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.

Yeah that's really crappy advice from the hospital. I had this around 20 weeks, and tbh I couldn't work out if it was pee or what, it was only about a teaspoon a day, but they had me into triage and swabbed me to see if it was amniotic. I would be tempted to say it's worse than it is just to go in. Pay no attention to any frequent flyer comments. Honestly I'm 34 weeks and I've been in to be checked more often than not and there's all sorts of things we have found that are complex that we wouldn't have had I not been so pushy (although my midwife triage place is lovely and they haven't ever suggested I shouldn't come in) much better for some mean auld midwife to be a bit put out than for you to have something wrong that isn't discovered in time.

That is strange advice from the hospital imo. You’ve not told them your waters have broken, just that they’re leaking. Low fluid is dangerous for the baby so I’d expect them to want it tested. I went in at 33wk for suspected leaking waters - similar to you, only small amounts here and there not consistent. The midwives took a swab to check it was amniotic fluid or not - results were back in 10 minutes and I got the all clear. I’m not sure why they haven’t asked you to come in

Yeah I agree that's terrible advise. You need a swab

I'd somewhat agree if you were term, but you're 17 weeks!! It's only about 250ml total of amniotic fluid at this stage so you won't be soaking pads and replenishing fluid that quickly. You've either got someone ill experienced or lazy on the phone. Just go in.
Better to have taken up an hour of their time and go home reassured than leave yourself susceptible to infection.

@Lavenderandlemons I don’t think you can just turn up where I am, as far as I know you need to phone. I’m on tenterhooks incase more fluid comes out, or in case of infection as you say. Can you get an infection from a small leak as well?

I have a scan today but not seeing a midwife or anything until 26th June.

Oh sorry I didn't think of that, in my hospital you just show up. Yes, it doesn't really matter the degree of the leak, it's that the protective membrane is broken so any bacteria you encounter can work its way up inside your uterus. I want to reiterate that I'm talking worst case scenario here and don't want to frighten you with what I'm saying as it literally could be just discharge. The problem is, there's no way to know for certain without being checked in the hospital. When infection takes hold it can lead to sepsis quite quickly in cases of PPROM, this is why I feel so strongly about getting seen to.
Would you ring triage again and be really assertive? (Not that you should have to be🙄)
Something like: 'This is my second time phoning requesting to be seen. I am leaking clear, odourless, watery fluid from my vagina. It is not urine and I don't believe it's discharge. It comes in small gushes intermittently. I am concerned that my membranes have ruptured and that I am at risk of infection. I would like to be seen.'
I REALLY hope no one in their right mind would brush that off. If they did, I would request for that exact conversation to be noted in your chart. Another option is to contact the labour ward for another perspective, or PALs if no luck and it's not sitting right with you.

Is your scan a private one or in the hospital?
If hospital, don't leave without being checked for ruptured membranes.
If private, potentially they could see reduced fluid volume and refer you to hospital. But that's not a definitive way to diagnose, as in some cases the fluid volume remains within normal limits on scan if only small gushes are leaking.
Best of luck with whatever you decide to do. If I can be of any help please let me know.

Agree with above re being seen. Could be waters, could be just normal discharge, it can be very difficult to be sure. it’s probably worth keeping your scan appointment if possible first, if the fluid on the scan is normal and you have no leaking onto a pad just now then you could sit tight and phone them again if/when it happens again. If the scan shows low fluid then absolutely you must be seen. Best of luck.

@Laidir87 I bought ph strips for this reason.
I’m leaking lots of watery discharge but mine is cloudy and dries yellow on a pad.
I’m also on vaginal progesterone which might be increasing my discharge and I’m due to stop it in a week.

@emmatcc1 I bought ph pads today and there is only a tiny bit of the discharge today thankfully, but the colour did change to a very slight light blue so concerning. At scan baby seemed fine and fluid fine but I'm still so worried.

@Laidir87 I wanted to get those as well but reviews said many had false positives probably because urine and amniotic fluid are around the same ph.

@emmatcc1 ah well I Pray it's a false positive colour change. The watery discharge has been very slight, but if I get another teaspoon/tablespoon at once or more, I am going to phone triage back. It's really freaking me out. Which tests did you use please?

@Laidir87terrible advice from the hospital. This happened to me, small amounts over time would come and go over a few days, ended up having my baby at 36 weeks as it was Infact my waters, also had strep B without knowing so we were kept in hospital after birth aswell for checks on my son. Please keep contacting them

@Laidir87 I just got some cheap ph strips for testing urine. In the morning when I got most of this discharge I would just get some on my finger and smear it on the test.

@Laidir87 did it work out ok in the end? are you ok?xx