInTransmogrification · 16/05/2011 17:59

Mine was a large pop and gush of liquid at one in the morning. There was quite a lot of it too, was still leaking several hours later! Definitely use a mattress protector in bed (and in the car if driving) just in case. I suppose you could wear maternity pads in the run up to your due date in the hopes of minimising any embarrassment at the shops.

PaperView · 16/05/2011 17:59

I had a bulging sack with both of mine. DS2 was nearly born in the bag and DS3 came a few mins after they broke completely.

PaperView · 16/05/2011 18:00

sorry with 2 of mine - with DS1 they were broken for me - again he was born a few mins later.

TittyBojangles · 16/05/2011 18:03

Mine didn't break til I was well on in labour (about 7cm dilated) and lying on the hospital bed so no wet mattress for me :)

frakyouveryverymuch · 16/05/2011 18:08

Felt a pop and a rush of liquid. Unmistakeable sensation.

LoulouCapone · 16/05/2011 18:10

A big pop whoosh! Both times was sitting and went to stand. Never imagined so much fluid could come from me. With DD2 I soaked through five pairs of trousers, as I wasn't contracting so was sent emissive relief though as I thought my tummy was literally going to pop!

LoulouCapone · 16/05/2011 18:11

Should say sent home. Massive relief.

graciousenid · 16/05/2011 18:56

big pop & a huge gush of fluid (it pretty much all came out at once because they baby was so high).

harrygracejessica · 16/05/2011 23:27

First time with twins, sat up in bed at 5am and felt the pop and was then soaked, only one lot of waters went though and twin 2s waters broken in theatre.

2nd lot of twins, stood up from sitting on the bed and it gushed then stopped but he was massivly head down so was blocking the rest coming out. They popped twin 2s waters in theatre but there was so much fluid (had excess fluid with him) they had to stand on sheets as the floor was rather flooded and too dangerous to stand on :)

sharbie · 16/05/2011 23:34

went to bed at midnight 3 weeks before due date - didn't feel anything but a wet trickle/drip
contractions started almost straight away but v v weak ones - dd born eight hours later.

waters broken with ds at hospital with a crochet hook thingy - i had been in labour for about 4 hours with strong contractions.no pain and he was born about half an hour later.

Nyx · 16/05/2011 23:38

Mine broke when I was sitting on the edge of the bed in the labour room, having an epidural. I'd been told to stay completely still, even when I had a contraction, and mid-epidural my waters broke and just gushed all over the floor. There was far more liquid than I had ever imagined. At that point, however, I was not embarrassed - just desperately trying to keep still, as I really WANTED that epidural

foolserrand · 16/05/2011 23:41

Your 'd'h asks if you've wet the bed

I wish I was joking.

piprabbit · 16/05/2011 23:43

Time to crack open the maternity pads. They are very good at absorbing slightly leaky waters. Also the MW can just wipe a test stick on the pad to check that your water have actually gone and that you aren't just weeing everywhere.

Good Luck.

Tinwe · 16/05/2011 23:45

I went to the loo at 3 in the morning and as I sat down on the bed again there was a loud pop and water everywhere. My DH heard the pop and thought it was a hip joint cracking. Kept leaking for a good while after. Baby was born after just under 4 hours (first baby 2 weeks early). I'd only put the mattress protector on that night!

spiderlight · 16/05/2011 23:46

On living-room floor, legs akimbo, being examined, about 5-6cm. Midwife 1 (fab but quite junior), who has apparently never encountered a cervix quite like mine (:o), says 'I'm not quite sure what's waters and what's cervix, could you just check?' Midwife 2 reaches in and is immediately pinned to the wall by a tidal wave (that's what it sounded like, anyway! It was like something out of Little Britain). Turns to midwife 1 and says 'Well, that was the waters....' I didn't actually feel them go, but I remember there being a LOT of towels involved in the aftermath.

BertieBotts · 16/05/2011 23:48

Mine didn't go until I was in established labour either. They actually broke while I was pushing. That was satisfying

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