Water breaking...what's it like?

canterbearytails · July 2011

I've always been curious about this. Is it a slow trickle? A medium flow? Or a full-on gush?? If it happens when you're out will it call for major clean-up in Aisle 10? There's a good chance that when my contractions start I'll have to get a cab to either my in-laws' or the hospital, but I worry about my water breaking enroute.

Julie822 · July 2011

I don't know from experience but only from stories from others and the answer seems to be all of the above. I was surprised to learn in child birth class that sometimes the water doesn't break right away - some women make it to the hospital and are in labor for quite awhile before it happens. My cousin had her water break early and it was leaking out slowly for a bit before they decided to induce her. And one of my coworkers had the situation where it totally broke, leading to a gush and then for it to continue coming out on the way to the hospital.

It sounds like it is a good idea to put a waterproof mat under your part of the bed and have something to sit on in the car, just in case.

CSP83 · July 2011

My Doctor told me that only about 15% of women have their water break on it's own. So there is a good chance you will just go in to labor without having your water break. With my first pregnancy my Doctor broke my water after I had been in labor for several hours. When my Doctor broke my water I first felt a big gush and then it continued to leak slowly.

cookiemonster82 · July 2011

It really depends. If you are standing, chances are the water won't cause a major flood b/c the baby's head acts as a sort of cork. If you are lying down, it will probably feel like a gush. Also, you will continue to leak fluids, particularly if you have contractions.

With DS, I was actually waiting to be admitted and my water broke. I was lying down in triage, heard and felt a pop (I didn't believe ppl who told me they heard theirs, until I actually did) and gushed fluids. DH actually heard the pop, too. It took me a few seconds to realize what happened.

Even though it's different for everyone, you will most likely know when it happens.

happylady07 · July 2011

As PP said, it could be all of the above, and it's not uncommon for your water not to break until you're well into active labor. A friend of mine's water didn't break until her daughter was halfway out!

melimelg · July 2011

My water broke when I was in bed at midnight. I rolled over and it was a full on gush. I did drip a little after that but not much.

My contractions didnt start for about an hour after my water broke. I didnt go to the hospital for 4 hours after that. And my daughter wasnt born for 12 hours after that.

My friends broke when she was out but she said that most of the water was contained by her pants, so it really wasn't that messy. She just looked like she peed her pants.

So I plan on being prepared and having a change of clothes/undies with me and a towel, just in case.

cantalopes24 · July 2011

I never had one huge gush. It was just a constant flow (fairly heavy) that mostly stopped when I sat/laid down.

Temp574971250006741 · July 2011

Mine broke when I was about 5 cm. I had the urge to pee so went to the bathroom. It was like never ending and the only reason I knew my water broke was due to meconium in it. When i wiped it had a dark greenish tinge to it. It was another 10 hours before I delivered.

mrs.lizzieb · July 2011

Mine was literally just a few drops. I didn't even know my water had broken until I went to my dr. that morning, and she tested the pH of the fluid to see if it was my water or just urine leaking. It was definitely my water, however, you have multiple bags of water, so at the hospital they had to break my bag of water to jumpstart active labor. I think it really varies by woman, and you won't really know until it's happening.

Luckylove29 · July 2011

With my first I was in the hospital 6 days overdue with contractions. The triage nurse was asking me questions when I felt a pop and huge gush. The thing that no one told me was that it doesn't stop. There are constant/periodic waves of fluid that keeps coming the whole time you are in labor. With my second I had a c-section.

Nita2603 · July 2011

it can be option a), b) or c) or a combination of all of them (starting with a trickle and then a gush). Either way, as I hear, for a lot of women the water gets broken in the hospital, so...... maybe you get lucky.

Hollygirl7 · July 2011

Luckylove29:
With my first I was in the hospital 6 days overdue with contractions. The triage nurse was asking me questions when I felt a pop and huge gush. The thing that no one told me was that it doesn't stop. There are constant/periodic waves of fluid that keeps coming the whole time you are in labor. With my second I had a c-section.

It didn't stop for me either! I was sleeping when I felt a big thump (I think there was the sound too, but I was sleeping, so it was rather dream-like) and this big gush. I'd been wearing a pad, thankfully, and it filled the pad by the time I got to the bathroom. I just kept a pad on until I was at the hospital because it kept coming out, sometimes a trickle, sometimes another gush, whenever I had contractions. In L & D I had to keep requesting fresh towels to put between my legs, there was so much fluid.

Only about 15% of the time do women have their water break before they go into labour. Most are already in established labour before their water breaks, so if you're the 85% you could always have a pad on (not an Always one) if you're worried about it breaking en route. Also, some people put a garbage bag underneath them while they're traveling in a car to the hospital.

MereB · July 2011

My water broke during my 3rd day of active labor. It was 5AM and I was laying in bed, probably crying because the hospital wouldn't admit me the day before, and I was totally exhausted from not sleeping for a couple nights and I was in pain. I felt the pop- I could have sworn I'd heard it- and then a little trickle. I stood up, and felt more trickle. Once I was standing or sitting, I didn't feel a lot of trickles, but every time I stood up or sat down it would. I had a pad on all the time at that point anyway (for sneezing pees), so the pad caught everything. I remember refusing to sit while checking in at the hospital since I was scared I might all of a sudden have a larger gush.

If your water breaks before you get to the hospital, your L&D nurse will swab your fluids to test and make sure it's amniotic fluid. Of course, my test came back negative (this apparently happens occasionally), but my nurse believed the test to be wrong and admitted me.

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