Back Waters... Sorry, what waters?!

[MickeyTheShortOne]

Hi everyone. A friend thought she had gone into labour today and was told that it was probably just her "Back waters" that had gone.

Theres more than one set of waters?!!?!

This has sent me into complete and utter meltdown as I just don't feel like I know anything. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and thought I was doing alright... But now I feel completely and utterly lost. Spot the first-timer!

Anyone else feel like this? Or am I really just stupid?!

there are fore and hind waters - the fore waters cushion the babies head against the cervix and the hind waters are where the body is. Sometimes some of the hind waters can leak but can reseal and replenish.

online info

The amniotic sac surrounds your baby, protecting it from infection. When your baby engages, the amniotic fluid will be above and below your baby?s head. The forewaters are like a cushion for your baby, located between the baby?s head and the cervix. The hindwaters are above the head (assuming your baby is head down!), surrounding the baby?s body.

If your waters break and there is only a small gush or trickle, this could be because it?s only the forewaters that have escaped, with the hindwaters still above the baby ? the head engaged in the pelvis can block the flow of the hindwaters which will eventually release (you may get little trickles or gushes with each contraction) as labour progresses or as your baby is born. You could also get a hindwater leak, which may even reseal and stop leaking!

I have never heard this. Do they mean she weed herself?

more info here:

Your waters may break

This could be with a gush or a trickle, it depends how much amniotic fluid you have and whether it is the ?fore-waters? (the large volume of fluids in front of the baby?s head), or a leak of the ?hind-waters? (the smaller amount of fluid behind the baby?s head). The medical term for waters breaking is spontaneous rupture of the membranes (SROM). This can happen before contractions start, but it?s more usual for it to happen during established labour, although it can be delayed to right before your baby?s head appears.

If it?s your hind waters that have leaked, contractions may not follow right away because your baby?s head may not be applying enough pressure to the cervix. Normal amniotic fluid is straw-coloured and you may be able to distinguish it from urine because it is sweeter smelling.

You should phone your midwife or hospital for advice when your waters break, but you should go straight to hospital if the fluid is tinged with blood or greenish-black. Blood can be a sign of placenta abruption where the placenta detaches itself from the uterine wall, which can be very dangerous for your baby. The greenish colour in amniotic fluid can be an indication that your baby has passed meconium, her first waste products, and may be in distress. Once your waters have broken, there is a risk of infection, so if your contractions don?t start naturally within 24 to 48 hours, labour may need to be induced.

well im pregnant with my 4th and never herd of fore and hind waters lol

My waters went during labour, in small gushes (so not all at once) but DS was born 'in the caul' with the membranes intact - so not sure which set had popped, but one was still in one piece! I didn't know about fore and hind waters until the either.

My hind waters went first and that's when my contractions started. It wasn't for another 66 hours that I finally pushed out the sack with waters in.

I think it's more common than people realise, especially as your hind waters going isn't usually anywhere near as dramatic as the fore waters going.

My hind waters went before contractions started with DS1. It was a small trickle. The MWs at the assessment unit told me that the "hind waters" breaking simply means that the break is "behind" the baby's head (which is commonly engaged in the pelvis at term).