After your water breaks, the following things may happen:
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Sensation of wetness: You might experience a sensation of wetness in your vagina or on your perineum.
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Leaking of fluid: This can be an intermittent or constant leaking of small amounts of watery fluid from your vagina, or a more obvious gush of clear or pale yellow fluid.
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Difficulty in distinguishing amniotic fluid from urine: It can be challenging to tell the difference between amniotic fluid and urine, especially if you only experience a feeling of wetness or a trickle of fluid. One difference to look for is that the fluid will not smell like urine.
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Call your healthcare provider: If youre uncertain whether your water has broken, call your health care provider or head to your delivery facility right away. Your doctor or a member of your health care team will give you a physical exam to determine if you're leaking amniotic fluid.
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Labor soon follows: Typically, after your water breaks at term, labor soon follows if it hasn't already begun. Your water breaking is a sign that delivery is right around the corner.
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Risk of infection: Without the protective barrier of amniotic fluid, the fetus is at risk for infection and other medical conditions. Intervention to help bring on contractions can reduce the risk of infection, as this risk increases with time between the water breaking and contractions starting.
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Labor induction: If your water breaks but you have no contractions, your doctor may discuss labor induction with you.
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Time before active labor: After your water breaks, you may still have some time before active labor begins. Around 7 in every 10 women give birth within 24 hours of their water breaking, and almost all women (9 in 10) give birth within 48 hours.
