Waters breaking or not - how can I tell?

[ShadowSummer]

Apologies in advance if this is a bit TMI.

I'm 37 weeks pregnant with DC2, and today have been noticing a bit of trickling and dampness down below.

Not vast amounts, but enough to make my knickers and then a sanitary pad a bit wet. This discharge doesn't smell of wee or anything else really and looks more glisteny than wee too. Too liquidy to be normal vaginal discharge. But no big gushes when I had a lie down for a bit then got up.

Thing is, when my waters broke with DS, there was lots of fluid, enough to soak through several sanitary pads before the flow slowed down, so this is a lot different and I'm a bit confused as to what's going on.

Can waters break just a teensy tiny bit? Or is it more likely that I've developed a bit of late pregnancy incontinance and it's not smelling much because I'm pretty well hydrated?

Not really sure what to do at the minute - is it best to go have this checked out by a midwife? Even if it is just wee or suchlike?

DH is being rather skeptical (possibly because there was such a lot more fluid the first time round). The midwife I saw after my waters broke with DS was very skeptical and dismissive too, and seemed to think that I'd obviously just wet myself and was wasting NHS time until the registrar checked and confirmed that the waters had indeed broken. Don't know if this is a normal reaction but I'm a bit nervous about the midwives thinking I'm being silly and wasting their time.

Mine dribbled at first with ds2 and I thought I'd wet myself.

If you're not sure, you ought to phone the midwife. If it is your waters and you don't go into labour, I think they need to keep an eye because of infection risk.

Good luck.

No experience but it's not worth leaving it in case it is your waters! Good luck!

Smell the pads/knickers. If they smell like hay then it is very likely your waters.

Despite grumpy previous midwives its not a bad plan to check with them.

I had this quite a bit with dd and it was just really runny thin discharge.
When my waters went they really went and they had a distinctive sweet smell - yes a bit like hay!

My waters went at 37 weeks with DC1, I knew because I felt them go like someone had twanged me with an elastic band! They only trickled though & it took ages to persuade the midwife they'd gone. She thought I'd wet myself, I gave birth 8 hours later.

With DC2 I had a similar experience but DH went too fast round a roundabout on the way to the hospital, I felt the baby shift & everything just gushed out, there wasn't a lot of doubt about it by the time we got there. If I were you I'd definitely go & get checked out and take a windy route to get there

Waters can break a tiny bit, think of if your baby's head is engaged it will form a plug so you'll only get a trickle when the baby shifts a little bit.
You should pop a maternity pad in (easier to check then sanitary pads) and call the midwife, they'll want to check the pad and keep an eye on you as once your waters start to go there is a little risk of an infection getting in.
Good luck, hope you're cuddling your gorgeous new baby soon!