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Pregnancy

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

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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

ecofreckle · 04/11/2014 22:26

bikerunski I'm glad I'm not a lone voice on the fragrance front

And op I was swimming at 42 plus 3 and I remember having the same dilemma about not knowing if they'd gone in the pool but I obviously pushed those fears aside. Keep swimming! It's so lovely to feel light when you're in late pregnancy.

Plateofcrumbs · 04/11/2014 22:56

Mine went when I was driving - thank goodness for wipe-clean leather seats! I suddenly felt dampness which rapidly turned to wetness, and by the time I got home my trousers were soaked and I was losing a steady trickle. I didn't lose it all in one go though - more kept coming in stop-start fashion all the way through until my baby was born 36 hours later

Psycobabble · 04/11/2014 23:04

Mine went with a pop and I assumed that was that ... But with everyone contraction more came out I was drenched haha I remember standing waiting to "check in" lookin all bewildered with my trousers soaked through ! They had to keep changing the big pad thing on the bed coz it was soaked ! Seriously still don't get how all that liquid was in there?!!!

cerealqueen · 04/11/2014 23:07

First time, heard a pop and I was just leaking water, pad went in, contractions started.
Second time, leaking a bit in the morning, having contractions afternoon, then and a full on gush in the maternity ward.

Buy proper 'maternity pads', as the midwife needs to look at them sometimes to look at the texture/colour of the blood post birth and the menstrual ones aim at absorbing and can't help them do that. Buy a lot.

ImGoingForATwix · 04/11/2014 23:07

Like a pee you have zero control over - imagine just standing up and it falling out. It was my impulse to cross my legs to hold it in a bit, needless to say that didn't work! It doesn't stop (although varies in flow) until the baby arrives. That was my experience anyway. Once you have the massive maternity pads on it's all fine. A tad damp when you don't. Its got a distinct smell too.

FriendofDorothy · 04/11/2014 23:17

First baby I heard my waters pop when I was sitting on the loo.

Second baby they kind of went Hollywood style.

I was sat on the sofa and just had a little trickle and I wondered whether I had wet myself. Then 5 minutes later I was cleaning my teeth and I flooded the floor and then it just kept coming. I went to hospital and sat on the edge of the seat and flooded the floor again.

I had no contractions prior to my waters going but 20 minutes later they were really strong. I had the baby in 2 hours 30 mins from when my waters went.

I was only 37 weeks so I wasn't wearing any pads.

CharleytheFrenchPoodle · 04/11/2014 23:31

Reading this thread has brought the memories flooding back! (Excuse the pun ) I was 37 weeks exactly so wasn't wearing any pads and mine also went 'Hollywood style'. Had got up to go to the loo in the night, heard a pop, but didn't think much of it. Got back to bed to be woken up half an hour later by a big gush as I turned on my side. In my half asleep state, thought at first I'd somehow wet myself but when it kept coming I waddled to the loo and realised it was my waters. Didn't dare move from the toilet for ages as it wouldn't stop! Just under 8 hours later DD was born
You'll definitely need maternity pads if your waters do go first- I went through quite a few, and the midwife needs to check one you've been wearing/are wearing to make sure it is your waters, and that they look as they should do.

WaroftheRoses · 05/11/2014 00:17

My waters were broken by the midwife for DCs 1 and 2, then went at some point in the birthing pool 3rd time so no embarrassing explosion. I did loose a lot of blood for a long time after all 3 births so be prepared!

RubyFlint · 05/11/2014 00:33

I was fast asleep and woke up because I heard a pop. It actually woke me up so must have been pretty loud!

I guessed it was my waters so dashed to the loo. It wasn't a big gush but lots of small gushes that kept coming. It was slightly discoloured as my DD had pooed, so I was told to go straight into the ward.

I sat on a rolled up bath towel in the car for the 15 min journey to hospital so I didn't soak my car seats. It was like greasy water and it continued to do little gushes until I guess eventually it was all out.

It felt exactly as if I was wetting myself. Ha and yes pads for at least a week as I remember. First couple of days were big, nappy type things. And I had a caesarean so wasn't expecting to even need pads at all!

