Understanding Water Breakage During Pregnancy: What You Need to Know

Many of us have the wrong impression regarding water breakdown during pregnancy. Water frequently breaks down in the beginning of the process. However, delivery can take place without water breaking. Having a firm grasp of how water breaks and what to do when it does can make your delivery process go more smoothly.

What Does Water Breakage Mean During Pregnancy?

Your kid grows in an amniotic sac and This sac is filled with a type of water called amniotic fluid. Floating in this pouch, your baby grows in the womb and is protected from external pressure and infection. At the beginning of labor, this sac ruptures on its own, and the water inside it comes out through the birth canal. This process is known as water breakage.

When Does the Water Break During Pregnancy?

The usual delivery period is between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy. Normally, the water breaks within this period. Water usually breaks after labor begins. However, in some cases, the water may break before the onset of labor. If the water breaks before 37 weeks, this is referred to as ‘preterm rupture of membrane’. 

Signs of Water Breakage During Pregnancy

Common signs of water breakdown during pregnancy are:

• Breaking the water might cause your vagina and surrounding region to get moist.
• Your underwear and pajamas may become soaked.
• Sometimes a large amount of water comes out of the vagina at once, but normally the water continues to flow out for an extended period of time.
• The water is clear to light golden in hue. 
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How to Understand Water Breakage, Urine, or Vaginal Discharge

Sometimes there can be confusion about whether it is urination, water breakage, or vaginal discharge. One approach to clear up any uncertainty is to smell the water flowing out. If the liquid coming out of the vagina has a pungent smell, that is, ammonia, then it is urine. If there is no smell or there is a sweet smell, then it is water breakage. The discharge is usually a little thick, sticky, and white like milk. The water is bright yellow in hue and has a thin liquid consistency. 

What to Do After the Water Breaks?

It’s normal to feel excited when the water breaks. But try to calm yourself and take the next steps in the right way. If the water breaks during labor, it is safe to conclude that the labor process has begun. In that case, proceed to the hospital or maternity clinic according your delivery plan. 

When to Go to the Hospital?

• If your doctor cautions you about an infection while pregnant, especially if you have group B streptococcus, attempt to get to the hospital as soon as your water breaks. If proper measures are not taken, your child can also become infected with the same infection.
• If the color of the water appears green or brown after the water is broken, the amniotic fluid may be mixed with the baby’s first stool or ‘meconium’. If this happens, there is a possibility of the baby in the womb drinking water mixed with meconium, which can harm the baby. So go to the hospital quickly.
• If there is too much blood in the water, go to the hospital immediately. A small amount of blood in the water is normal, but excessive blood indicates complications of the placenta, which can be fatal for the baby in the womb.
• If a small amount of water comes out and then it stops. In this case, there is a risk that your fetus will descend and block the passage of water through its head.
• If you feel constriction in your vagina as the water breaks, or if you can see a part of the cord. If your water breaks before the birth begins, the umbilical cord may slip down.Umbilical cord prolapse is the medical term for this condition. 

What to Do if There Is No Pain After Water Breakage?

If your water bursts at or after 37 weeks of pregnancy but does not cause labor, you can wait 24 hours. There are a few regulations to observe while waiting:

• Keep your underwear, vagina, and vaginal area clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection.
• Use pads when needed.
• Avoid sex.
• And when using the toilet, clean your vagina from front to back.

However, many feel it is safer to be under the care of an experienced doctor in the hospital than to wait at home. If labor does not start even after waiting for 24 hours, then the doctor may give you some medicine to start labor artificially, such as oxytocin. Labor induction is the technique of triggering labor artificially.    

The amniotic fluid includes antibodies that defend the newborn against a variety of ailments. Without this water, the newborn is at risk of being infected. Therefore, labor induction is done to get the baby out quickly.

What to Do if Water Breaks Prematurely During Pregnancy?

If the water breaks before 34 weeks and there is no labor pain, this condition is called ‘preterm prelabor rupture of the membrane’. Before 34 weeks of pregnancy, the baby is usually not fully developed, and his lungs remain immature. Therefore, if born at this time, the chances of the child living healthy are less. For this reason, it is usually tried to delay the process of delivery as much as possible even if the water breaks before the completion of 34 weeks.

In this case, various measures are taken to delay the process of delivery and ensure the health of the baby in the womb:

• The pregnant mother is placed on bed rest, i.e., complete rest, with toilet facilities.
• Steroids are given to accelerate the development of the baby’s lungs in the womb and to reduce severe breathing complications called respiratory distress syndrome. For example: Betamethasone or Dexamethasone.
• Antibiotics are given to prevent infection.
• Magnesium sulfate may be used to safeguard the baby’s brain and nervous system.
• Pregnant women and children should be monitored regularly.