As you start to near the end of your pregnancy, you may find yourself worrying about your labor and delivery process. This is completely natural and happens to most women no matter how many times they have given birth.
Sometimes, though, things happen which you are unprepared for like, what if your water broke but with no contractions? It could be a scary situation and if you have the answers now, you can be prepared should this happen to you.
Did Your Water Break?
If you have never experienced your water breaking, you may question whether or not your water has actually broken.
Some women experience a full flowing gush of liquid which soaks their clothing or their bedding. This is unmistakably amniotic fluid in most cases. However, some women find that they are losing fluids in smaller quantities.
How to Tell the Difference
Because your baby is putting extra pressure on your organs, including your bladder, you may accidentally leak urine towards the end of your pregnancy. This is especially true if you have already been pregnant and your pelvic muscles are stretched out.
Additionally, women’s bodies tend to create more cervical mucus towards the end of pregnancy, which may also be misleading.
These are some ways to tell the difference between urine or cervical mucus and amniotic fluid:
Lay down for a little while. When you stand up, if the fluid comes out as you are upright, it is likely your water leaking
Put on a pad to see if the fluid is clear. If yellow, white or brown it is likely urine or cervical mucus
Attempt to stop the flow using Kegel exercises; if you can’t, it is likely amniotic fluid
You have engaged in an activity to attempt to induce labor
There is no odor to the fluid if it is amniotic fluid
No Contractions Though…
It is not uncommon for your water to break before the start of any hard contractions. The reality is, you have probably started having mild contractions but have not realized since there are aches and pains associated with the third trimester anyhow.
Even still, there are genuinely some pregnant ladies who do not have contractions before their water breaks, causing a great surprise.
Are You Actually Having Contractions?
To know for sure if you are experiencing contractions, look at these signs or ways to determine if what you are feeling are contractions:
Pains don’t subside if you rest or slow down
Take a drink and see if the pains cease; if they do they aren’t contractions
You may be feeling pressure in your bowels
Contractions are progressive
When Should You Seek Medical Help?
If anything causes you great concern while you are pregnant, feel free to seek out medical advice. No practitioner should make you feel that your concern is invalid or not worth their time and attention. If you are very worried about the potential of your waters breaking, head to your caregiver for an assessment.
However, if you are comfortable at home, it is fine to stay there until your contractions do start up and become more regular.
It is important to realize, though, that if it is indeed your water breaking, things tend to pick up after that happens--sometimes fast!
If you have tested positive for Group B strep during your prenatal care, you should head to the hospital as soon as your water breaks to prevent the risk of transferring it to your unborn baby.
You should also get to the hospital within 24 hours of your water breaking, whether you are contracting or not since the risk of infection is greater after 24 hours.
Why Your Water Might Break Unexpectedly
If you are one of the women who experiences preterm rupture of your waters, you may be wondering why this would happen in the first place. It can be quite a shock and very scary especially if you are weeks away from your due date.
Some of the common reasons for a preterm rupturing of your membranes include:
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) which has been undetected or untreated for too long
An accidental slip or fall
Heavy smoking during pregnancy
Previous early rupture of membranes
In Conclusion
If you are still unsure what to do if you suspect your water has broke but have no contractions, it is a good idea to reach out to your medical caregiver.
By taking a swab, they will be able to determine if your waters have ruptured or not. If your water has broken, you will be soon holding your little one in your arms.
Hopefully this has been helpful in walking you through water breaking and having no contractions. Please leave a comment or question, we enjoy feedback from our readers.
