Know The Signs Of Water Breaking

Water breaking refers to the breaking of the amniotic sac and the gush that follows, signalling that your baby is ready to be born. Some mothers may notice a slow leaking or trickling before labor, while most are already safely in labor when their water breaks or is broken by a care provider.

When the water breaks, one might experience a sensation of wetness in the vagina or on the perineum, an intermittent or continuous trickle of small amounts of watery fluid from the vagina. There are no over the counter tests as such that you can purchase to see if the water is vaginal discharge or amniotic fluid.

The fluid is usually odourless and may look clear or straw coloured. Please make sure that you write down or remember the time your water breaks, how much fluid is released and what the fluid looks like. When waters do break, some women hear a pop sound and some don't, it's different for everyone. Ideally, waters often break just before the second stage of labor (pushing stage), when the woman is nearly fully dilated.

Call your doctor or a loved one to take you to the hospital if you feel your water break!