How do you know if it's waters or wee?

[Slh122]

Am 38 weeks.
Been having cramps and strong BH for past few days.
I've woken up and my underwear feels really damp. It's not on the bed though, which I presume it would be if it was my waters and not just a bit of a 'wee leakage'?

You're going to have to sniff it. Wee will smell of wee but waters might smell sort of sweet. If you've ever been lambing then you will probably be familiar with the smell but obviously much much less strong.

If it's straw coloured or slightly pinky tinged then it's probably waters. Fwiw with both of mine my waters broke at the beginning of labour but with my second baby there was definitely a small amount of seepage the day before they went pop. Not enough to make me do anything other than put a panty liner in.

If you don't fancy sniffing put a pad in and then have a look to see if you can tell what colour it is.

When my waters broke I ended up sitting in a pool of water that just gushed out, not like a wee which is more gradual.
The damp could be part of your waters breaking, I recall the midwife saying that can happen :)

i think its really hard to tell - in my second labour i had a sudden gush of water which soaked my knickers and went onto my trousers a little but not so much as it soaked the floor or anything, i thought this was my waters breaking but aparently it was my 'hind waters' which i presume means the water bit behind the baby and not the bit at the bottom which is properly classed as your waters in terms of them breaking. it was weird and i never understood it, i was so excited thinking theyd actually broken as first time around i had to have them popped by the midwife and it turned out the midwife had to pop them second time around too!

If in doubt see your MW or call delivery ward, if it's waters they will want to see you.
Pop a pad on - they will ask you for it, & see if you have anymore.
When mine went I thought I weed a little in bed - I then got up and they just kept coming so I knew, but heard they can leak out for a fee days. Get checked out it's worth it. Xx

Waters smell like cum (sorry!)

If you're concerned, phone your midwife. There are swab things they can use on eg a maternity pad to tell if it's amniotic fluid.

Good luck!