Clear discharge; urine, water's leaking or just discharge?

[Roseflower]

Hi, Im 39 weeks today

For about 3-4 days I have had a noticable amount of clear discharge. Its not enough to soak my underwear, but just dampen it (sorry tmi!)

Initally I assumed it was just discharge but it crossed my mind it maybe leaking waters? Then I read it may be urine but I fully admit this confuses me as I thought urine was yellow in colour?

I mentioned it to my consultant yesterday who just said it was discharge (she didn't check) as it hadn't been "gushing" out.

But I still don't feel reassured.Could it not be a small leak? How can I know for sure?

Sorry, you'll need to sniff.

Urine smells like - urine.
Apparently waters smell sweet, but so can discharge.

Sounds mostly like discharge if it's only a bit tbh.

Could be a bit of show, mine started like that then i had a bloody show a bit later

It doesn't smell like urine... (still don't get how it could be clear if it is- can anyone explain?)

MrsRgett How long did the bloody show take to come along?

I started a thread about exactly the same thing few days ago ("Hind Waters or Stress incontinence..."). Think the thread is on page 2 of the forum now if you want to read it....

I have been wearing a pad from about 30wks preg (am now almost 38wks) as I always seem to get a lot of discharge during my pregnancies. I started worrying about it earlier this wk (no idea why I've never worried before! It just suddenly crossed my mind that it could actually be waters rather than stress incontinence urine or discharge).

Problem is, I drink so much darn water at the moment, I don't think urine would really smell of strong urine /look yellow anyway because its so weak due to all the water I drink. So I stopped wearing a pad Wednesday afternoon & spoke to both community midwife (not concerned) & labour ward (not concerned either). I had damp underwear that afternoon (mainly after I went for a walk to do the school run, was pretty much dry other than that)

Community midwife said that, during the later stages of pregnancy, you sometimes don't empty your bladder fully - you might stand up and then a little bit more urine comes out due to position of baby on your bladder. I have really focused on emptying my bladder at each toilet trip & have found that I've had totally dry underwear since wednesday evening. I did feel some dampness this morning when I first got up - but upon inspection found it was very watery discharge (which, when soaked into underwear, just looked like fluid, but because I looked at it as soon as I felt it, I could clearly see it was discharge). Again, community midwife said that ladies do get lots of watery discharge at this stage of pregnancy.

Anyway, very long waffly post (sorry!!!) but I think the general consensus is, if it isn't gushing out uncontrollably then it likely isn't waters. I still feel 'slightly' nervous about it even though no dampness for last 2 days, but have midwife next tues & ELCS next fri so I just hope all stays dry til then! Hope I have somewhat reassured (even though very waffly!)

Also - from experience, my waters broke before I went into labour, I found that I leaked more when laying down than standing up, as whilst standing up, your babys head moves down and plugs up the leak a bit!
If you're concerned give your midwife a ring - I ended up going into the hospital where the nice (male) midwife made me leak on a pad and then sniffed it.

Icrave

Sorry, I just read your thread! How strange we are having the exact same symptoms and worries at the same time.

Comments like "SIL lost her baby at full term and the autopsy showed it was due to lack of water and she never realised as the leak was so small and slow" have worried me a little... well a lot.

What has the final word been Icrave? Have they put it down to discharge?

I know roseflower - that worried me too, but I suspect that is an exceptionally rare event.

I actually just called my day assessment unit after posting on your thread, just to reassure myself again! I spoke to another 2 midwifes - again, neither of them were overly concerned by my symptoms. They did say to call again if it gets worse again over the weekend. They also explained that watery discharge is SO common at this stage of pregnancy, & I really would feel a trickle inside if it was my waters. The dampness points to watery discharge, the fact that I can't smell urine also suggests watery discharge.

I do worry that I could have been losing fluid for weeks, but never noticed because I wear a pad most of the time. However I've always worn a pad each pregnancy (this is my 3rd baby), and felt dampness when not wearing one, and never suffered any ill effects. I don't know why i'm worrying so much this time - its never worried me before in previous pregs!

