Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

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

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

dumb question about waters going

95 replies

silverfishlondon · 04/11/2014 10:25

So I havnt really got a clue..

Is it like ..a puddle?
This can happen any time right, like when your out and about, or will you get contractions first? I have heard of friends going when she was at work teaching a class! Do people usually wear pads as due date approaches in preparation?

Also didn't realise about needing pads for days after birth till I read mumsnet, people dont talk about this stuff!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

fuzzywuzzy · 04/11/2014 11:46

mine went after a really sharp pain in my lower back, it was like someone had left a tap on a steady trickle, but it did depend on how I was sitting standing, not all my water went and some had to be broken later.

TheCunkOfPhilomena · 04/11/2014 11:49

I had exactly the same as coldofhands. I tried to run, more like a fast waddle, down the hall to the loo and my waters were splashing on the floor everywhere. Was quite funny really. I sat on the loo and every time I stood up there was another gush. I'd been in latent labour for 2 days at that point but that was the start of the established part.
I don't know anyone else in RL that this has happened to!

enjoyingscience · 04/11/2014 11:53

Both times mine went in labour, first time only one or two contractions before DS popped out. I remember the midwife saying 'don't worry, that's just your waters going', and me thinking, 'don't worry about what?!'. I honestly didn't notice or care.

Second time I was in active labour, about 45 minutes before DS2 was born. Had a really strong contraction and felt a definite pop, like an elastic band pinging somewhere internal. Very odd feeling.

Sockstealer · 04/11/2014 12:31

Mine went TV style.

I was in bed and suddenly had what felt like a huge strong period pain, I sat up and felt a pop and then a gush of water, seemed like a small jug full, I stood up and there were a couple more gushes of water mixed with blood, and then the contractions started immediately. I don't think a pad would have helped to be honest.

I think that's quite rare though, I've never known anyone in rl who that's happened to.

WantAnOrange · 04/11/2014 13:37

Mine went Hollywood style both times. The first was a trickle that lasted a long time and my contractions started about an hour or so later, the second time was a pop and huge gush, running down my leg, but I didn't go into labour and was induced 24 hours later. It wasn't painful or anything but it is a lot of water! Both times the MW asked and double checked that I hadn't wet myself and mistaken it for waters going but I am at a loss as to how anyone could wee that much!

minipie · 04/11/2014 14:02

Hollywood style here too. In rush hour on the tube...

Luckily I was sitting down and wearing a big dark coat so it wasn't too obvious (I assume, as nobody said a word!)

middlings · 04/11/2014 14:11

With DD1, they were broken at 5.5cm as there was a suspicion (a right one) from a scan that there was meconium in the water and they wanted to see how much.

With DD2 the sac burst as she was making her exit (I didn't push her out, she pushed herself out in three goes), and she followed four minutes later.

So I'm not a good example!!

I do remember that we were warned if they go "Hollywood style" to check below to see if you can feel the cord as you don't want a prolapse. I think this is more of an issue in second and subsequents where the baby is less likely to be engaged properly as you go into labour. That certainly was the case in my case. DD1 was 4/5 engaged for about 2.5 weeks and I waddled like a duck. DD2 didn't engage until I was actually in labour.

spiderlight · 04/11/2014 14:15

Mine went while the midwife was examining me several hours into labour. She was practically pinned to the wall by the high-pressure jet. (Not really - she just said 'Oh - there go your waters' and discreetly mopped herself down a bit).

MrsMarigold · 04/11/2014 14:22

For me it was like Niagra

NotCitrus · 04/11/2014 14:41

I was getting out of the bath after 4 hours of contractions at home, dried myself, and dried myself, and dried myself, and it eventually dawned on me why my lower half wasn't getting dry.

A couple packs of night-time pads was fine for me. And I commandeered MrNC's oldest softest boxers with holes in - they got thrown out after. Big soft pants.

I spent a lot of time going to hospital appts in my second pregnancy and two women had waters go in the lifts.

Strokethefurrywall · 04/11/2014 14:51

Mine went in the car - I was on the phone to my mum saying "I just wish my waters would break and then I would know if I'm in labour" - had been having braxton hicks since 28 weeks and was already 3cm but had nothing other than tightenings.

As I said that, I felt a pop in my abdomen and then wetness. Managed to drive back to the house and limp inside to the bathroom and then they gushed. Contractions ramped up, DS1 was born 5 hours later.

Waters didn't go with DS2, he was compressing the cord so my obgyn waited until I was nearer the end before breaking them as he didn't want him to go into distress, and then sucked him on out. Labour was slower without the waters breaking, 8 hours for DS2.

I would recommend some witch hazel to pour on the maternity pads for after the birth - feels lovely and soothing which is just what your nethers need after that!

