Leaking amniotic fluid or deranged paranoia???

[Flowerface]

Sorry for potential TMI and just general unsavouriness, but... I am 26 weeks and seem to be continually paranoid about leaking amniotic fluid. I have a lot of leakage, some of which is just clear water (or something).

I had a check up last week and all seems fine with the baby. The midwife said that if I was leaking it would be continuous, because there's nothing to stop it all flooding out once the membranes are ruptured. I have some days when I feel as though this must surely have happened, otherwise where the hell is all this stuff coming from?! But then it sort of abates a bit.

Does anyone have any experience/wisdom about any of this? Is it actually very common, or have I just been reading too many flaming books again?

just bumping this for you in the hope that one of the MN midwives will see it...

I have heard of water trickling at this stage and think it may have something to do with fore and hind waters or something - but I am very poorly informed. However, I would say not to worry at all because even in the event of a leak, membranes can restore themselves and fluid can be replenished I believe.

Hope you get a more specific answer!

oh and apparently amniotic fluid has a very specific smell. I suggest you wear a pad and sniff to make sure it's not just pee or cervical mucous (which can be very plentiful in pregnancy!)

Do you wear a panty liner? i think there is a test the hospital can do to see if the liquid is amniotic fluid - they can test the soaked liner. It could be an infection or sweat?
Hope this helps? I would ask to be checked out either way to be sure. My midwife said to ring if i felt any dampness.

Thanks! My DP thinks it's time to break out the Tena Lady, but I am resisting this conclusion, for possibly obvious reasons.

I don't wear panty liners - hate them. I'd rather just wear cheap and ancient knickers (I have quite a stockpile of them...) and then chuck them away...

Flowerface - so strange you posted this.

I'm also 26 weeks and woke up this morning and pants very damp (gross I know). But also had a kind of mucousy discharge. Not too sure what it is - now everything seems to have calmed down but like you would like more advice if anyone has any! Doctors appointment on Tuesday so will ask then I think.

Vaginal discharge in late pregnancy can be very watery and runny.

I remember last time I had two false alarms and both times mw checked it and confirmed it was discharge not waters. I have had it again the last couple of days but this time I can tell the difference.

No harm in gettingchecked over though.

Go to your GP. I was very paranoid when pregnant with dd, and was convinced I was leaking amniotic fluid; she had a swab she used and gave me the instant reassurance I wanted.

You can get all sorts of cervical mucus, and I recall getting lots around the 20-28 stage with both dd and this pregnancy.

Just as an update, I just called my midwife. They couldn't see me now because they are having some kind of emergency (she volunteered to come here and examine me, but said that she'd need someone to hold the torch (!) and there's no one here at the moment). But, she said that there would most likely be some pain fairly soon after if it was the waters going.

May go to the GP/hospital tomorrow if I'm still worried. But the fact that I had the same thing about a fortnight ago seems to suggest that its just really weird discharge. And baby is still moving as normal.

Flowerface I had a leak - although at 36 weeks. The midwife can check for 'pooling' of liquid outside the cervix while you are lying down (mine wore a fetching headband mounted light on her head). Amniotic fluid does not smell like normal discharge and it is kind of slippy.

You might want to ask to be swapped for group B Strep if you are concerned you might have had a leak, I'm not sure if it is offered routinely.