TMI Alert! How do you know if you are leaking fluid, or wee, etc.!!!!

[jersey]

Hi, I am 36 weeks with baby head down and at last appointment 4/5 from brim. I have been told and I feel as though the baby has dropped further since. Last few days I feel as though I need to wee all the time, but only produce a tiny amount each time. Last couple of days I feel wet all the time and as though I am leaking evey now and again. I am using light pads which are getting wet. I'm not sure if I am leaking fluid, wee or (sorry TMI) just very sweaty. I was told in my first preg that there is a different smell, but can't remember what it is. Can anyone help as I don't want to go and sit in the maternity hospital for hours to be told I am just weeing myself . I have also been very aching for last few days and have a lot of loose bowl movements (not diahorria though).

Sorry for the detail. Thanks

ok, your waters smell sweet

also, you can stop the flow of urine, you cannot stop the flow of amniotic fluid

wear a pad, and sniff after a bit

you also get increased discharge in late pregnancy, which can confuse things

if you are leaking , it is not the same as your membranes rupturing, a little hindwater leak can reseal and replenish, whereas when the membranes rupture and you get a big gush, then you are on countdown for labour to start

if in doubt, or need reassurance you should go to be checked out, just in case

as long as what you are leaking is clear, or straw coloured or light pink, but if it is dark, green or brown then you must speak to a midwife immediately

Thanks lulumama I have just changed the pad so will check shortly. There has been a slight pink tinge which I haven't had before but earlier the smell was chemically!

the crazy midwife at antenatal said " jump up and down with kitchen roll in your pants, if it's wet it's your waters."
LOL

Thanks devonsmummy, interesting picture . Will have to have a go, if I can jump!!!!!!!!

jersey, I find that pads often have a chemically smell anyway (especially thin, absorbant brands like Always and Bodyform etc). They contain all sorts of chemicals to draw the moisture away from your body and to deodorise etc. It might be worth doing the sniff test on just your knickers or some toilet paper or something. Sorry, that sounds really gross doesn't it .

jersey, I find that pads often have a chemically smell anyway (especially thin, absorbant brands like Always and Bodyform etc). They contain all sorts of chemicals to draw the moisture away from your body and to deodorise etc. It might be worth doing the sniff test on just your knickers or some toilet paper or something. Sorry, that sounds really gross doesn't it .

jersey, I find that pads often have a chemically smell anyway (especially thin, absorbant brands like Always and Bodyform etc). They contain all sorts of chemicals to draw the moisture away from your body and to deodorise etc. It might be worth doing the sniff test on just your knickers or some toilet paper or something. Sorry, that sounds really gross doesn't it .

jersey, I find that pads often have a chemically smell anyway (especially thin, absorbant brands like Always and Bodyform etc). They contain all sorts of chemicals to draw the moisture away from your body and to deodorise etc. It might be worth doing the sniff test on just your knickers or some toilet paper or something. Sorry, that sounds really gross doesn't it .

Sorry! computer being weird. I didn't mean to post that 4 times!

thanks missbumpy, having to do the sniff test sounds gross anyway . The things we have to do in preg!!!

If it is my waters, being 36 weeks means everything should be ok, doesn't it??????

Dear Jersey - am concerned about you because I had an issue with leaking and the outcome wasn't good. I was fairly confident that it wasn't wee because it was just a sort of steady trickling rather than a little squirt when coughing or laughing etc. I was 39 weeks when it happened. I took myself to hospital but was examined and reassured not waters leaking - infact was told I had thrush and could just be experiencing watery discharge (Yeuck). But it carried on. Was wearing a pad for 2 days. Went to my GP who referred me back to hospital. Examined again - told not amniotic, go back home. After another 2 days I was beginning to get worried. Back to hospital. Finally, a consultant agreed that I might be leaking, and booked me in for induction next day.

Induction did not go well, ended up crash caesarian under general anaesthetic. When I came round doctor after doctor (it seemed like) came to my bedside with notes and said "you were here 5 days ago with suspected leaking waters?" I said yes, had been in 3 times in total with suspected leaking waters.

Upshot: baby taken into special care for intravenous antibiotics which she had twice daily for the next 5 days and then orally when she came home for about another week. They were worried about group strep b of course. Luckily she didn't get it (although didn't get the results of that test for 3 days) but she did develop skin sepsis and also had to go through the trauma of spending her first night in special care away from me, and having a great big needle stuck in her arm for 5 days.

So ... you might think that modern teaching hospitals wouldn't make a mistake like that in this day and age, but mine certainly did and I was furious with the care I received, tempered hugely by my gratitude that they saved her life by giving me an emergency section within 10 minutes of discovering her distress during early labour.

But I would never allow myself to be patronised to by anyone in the medical profession now. I was sure I was leaking. I really should have stood my ground on first visit to hospital, asked for second opinion etc.

Don't wish to worry you but you really must get it checked out.

HTH.

Thanks. This sounds gross but the smell is like amonia and the I have only had this pad on for an hour !!!!

Jersey, 2 weeks ago, my waters went at 35+1 wks. It started as a trickle, but was sure it was my waters as I had no control over it as Lulu says. I phoned the hospital and they told me to come in to check. Like you I was worried they would say it was just me weeing myself. But within a few minutes of arriving a mw gave me an internal and said it was definately amniotic fluid.

Their plan was to keep me in to see if contractions started, and to start me on antibiotics. Not a lot happened after 2 days, so I was allowed home. If I had been beyond 37 weeks they would have had me back in after 4 days for an induction. They explained to me that there is a risk of infection and if baby was beyond 37wks it would be safest to deliver. Being under 37wks they took the 'wait and see' approach. Basically allow me home, let things progress naturally, but get me back in every 2-3 days for monitoring.

As it happens at my first appointment for monitoring a problem was picked up on the ctg (apparently unconnected to waters breaking) and I ended up with an emergency cs the same day, at 35+6 wks. My baby was fine, he was small and all prepped to receive iv antibiotics etc but didn't need them as his blood results all came back normal.

So I would suggest if you think it is your waters, then it may be best to get checked out. Btw, the mw's reassured me that it is not uncommon at all to be unsure whether its amniotic fluid or wee.

Morning. Thanks for the messages. Went in last night to be checked and they don't think it was my waters but not sure as nothing there when they checked. Blood pressure was up and protein in my water so thought they where going to keep me in as I have had pre elampsia before but they sent me home to see my midwife next week and keep a watch out for any similiar symptons. So will see what happens, now knackered from lack of sleep.

hope you get some rest today x

You can buy pads called Amniosense which can detect whether you're leaking fluid or urine. Not sure of the URL but a quick Google should find them. A bit pricey, but they saved my sanity!

Thanks lulu and tinkjon. So far not much rest as spent morning ironing to try and get on top of things in case this baby is coming early. Although only had DS2 as DS1 at in laws and DS2 slept as his sleep was disturbed last night. Anyone in Leicester can finish my decorating for me ? Got a 2nd birthday party tomorrow so hope I can just sit down whilst the kids play.

I will google the pads tinkjon, thanks.

Just hoping pre eclampsia isn't on the way again as my bp was 148/98 last night with protein in my water, although it did drop quite a lot before I came home.

have you any swelling? your BP may have been a little higher as you were nervous....

My hands have just started swelling this week, and my ankles a little. When I had it with DS1 my legs where like tree trunks for weeks before my bp went up and protein appeared. So I would put this swelling down to the heat.