Could this be Preterm labour, or am I just being dramatic?!

[flightattendant]

The last four or five days I've been getting little gushes of clear water-like discharge, about once or twice a day - after I get up from sitting sometimes. Just enough to feel wet and have to change my pants.
I rang the midwife who said it could be a leakage of fluid, but equally might well just be the usual sort of stuff. (It's not wee, smells sweetish, isn't yellow - I do get 'urgency' but that feels different and I can usually make it to the toilet!)
I've been having a lot of back and front pain in general, achiness, you know the kind of thing - but amongst it, a few sort of period-type/contraction-type pains, like I remember from DS. Nothing regular, and lots of BH's as well which don't really hurt...but today I've been having more pain and more watery stuff, plus I've been in the most foul, irritable mood - can't seem to deal with anything.
I did carefully feel my cervix, which felt different to the last time I tried (about a month ago) -sort of lower, firmer and maybe a little dent in the middle? But I don't know what I'm looking for tbh, and don't want to start anything off...if it hasn't already started!
Any ideas? I'm 34 weeks.

What did the midwife say when you called her?

I would call labour ward. They can check the origin of fluid, check your cervix visually with much less risk of starting labour/introducing infection, and if necessary monitor any contractions.

Amniotic fluid smells sweet.

I would be calling your hospital and getting checked out tbh.

They normally gte you to lie down and be monitored and then when they come to check you, if any fluid is leaking, it pools so they can see. Its just determining where it is coming from eg front or back.

She said I should come in and have an examination to see if anything was going on. I went up there today (got a lift - no car and DS is 3) only to be told that they aren't 'allowed' to examine you at 34 weeks, as they're a midwife led unit without doctors. So that was a waste of time.
She said I could go to an actual hospital with doctors, but the nearest is about an hour's drive away and I don't want to be told it's nothing after doubtless waiting a few hours with kind-but-harrassed parents in tow, plus bored DS.
That is why I'm hoping someone on here has some experience!!!

Oops crossed posts! Was replying to TheBlonde.

I would make the trip.

If you are in early labour, you will need steroid injections for the babies lungs.

Not a risk I would take TBH.

Thankyou - it sounds like it might be a good idea after reading all that. How do people manage when they have a DS and no car and are very pregnant?? I've never done it before!!!

I would go TBH. As others have said amniotic fluid smells sweet. It may be that waters are leaking nbut nothing else. If that is the case they will want to keep a close eye and a midwife led birth will possibly be ruled out anyway.

Please go and get checked. If they find nothing at least you will have the reassurance that it is nothing.

Thankyou again SMS. Will try and arrange something. I just hate putting parents to all this trouble when I could be imagining it. But as you say, the baby might need help so I guess it's just something we'll have to check out.

I was in the same postion as you nearly this time last year as I had leaking.

I called dh home from work and got family to come to look after my dd. But the hospital did say dd could go if we had no one to look after her.
At the end of the day they cant turn you away if there is no one to look after him.
Just go. At least you will have peace of mind.

Nbg - what happened with you, was baby Ok? Hope so.

Yes baby was fine and it wasnt fluid. They said it could have been a bit of watery mucus.

Nice

Alarm bells started ringing when you said it smelt sweet.

Haven't you gone yet??!!

Sorry...on my way!

I had DTDs @ 27wks and they are fine. At 34wks baby should be OK. Chances of survival are virtually the same as at full term I think. May just need a bit of special care for a week or two to support feeding predominantly.

I know triplets born at 35wks and one of them needed no special care at all.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

Thanks everyone!!

Hope you are ok?

But please do go and get some steriods for the lungs and antibiotics for infection

could be a hindwater leak, which can reseal, let us know how you get on x

Hi, same thing happened to me when i was 33 weeks. After 2 days of this happening i went to my local hospital were i was checked out, the hospital said it was my back waters had broke and i was taken into hospital there and then. two days after being taken in my son was born at 34 weeks just. my advice is to get checked at hospital just to make sure. good luck x

I had 2 substantial leaks of hind waters with DD, eventually had to be induced & waters broken. Had 2 visits to hospital on medical advice & was never made to feel neurotic or that I was wasting anyone's time. These things are always important & you shouldn't feel you're bothering people uneccessarily. Hope it's all okay now & things go smoothly.

hope all is ok, please post if you can x

Sorry - just an update - I couldn't get there last night as Mum and Dad weren't around to take us and I wasn't about to call an ambulance! I've not had any more leaking overnight but am still concerned, my usual midwife comes on duty at lunchtime so I'm calling her then and will ask her what to do. I hope she will agree to test or examine to see what's going on. Isn't there a test strip they can use that turns blue if it's amniotic fluid? (Nitrazine??)
I'll let you know what she says, at least there's a bus in the daytime if we need to get over to the hospital.
I'm so fed up that our hospital got downgraded last year
Thanks so much for all your aupport and helpful advice. I'm not going to leave it to chance, but feel better reading about hindwater leaks carrying a low risk of infection / possibly closing over.

Hope you get it sorted today

ANy news?