MM Labour
Going flow! with the
A pregnant woman’s waters breaking has been the butt of many hours of ‘comedy’ over the years, but what’s actually happening when your waters break? MM takes a look…
Towards the end of my pregnancy, I clearly remember only shopping in small local shops for fear of my waters breaking in Tesco or Sainsbury’s and hearing the customer service assistant calling for a mop and bucket for the fruit and veg section! In reality, however, for most women,
rather than the ‘Niagara Falls comes to Ireland’ scenario, the ‘waters breaking’ are more likely to be a trickle rather than a major torrent. So what’s actually happening? Well, your ‘waters’ are actually a bag of
membranes or a sac of amniotic fluid that cushions your baby in the womb, protects him from infection and regulates his temperature. This sac usually begins to form about twelve days after conception. At any point before or during the labour process, the sac can rupture or break and this is usually the first indication that labour is beginning. (It's estimated, in fact, that only about
ten to fifteen per cent of women actually have their membranes rupture prior to labour!) So how much ‘water’ is normal? Well, to put it simply, there is no ‘normal’
10 Modernmum
in this regard. The amount of fluid produced differs from woman to woman.
Slow trickle If you experience a slow trickle it’s likely that the sac has a small opening where the amniotic fluid is draining. This may result in the water dribbling away at intermittent times and can occur over hours or even days. Women who experience a slow trickle can sometimes confuse the amniotic fluid with urine. However, amniotic fluid will continue to drain away even after you’ve gone to the toilet and emptied your bladder, so if you’re in any doubt, go to the toilet, empty your bladder and put on a pad. This will allow you to clearly see if any more fluid comes out. Alternatively, you could use your nose to
ascertain whether the fluid has an acidic smell. Where urine is acidic, amniotic fluid is relatively odourless.
Big gush If, on the other hand, you experience a major gush or large flow, then it’s likely that your baby’s head isn’t fully engaged
and is resting snuggly on your cervix. This is most likely to occur with second-time- around mums or if you’re having twins.
Hind-water leak Some women will experience this type of leak, which usually occurs when a small hole opens in the sac behind the baby’s head. It can present as a slow dribble or can simply be a leak which then stops, and usually occurs a few days before the fore- waters (the part of the sac that’s in front of the baby’s head) break.
Labour starting After your waters break, labour will either begin immediately, or contractions will usually follow within twelve to 24 hours. Once your waters have broken, your baby should be delivered within 96 hours as there is a higher risk of infection developing in your womb, and of your baby developing an infection. Ten in 1000 women whose waters have broken but whose labour hasn’t started will develop an infection in their womb, or their baby will develop an infection.
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