Really hope my thread hasn't caused you more worry....do call your day assessment unit or community midwife if you want more reassurance - I have now spoken to 4 midwives about it & none of them seem overly worried or want to see me immediately, only if things get worse / I have more dampness...so I guess I have to take some reassurance from that.

Thanks Icrave

I suppose if baby starts to become less active I will worry more. It seems if your HCP and mine aren't worried maybe we should just relax a little more...

I think what threw me was in my pregnancy books it said discharge would be come "increased and thicker", so the increased but watery didn't seem to make sense...

From experience, I do recall ALOT of knicker dampness throughout all of my pregnancies, hence why I usually always wear a pad. It was defo watery most of the time - never thick like you might get during a monthly menstrual cycle.

I didnt use mumsnet during my 1st 2 pregs, so I guess I was oblivious to this sort of worry, its only this time round that I posted about the dampness that I got some scary answers that have made me worry even more! Like you say, the fact that our HCPs aren't concerned, and we are at similar stages of pregnancy & are experiencing very similar symptoms should make us feel abit more relaxed about it... but pregnancy does crazy things to the brain & makes you stress about EVERYTHING!!

Baby has been moving absolutely fine and, almost ridiculously - I had a growth scan at 34 wks that showed I am carrying ALOT of fluid (almost borderline polyhydramnios, although again no HCPs were worried about that!). So I spent weeks worrying about too much fluid, and now i'm worrying about leaking it / not enough fluid!! God I just want baby to arrive safely so I can stop worrying about the pregnancy (and start worrying about feeding / pooing / sleeping etc etc! Its never-ending!).

How weird icrave I have way too much water too! To the point I had do two GTT's for diabetes (not diabetic) and people keep telling me how massive I am. If one more person says "you sure its not twins"...

I am despearate to go into labour now. Im over anaylsing ever little 'sign'!
You will have to keep in touch regarding the discharge etc just incase x

What are we like?!! Yes, will defo let you know if any more 'dampness' developments!

I suspect we have just gotten to that very late stage of pregnancy where we blindly panic about anything going wrong at this stage...hormone overload me thinks!!! Good luck, hope baby makes an appearance v soon x

Thank you! I hope so too I had enoug!

Now since yesterday, I can barely walk anymore due to huge and very painful pressure in my pelvis (now Im worrying thats a bad sign.... it's ok isn't it?!)

I didnt have any of this with dd1!

xx

I suspect your baby has engaged / very nearly engaged - that would certainly explain the increase in discharge / leaky urine etc too, more downward pressure in that general area will push out all sorts of gunk! My baby had been oblique / transverse lie for ages, then 2 weeks ago went head down (although not engaged) & thats when I felt more pressure start up and the discharge become noticeable.

With your first, I'm guessing you were prob 1/5th, 3/5ths etc engaged for ages, whereas with your 2nd, they often engage right at last minute - I remember when my DC2 engaged, I literally felt like I had a bowling ball between my legs! It happened on her due date, she arrived 6 hours later!!

I reckon you could be nearing labour day!! Good luck!!!! Keep us posted! xx

At the consultant yesterday they said 3/5th enganged.

I wished I asked more about this as my books just said -5 to all the way to +5 so seems a different system but I think its obvious what she meant?!

I swear the moment we left the clinic she enganged even more- I had this unbearable, pushing, gasping pain. Im fine now sitting but I cannot walk without whincing.

I hope your right and labour is nearly hear. Have very sore dull backache all day long. Just trying to pass time on MN now!

I hope things go well for you too and keep me posted as well! I have just joined the October baby bus xxx

I am 32 weeks and for about 3-4 weeks now I can have a huge wet patch in my underwear. It's discharge. The hot weather is not helping!

If you're not sure, put a pad in and lie down on your back for half an hour - when you stand up more will come out straightaway as it pools inside you while you are lying down (I know this because I kept thinking my waters had broken during my last pregnancy - they hadn't!)

Sorry, I meant that more will come out when you stand if your waters HAVE broken. If it's just discharge there won't be a noticeable amount when you stand again.

Angry I just tried this and no gush!
The discharge is increasing but going thicker and milky now... sorry if tmi!