Sign #5: It's not sticky and thick like discharge Also take care not to confuse water breaking with losing your mucus plug, which is another sign of approaching labor. The mucus plug looks like bigger chunks of gelatinous, thick, and yellowish-white liquid with a snotty consistency. It may also be tinged with blood.
Many a first-time mom has confused these two, especially since a ton of discharge can follow the loss of your mucus plug. Think of it this way: Mucus is gooey; water is liquid. So if it's thick, it's not your water.
Losing your mucus plug can make vaginal discharge appear brown or pinkish in color (as opposed to the colorless and odorless pregnancy discharge you've likely been experiencing throughout your pregnancy), and may come out in small bits, large clumps or streaks of mucus.
How long after losing your mucus plug will labor start? The length of time between losing your mucus plug and going into labor can vary. In some cases, you may go into labor within hours or days, while other times, you may not go into labor for a few weeks.
If you lost your mucous plug and you do not have any contractions yet, that simply means that your body is preparing for labour by dilating (opening) and/or effacing (thinning and stretching) the cervix. It does NOT necessarily mean that labour is imminent though.
In some cases, a person may also experience other early signs of labor after losing their mucus plug, including: period-like cramps. contractions. pelvic pressure.
(Some OBs will go ahead and break your water at 3 or 4 centimeters.) The reasoning behind this: “Artificial rupture of membranes” (popping a hole in the amniotic sac) will usually jumpstart labor by getting serious contractions underway.
Your baby will continue to move once your water breaks. However, without that extra fluid and cushioning, there is diminished buoyancy. This will result in the baby not being able to reposition if the baby is malpositioned (in a less ideal positionfor birth).
You can also put on clean underwear, add a pad or pantyliner, and lie down for a few minutes if you feel a sensation of wetness when you get up or fluid pooling in your vagina, it's water breaking.
Getting up and moving around may help speed dilation by increasing blood flow. Walking around the room, doing simple movements in bed or chair, or even changing positions may encourage dilation.
Waiting longer than 72 hours
95 women in every 100 will give birth within 4-5 days of their waters breaking however the risk of infection in your womb increases significantly after 24 hours. This is the reason we recommend planning an induction after 36 hours.
Your water usually breaks when you have reached week 39 of your pregnancy. Some pregnant people may feel a sudden gush of fluid, while others just notice some dampness or trickles down their thighs. Your water breaking often occurs after labor begins, but it can also happen before.
Once it starts flowing, the amniotic fluid will continue leaking until all 600-800 milliliters (or roughly 2 1/2-3 cups) of it empties out. In the meantime, you can wear a sanitary pad to protect your clothes or lay a clean towel underneath you to protect your seat.
Clear and stretchy — This is “fertile” mucous and means you're ovulating. Clear and watery — This occurs at different times of your cycle and can be particularly heavy after exercising. Yellow or green — May indicate an infection, especially if it's thick or clumpy like cottage cheese or has a foul odor.
A mucus plug is usually clear, but it can be white, yellow, green, brown, slightly pink, or blood-tinged in color. Most of the time it is off-white with some streaks of pink blood. The plug is jelly-like but becomes more liquid as it is expelled.
More often, women start having regular contractions before the fluid-filled amniotic sac ruptures, giving them at least some warning. Others are so far into the labour process that they don't even notice when it happens. When your water breaks, you might feel a popping sensation, along with a slow trickle of fluid.
When you are losing the mucus plug, You'll notice it on your underwear or on toilet paper after going to the loo. It could be in one single piece, like a blob of gel. Or it could be in smaller pieces which come away over several hours or more. You don't normally need to tell your midwife about it.
If you have any of these signs or symptoms before your 37th week of pregnancy, you may be experiencing preterm labor: Change in your vaginal discharge (watery, mucus or bloody) or more vaginal discharge than usual. Pressure in your pelvis or lower belly, like your baby is pushing down. Constant low, dull backache.
If the pantyliner is wet at the end of that time, it could be amniotic fluid. If it's dry, the cause is more likely urine or discharge. If you're not 100 percent sure what type of fluid you're leaking, check with your provider. Leaking urine is sometimes a sign of a bladder infection.
Water breaking could feel like urinary incontinence, which is common during the third trimester of pregnancy. "People will sometimes say, 'I went to the bathroom in my pants but the water kept coming,'" says Dr. Gottesfeld.