really STUPID question for STMs

trudibell

How did you know when your water broke?  I have had three false alarms.  I feel like I am leaking but I am not sure it's not like all over the place and I don't want to call the doctor again because they always bring me in for a test.  I feel like an idiot thanks for answering.

cbm3228

First I don't think this is a stupid question, but the dr broke my water in the hospital.   I do have friends that have had their water break and they had a variety of experiences.  Some had the big gush, and others had a slow constant leak.  The leak didn't stop and varied in how much came out by the way the baby moved.

I am thinking that if you can't tell then you probaby aren't?

Sorry I don't know if that was helpful or not.

smilejenn

With my first child my water broke on its own and in my case, there was no mistaking it for anything else. The contractions definitely ramped up immediately after that too.

cameronzmom

When your water breaks I think it's a constant drip/flow. Normal leakage goes away or is just barely there.

Dukos

There will be no mistaking when your water breaks.  I know they always show a gush in the movies, but it's not usually like that.  I lost my mucus plug with DD, then 20 minutes later my water broke.  There was a huge gush, but then it was like a faucet.  It keeps going and going.  If I didn't have depends on, my entire bottom half would be drenched within a few minutes.  If there is a constant flow that doesn't stop over a period of time, that's how you'll know.

mrsf123

My water didn't break until I was long into labor. 

And I didn't know when it happened.  I was walking into the hospital when it broke.  When I went to L&D and they had me change in to the gown, I was soaked, so I was pretty sure.  I told L&D and they confirmed it for me. 

ehnasto

I'm a FTM and I thought my water broke a week or so ago because I felt very leaky. When I went to the Dr they said I was wrong. They said if it is really that your water broke you can't stop the flow at all. If it something else (discharge, pee, etc) your keegle muscles should be able to stop it even if the stop is temporary. They also told me that I will continue to feel leaky for the rest of the time I am pregnant as it could be my mucus plug. Apparently it can come out very slowly and not be a different color at all so the Dr said I may be one of the girls in that boat.

MrserinJ

When my water broke with my first son, I was in bed. It felt like I peed myself a little bit or had a gush if discharge. I went to the bathroom, changed my underwear and laid back down and it happend again. The difference was that I had no control. When I sat on the toilet tonpeecagain, it started coming out separately and whdn I looked in the bowl, there were little white chunks that I found out was the vernix floating around. It also smelled a but like bleach. It took me about 10 mins after that first gush to figure it out and it started leaking more and more after that point. I was also told it often stops when you stand up because the baby's head kind of seals it off. This was the case for me at first. I went for 24 hours without contractions and the leaking got progressively worse. In my experience, it won't stop if your water had truly broken. That's just my experience with it though! GL

amarissa85

There was no mistaking it. It kept coming down my leg after I had gotten up from using the bathroom. My contractions went from 0-10 very shortly after. 

trudibell

Thanks for all the responses, it's definitely helped!  

BellaOso

Not to be a poo, but water breaking is not always a gush. Sometimes I feel like screaming this from the mountain tops - I'm tired of reading posts were everyone says, "You'll know if your water breaks." It is not true 100% of the time. 

My water leaked very slightly with DD1. As a matter of fact, if it had not happened at 8:30am when on the day I had a 9:30am OB appointment, I would have never said anything about it. I was maybe 2 teaspoons of liquid that came out suddenly.  I mentioned it at my OB appt and my test was weakly positive, but it's like being pregnant, you are or you aren't. It was amniotic fluid and i was on to L & D.

While my situation is pretty stinkin' rare, it does happen!

Just go get the test done. No matter how silly it makes you feel, they have seen sillier. 

Liz4444

Mine was a pop and a few big gushes.  I just kept leaking after that.  Remember, amniotic fluid has no color or scent, when in doubt, sniff.

Rubygirl

It broke in the hospital, right after my epi when the nurse did an internal to get the baby's heartrate up.  Even though I was numb, I could sense the absolute gush.  It was pretty obvious.  If you're at term, you could mention it at your next OB appt, or call to be safe.  

BabyCampbell312

Dukos:

There will be no mistaking when your water breaks.  I know they always show a gush in the movies, but it's not usually like that.  I lost my mucus plug with DD, then 20 minutes later my water broke.  There was a huge gush, but then it was like a faucet.  It keeps going and going.  If I didn't have depends on, my entire bottom half would be drenched within a few minutes.  If there is a constant flow that doesn't stop over a period of time, that's how you'll know.

 

I disagree with this. 

Doc said the best way to tell is to try and stop it, like you would when you are peeing. Gotta practice those kegels.  :P 

I had to be induced and mine broke in the hospital. There was so little even the doctor was a little surprised. 

doodlemonkey22

BellaOso:

Not to be a poo, but water breaking is not always a gush. Sometimes I feel like screaming this from the mountain tops - I'm tired of reading posts were everyone says, "You'll know if your water breaks." It is not true 100% of the time. 

My water leaked very slightly with DD1. As a matter of fact, if it had not happened at 8:30am when on the day I had a 9:30am OB appointment, I would have never said anything about it. I was maybe 2 teaspoons of liquid that came out suddenly.  I mentioned it at my OB appt and my test was weakly positive, but it's like being pregnant, you are or you aren't. It was amniotic fluid and i was on to L & D.

While my situation is pretty stinkin' rare, it does happen!

Just go get the test done. No matter how silly it makes you feel, they have seen sillier. 

This! Mine was a slow leak too. It started on a Sunday and it felt like leaking discharge at first. But I knew it wasn't discharge by the looks of it. I went in to hospital (as it was a Sun) and they swabbed me to check. The test was inconclusive (meaning too much other stuff was mixed in the swab). They sent me home and told me I probably peed myself. Even at 37 weeks I just knew which end that came out of. Next day, the leak increased. It was a squirt every time I used my ab muscles. Over the course of the day the leak increased into s steady (but small) stream and there was no mistaking it. When your OB's office swabs you to check, they use ph paper. If you are really are nervous about it, buy some ph paper at the drug store and keep checking yourself. If it turns any shade of blue, it is amniotic fluid. All other colors are something else.

mommatotwo2

BellaOso:

Not to be a poo, but water breaking is not always a gush. Sometimes I feel like screaming this from the mountain tops - I'm tired of reading posts were everyone says, "You'll know if your water breaks." It is not true 100% of the time. 

Yes, this totally. With DD#2 I did have the huge gush and it kept flowing like crazy after that. But with DD#1 it was a tiny leak and then another one after about an hour and then nothing for a little bit. It wasn't until about 2 hours after the first leak that it really started flowing.

SunAndRain

When my water broke I was sitting in the passenger seat of my husband's car and all of a sudden thought I felt like I was peeing my pants.  And I immediately thought, "Damn!  I should have done more kegels!"

Then I realized that I couldn't stop the stream of "pee" and that it must be that my water broke.  Sure enough, that is what it was: a steady stream of clear fluid.  Good thing I had a maxi pad nearby!