Try not to worry too much though, such exciting and precious times ahead. x

SellMySoulForSomeSleep · 05/11/2014 02:35

Mine starting leaking on and off from about 26 weeks. I felt wet a lot but no smell so knew it wasn't wee. The midwives and consultant brushed it off at discharge. At 38 weeks I woke up in pain cramping with the same "discharge" but more of it and when I stood up there was a trickle. It was a small amount all together.
Was at the hospital later that day for a routine check up as they where worried about low fluid and they confirmed it was my waters. 44 hours later I gave birth.

I always wonder if I had more fluid left if it would have been a quicker or less horrendous labour.

eurochick · 05/11/2014 02:45

Tonguebiter, they are suctioned away with a Hoover type thing, along with the blood.

I bled for 6 weeks after the birth and needed maternity pads for a good chunk of that. I suppose it is payback for nine months without periods.

nooka · 05/11/2014 05:05

My waters went ten days before my due date, both times in bed. With ds there was meconium and it also turned out he had an add lie, so i had a c-section shortly after. with dd my waters were clear and so we waited three days in the hope that labour would start (I seemed to be producing more water for her so they were happy to let things go for a while). She ended up being a c-section too after failed induction.

I'd really not bother wearing pads for the last few weeks of pregnancy though. It's only a fairly small number that break outside of labour, and an ordinary pad isn't going to do very much anyway (I wore ds's cloth nappies while we were waiting for things to start, it can be a lot of fluid). On the other hand a mattress protector is a good investment.

bigbluestars · 05/11/2014 06:42

"they are suctioned away with a Hoover type thing, along with the blood. "

eurochick- I have never heard of that. No "hoover type thing" was used at my births.

bigbluestars · 05/11/2014 06:42

Oh sarcasm. sorry- haven't had my coffee yet.

harrowgreen · 05/11/2014 09:14

#1 - woke up in the middle of a night and went to the toilet. Found my knickers were soaking wet (not urine - that'll be the first thing the midwife asks as though you're incapable of telling the difference). Went back to bed and the whole sheet was sodden. So that was them!

#2 - my OB broke them for me when I stalled at about 5/6cm. Was very weird. Couldn't feel them coming out, but I was suddenly lying in a warm pool of liquid... Very weird.

Don't wear pads. It's not massively common for them just to 'go', despite what Hollywood would have you believe (just like most women aren't tipped off about being pregnant by suddenly having to rush to throw up, most labours don't start with a gush of your waters...).

LittleBearPad · 05/11/2014 09:48

Mine went at 38 weeks then I had to induced. They definitely smell, sweet like hay. Left quite the puddle on the sofa.

OliviaRinHerts · 05/11/2014 09:49

I really thought I would know when my waters broke but two weeks before my due date I had some pains. It wasn't like I remember my period cramps but then to be honest I've been lucky and not had cramps since my teens cramp but I went to the loo and whilst in the bathroom all to fluid came out. I really thought I had lost control of my bladder. It didn't really register it was my waters. Now. I am 40 and I read the books so goodness knows why I was so naive. I phoned the hospital twice and they were insistent I wasn't in labour but my sister in law and it thought we should get it checked out.

By the time I got to hospital I was 5cm and still I asked whether the baby was coming today??!

Yes. Bled for 8 weeks after birth but used always towards the end.

GreatAuntDinah · 05/11/2014 09:55

Niagara falls here, kickstarting the contractions. It was honestly like a water ballon had popped in me chuff .

Original poster

silverfishlondon · 05/11/2014 10:58

Thankyou for all the educational and hilarious stories!

OP posts:

BalloonSlayer · 05/11/2014 15:44

I mentioned above about the rule they had where I live about having to go in in an ambulance if your waters break and the head's not engaged...

Well, when the MW mentioned that at the antenatal class, I was interested and concerned and wanted to know why etc, and she brushed me off by saying "Labour hardly ever starts with the waters breaking as the first sign. It's very unusual," and then she pointedly changed the subject.

I was as my sister's labour started like that, as did that of two of my oldest friends. All in bed, middle of the night, not in labour . . . POP!!! . . . aaargh! . . . < ouch >, contractions.

And sure enough the same thing happened to me. And I may of course be mistaken but I think it happened to us all at about 4am. So I don't think it's unusual at all.

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