How slow can waters leak?

[spongemoon]

Hi ladies, 37+4 today.

I woke up this morning and my stomach just felt uncomfortable. I stood up out of bed and felt and heard a pop in my stomach, then my knickers got quite wet. No massive gush or anything like that but definitely more than my normal morning discharge!

Went into bathroom and stripped for a shower, I coughed when I was naked and liquid fell out onto the floor - again, not loads but enough to raise your eyebrows. I wiped it up with tissue and it was clear and not yellow like my wee!

After that I put a panty liner in and it was quite damp after 30 mins, but not soaking. I called my triage as I have group strep b and midwife said to call immediately if think waters are leaking / breaking. Midwife on other end didn't seem interested at all and said to just put a big maternity pad in and to call back if it looks like someone has poured a glass of water over it.

So essentially my question is how slow can waters leak?! I've been wearing new pad for 15 mins and there's really not much coming out at all now, but I definitely felt a pop and the liquid that came out in the immediate 5 mins after that wasn't wee! Would they constantly be leaking if it's waters?

With my first there was no gush, just a very slow trickle, so no one believed me! The membrane had a few small ruptures, but hadn't popped yet. I had a hospital app anyway that day as was 39+6, they gave me 24hr to start labour naturally or they would take me in to induce. Labour started that afternoon.

If it keeps leaking all today, call back and ask to be seen.

Good luck!

Similar happened to me at the end of my first pregnancy.

I collected some of the fluid in a sterile container and made haste to the maternity department of my hospital, where they tested it, confirmed it to be amniotic fluid and admitted me. My hind-waters had broken, but there had been no massive gushing because the baby was in the way! I gave birth by C-section four days later. NB - C-section wasn't because of the hind-water rupture, just my silly body!

Once your amniotic sack is torn there is potential for nasties to get into it.

If I were you i would go in, with some collected evidence if you can...

I had PPROM with as the lovely Dr described it 'oozing waters'. It felt like discharge for the most part, I didn't realise anything was wrong until the discharge turned pink - thats when I went to be assessed.

Waters have a distinct smell, kinda pear droppy sweet.

But to answer your question, yes your water can leak very slowly rather than 'gush' like in the movies.

Not sure as mine didn't break with my first but I have group b strep too and was told to go to hospital asap if think my waters have broken to get on the iv antibiotics, so if you was told the same then I would call back and explain this

I had a slow trickle of waters prior to both my labours. As PP says, waters have a sweet smell to them and mine had a pinky tinge which i was told was normal.

I think they can stealth leak. You should ask to be seen.

I had no idea that my waters had gone. Wasn't aware of any 'dampness' whatsoever.

it was difficult trying to get in touch with anyone who would listen over the Christmas/new year period as well. (30 yrs ago). I couldn't convince anyone I had reduced movement. Kept repeatedly getting told to count 10 kicks and note the time - but I wasn't feeling any kicks and they didn't seem to understand that.

when my husband rang they decided I could go into hospital????? But not when I'd spoken to them 5 min earlier??????

a scan revealed waters had gone (don't know where, don't know when 🎵) I was induced as a matter of urgency. Baby had very poor skin when born and needed treatment for a long time. Dread to think what could've happened .....

Yep same happened to me twice... waters broke and no labour until 24 hours later
Had a quick induction 20 mins! To 10 cm at hospital.
At 38 wks

Mine didn’t leak but they broke 3 times and there was a final gush as DD was born. I had 3 distinct pops (at different times) and a gush as she born. I was induced so already in hospital but my waters broke, confirmed by midwife, then on examination there was another pocket of waters before DD’s head. She managed to pop that bubble and then some time after that they went again. I think it must be to do with baby’s position and how much can get past them.

This happened to me a few weeks ago when I was 38wks. Bent over to take my trousers off & water trickled down my legs. I put my hand down there & it 100% wasn’t wee as I then smelt my hand (gross I know). I went to triage & it turns out I have thrush. Not present in my urine samples but she did a vaginal swab & that’s what tested positive for it. So the gush was actually just discharge from my infection, not my waters breaking.
I would definitely go have it checked though if you’re concerned. Not going to lie the multiple swabs to see if it was my waters were very uncomfortable & now I’m even more worried about the pain from childbirth!