17 weeks scared I’m leaking fluid

[Laidir87]

Don’t know what to do, if I’m overreacting or not, if anything can even be done if it was.

The past week some days I’ve been having small gushes of watery fluid. They are not big, like maybe 2 teaspoon amount, once in the day. Completely clear and just like water, pretty odourless. Usually just before I open my bowels (my discharge has always done this but it is never usually watery).

This afternoon I was sitting on the loo and had another gush but this time more fluid, like at least a tablespoon.

I’m almost 100% certain it’s not pee. When dries doesn’t smell like pee, just isn’t. Also can feel it’s coming out of vagina.

Could this be waters leaking? Does anyone have any experience of this? If I go to triage, will they even be able to tell, since currently it’s only happening once a day so I don’t have the fluid?

I’m 17 weeks 4 days and already love this baby. Never had anything like this with my other 2 children.

Go to triage ASAP. They will be able to swab and check. You need to be seen now

It's really important to go to triage as soon as possible to have this checked out.
I hope its not waters, but it can happen. And if it does, you need to be monitored quite closely. Good luck x

Wear a towel so you can save the fluid. I would get checked, but it’s probably just discharge.

You need to be checked asap as you could be at risk of infection and pre term labour.

Yes agree best to go and get checked today. Hope everything is ok

Please seek medical advice and not ask mumsnet.

@glassof There is nothing to swab anymore though, it went into loo roll in the toilet? How could they tell

Thanks all, I will wear a towel in case of anymore and I have an appointment tomorrow.

You need to be seen tonight

@Lavenderandlemons Can it happen like this, in such small amounts?

I had this, repeatedly and it was just really watery discharge but you definitely need to be checked. They will do a vaginal swab and it will detect it it’s your waters

Yes, it can happen like this in small amounts. Ring your maternity unit or delivery suite if the day assessment unit is no longer working. You need to go tonight. They can swab your vagina and test to see if it's your waters breaking.

If it is, they'll need to act quickly to help you save the baby. In all likelihood it's just discharge, but it could not be - don't wait until tomorrow, ring tonight.

Go tonight, it’s not something to wait for a routine appointment for, they will just send you to triage anyway.

I will phone the triage soon after sorting the kids. Just wary of going too often and then not being taken seriously. I've already been in once 2 weeks ago for bad cramping and I heard one woman referred to as a 'frequent flyer'. But I will phone them.

Maybe frequent flyer refers to someone who’s had a few children. Either way don’t be put off. The cramping you felt could be linked. You need to be seen straight away. They will be able to help if you let them.

@MsCactus Sorry I really don't mean this in a rude way at all, but are you a midwife or medical person? It's just most things I've looked up have said it's more of a continuous leak and that if it is fluid at 17 weeks sadly there's nothing they can do to save the baby.

More information on waters breaking early - https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/pregnancy-complications/waters-breaking-early-pprom

I wouldn’t worry about what they think at triage or whether you need to be seen so often - this is certainly a reason to get medical attention and your top priority is you and your babies safety

@fruitbrewhaha No it was a doctor or someone joking with a patient who then said yes I've been in quite a few times recently. But I will phone them anyway.

Definitely go in and get checked x

Yes it can, especially at an earlier gestation like yours it's sometimes not as obvious or clear cut. They can do an Amnisure which is a swab in the vagina that can detect traces of amniotic fluid. Again, could be nothing of concern but because PPROM is so serious, you do need to outrule it. I'm a Midwife and please don't think twice about going in for this, it's something we absolutely need to check out.

You go get checked ASAP. If it is your waters, even if there was nothing they could do for baby, you yourself would be at serious risk of infection. Hopefully just discharge but definitely better safe than sorry for your health. Remember you are your own person that needs to keep yourself healthy for the existing kids. Pregnancy complications aren't all about effect on baby.

Not a medic - but I know someone who leaked a small amount and they went to get it checked in hospital, ended up being PROM, they were shocked as didn't think it could be a small amount. This person was admitted to hospital and managed to carry their baby to term - so I think sometimes there are things they can do, depending on how far along you are.

I also had to have some fluid leaking tested once - it wasn't amniotic fluid, just excess discharge. But it's one of those things, better to be safe than sorry

I had something similar (can’t remember how far along I was) and I thought I was leaking amniotic fluid as I felt really wet down there too. I got checked (they did a swab which will tell them if amniotic fluid has been leaking) and it turned out to just be discharge for me. Better to be safe than sorry, hopefully it’s just discharge

I had this also, went in to get checked and was watery discharge.

please go and get checked to be on the safe side

I had this a few times, when checked at 18 weeks I was told watery discharge, then at 23 weeks had a larger gush that went through to my trousers, enough for me to worry, got an urgent appointment with my consultant that day and it was a slow leak of my hind waters, could see it pooling on the scan, was monitored weekly, and all was fine in the end, but don't assume just discharge and don't assume that nothing can be done.

So I called the maternity triage earlier and they said to get a pad, lie down for half an hour and only come in if the pad was soaked.

It wasn't. It's dry. But earlier was about the 3rd or 4th time in a week I've had a small(ish) leak of about a teaspoon to a tablespoon of watery stuff.

I'm really hoping it's just discharge. The lady on phone said that if waters were going it would at least fill a pad, probably multiple pads. Which kind of contradicts other things I've heard and read on here. So I'm still worried.