Sparrow8 · 04/11/2014 14:58

The fist time my hind waters broke however I thought the baby was on my bladder and just a little bit of wee was coming out as it only leaked when I went up and down the stairs or coughed! It was only when a friend suggested that it could be my hind waters that I phoned my midwife. They told me to wear a pad for an hour then bring it into hospital for them to check the pad. They confirmed it was my waters.

Second time I was sitting on the sofa and felt or heard a big pop. I managed to get to the toilet before it gushed everywhere. I then sat on the toilet for about 15 minutes waiting for it to stop trickling. It didn't. I put a pad in and went to hospital.

papooshka · 04/11/2014 15:07

My waters went whilst I was in bed. I was asleep and then got woken up by a slight pain and a pop, and then it came out of me - not pouring…but there was a big wet patch on the bed.

Stokey · 04/11/2014 15:26

The first time I had been having mild contractions and it was my due date so was very obviously my waters - although still had to be induced 24hrs later.

The second time it was a month early, I was walking up stairs on the way to bed and felt like a trickle of wee had come out. I was in complete denial, got my pyjamas on and still felt a bit wet so rang the hospital who told me to come in. And didn't let me out for another day and a half until I had been induced and given birth... I was not in the least bit prepared.

BikeRunSki · 04/11/2014 15:27

First time was a big whoosh, like popping a water balloon.

With dc2 it was like a dripping tap.

BalloonSlayer · 04/11/2014 15:44

I had just been to the loo, got back into bed, got comfy and then felt (rather than heard it, but I almost imagine I heard it IYSWIM) a pop and loads and loads of fluid everywhere. Contractions started soon after in the ambulance.*

Needless to say they tried to tell me at the hospital that it was wee, but of course it wasn't, as they soon discovered when they had a look and saw how much there still was coming out.

Baby's head wasn't engaged so that's why so much came out I think.

*Where I lived at the time they had a rule where if your waters broke and the baby's head wasn't engaged you had to come in in an ambulance, and were not allowed to walk anywhere or even move until they had checked that the cord wasn't in the way. Apparently it is very rare for the cord to be washed out with the waters with an unengaged baby, but I can only suppose it must have happened with tragic consequences recently in my area for all this fuss to have been made.

weeblueberry · 04/11/2014 15:48

Mine happened at home and was literally like someone had put a needle into the sack of fluids. It was a drip that turned into a flow.

We'd not long....um...done the deed so I always do wonder if he just managed to poke it somehow...

PotteringAlong · 04/11/2014 15:52

2nd time round I didn't know when mine had gone! They didn't break whilst I was in the hospital and I wasn't aware of them breaking at any point before that!

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 04/11/2014 17:18

Both times my waters went after I'd gotten up in the morning to go to the loo. Just a trickle that kept coming really but didn't smell of wee and wouldn't stop.
After about 6 hours, I'd used up the whole supply I'd bought to wear after the birth. I didn't realise until my waters went that your body keeps making more.
Boots do a thin [4mm] maternity towel with wings. Mothercare do a long thick [1cm] style with no wings. The latter is particularly obvious in comfy post birth yoga pants. Worth spending a bit extra on the Boots style in my opinion.

HereBeHubbubs · 04/11/2014 17:38

It's sterile and has no colour or smell.

Blow a balloon up until it fits in the palm of your hand and half fill it with warm water.
Tie it loosely and put it in your knickers.
Then squirm about until it pops.

That's what it feels like

WobbilyFang · 04/11/2014 17:39

Mine had to be broken with a lovely hook by the midwife- This was about 14hrs into labour and about an hour before DS came out.

BalloonSlayer · 04/11/2014 18:11

It does smell! It's got a distinctive smell.

They say it doesn't smell like wee but the baby has been weeing in it so it smells more like wee than it smells like coffee that's for sure.

A friend's waters broke with her second DC and she said they smelled exactly like her DC1 smelt when they were born.

BikeRunSki · 04/11/2014 18:16

I thought it smelt like semen.

HappyAgainOneDay · 04/11/2014 18:23

I didn't have any contractions and I was out shopping one morning down the road (walking distance) with a neighbour. I felt 'something' go and before long, I felt as if I were weeing (just a trickle) down into my lovely sheepskin boots

When I arrived home, I found sanitary towels and a pair of my then DH's Y-fronts to keep it under control. No pain or contractions at all. This carried on all day and my then DH rang the midwife who came to look. Nothing else happened until later in the evening when contractions started. Baby arrived early next morning.

Pliudev · 04/11/2014 18:35

Mine went when I was stirring something at the stove. I turned round to tell to my sister in law we'd go blackberry picking in a minute and got this slithery warm feeling and found myself standing in a puddle. It was different the second time when I just got leaky and the waters weren't clear. This means the baby has had a poo (I think it's called meconium?) and it needs attention. So if you use a pad your midwife will check for that.

Flip

1 2 3 4