How do I know if my water broke or just discharge?

Is it my water breaking or is it discharge? Amniotic fluid is a pale, straw-colored fluid. Vaginal discharge, on the other hand, is a thin, milky-white mucus that's similar to but heavier than what you might experience between periods.
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How do I know if my waters are leaking or if its discharge?

A pregnant woman with a liquid other than urine or normal discharge coming from the vagina should visit the doctor. This is particularly true if the fluid is green, brown, or has a foul smell. Leaking amniotic fluid will usually be clear and odorless and will continue to leak.
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What does the discharge look like when your water breaks?

Sometimes women wonder if their water is leaking. A trickle of fluid can feel like your water is breaking, but other things can cause this feeling, too. Many women have a change in vaginal discharge during pregnancy. That discharge can be clear like fluid, or have a pink tinge closer to delivery.
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Can watery discharge be my water breaking?

Is excessive watery discharge a sign that your water broke or you're leaking amniotic fluid? Excessive watery discharge can be a sign that your water broke if it turns out to be amniotic fluid, not vaginal discharge, and rarely, it could be a sign you're leaking amniotic fluid at other times during your pregnancy.
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Why do I have so much watery discharge?

Watery discharge is typical of normal, healthy vaginas. Most women have about 1 to 4 milliliters (around 1/2 teaspoon) of discharge every day during their reproductive years. You may experience more discharge when your estrogen levels increase because you are ovulating, pregnant, or using birth control pills.
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Water breaking signs - Did my water break or did I pee? Water breaking vs pee vs discharge



Does baby move after water breaks?

Pressure - Once the water breaks, some people will feel increased pressure in their pelvic area and/or perineum. Water in an intact amniotic sac acts as a cushion for baby's head (or the presenting part of baby). When the cushion is gone, baby will move down further causing pressure. All of this is normal.
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How much comes out when your water breaks?

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.
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Should you go to the hospital if you're leaking amniotic fluid?

You should call your doctor or midwife or go in immediately if: You are preterm (less than 37 weeks gestation) and suspect PPROM. You have an amniotic fluid leak and feel feverish. The fluid is yellow in color, or tinged greenish, suggesting meconium.
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Should I go to the hospital if my water breaks but no contractions?

If your water breaks before 37 weeks of pregnancy, call your doctor — regardless of whether you're having contractions or not — and head to a hospital ASAP.
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What color is amniotic fluid on toilet paper?

Normal amniotic fluid is clear or tinted yellow. Fluid that looks green or brown usually means that the baby has passed the first bowel movement (meconium) while in the womb. (Usually, the baby has the first bowel movement after birth.)
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What kind of discharge do you have before labor?

4. Changes in your vaginal discharge. Even if the mucus plug stays intact, you may notice other changes to your vaginal discharge. “It can become more watery, stickier and thicker, or maybe a little pink before labor begins or at the early stages of labor,” says Dr.
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How long can the baby stay in after water breaks?

In cases where your baby would be premature, they may survive just fine for weeks with proper monitoring and treatment, usually in a hospital setting. In cases where your baby is at least 37 weeks, current research suggests that it may be safe to wait 48 hours (and sometimes longer) for labor to start on its own.
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Can waters break slowly?

Your water can break in a gush, or leak slowly. I think a lot of women expect the giant gush of fluid that happens in the movies, and while that does happen sometimes, a lot of times a woman's water breaks a little more subtly.
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Did my water break while I was peeing?

Yeah, your water can break as you're peeing. And yeah, pregnancy is full of so much liquid. Only 15% of pregnant women experience their water breaking before going into labor, according to What to Expect, and most moms either have their water broken manually at the hospital, or it just naturally happens during labor.
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How does it feel right before your water breaks?

Signs of Water Breaking

Some people may feel a trickle of fluid that they can't control or a gush of water downward. Others may feel dampness in their underwear that looks like they've peed or had a heavy vaginal discharge. If you notice fluid leaking, use a pad to absorb some of it.
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What do trickling waters feel like?

It does not hurt when your water breaks, but this procedure can be a little uncomfortable; you might feel a tug, followed by a warm trickle or gush of water.
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Does lots of discharge mean labor is close?

You might notice an increase in vaginal discharge that's clear, pink or slightly bloody. This might happen several days before labor begins or at the start of labor. However, if you have vaginal bleeding that is as heavy as a typical menstrual period, contact your health care provider immediately.
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What are 3 signs that labor is approaching?

You have likely gone into true labor if you've noticed the following signs, but always check with your practitioner to be sure:
  • Strong, frequent contractions. ...
  • Bloody show. ...
  • Belly and lower back pain. ...
  • Water breaking. ...
  • Baby drops. ...
  • Cervix begins to dilate. ...
  • Cramps and increased back pain. ...
  • Loose-feeling joints.
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Does thick white discharge mean labor is near?

Losing your mucus plug generally means your cervix has started to dilate, efface or both. It means labor is around the corner, but there is not an exact time for how soon after other labor symptoms will start. In some cases, you may already be in labor when you lose your mucus plug.
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How do I know if I'm dilating?

Try to insert the tips of your fingers into your cervix. If one fingertip fits through your cervix, you're considered one centimeter dilated. If two fit, you're two centimeters dilated. If there's additional space in the opening, try to estimate how many fingertips would fit to determine dilation.
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What is silent labor?

Not to be confused with a silent or quiet birth, which is something advocated by Scientology, a silent labour is a phenomenon where a woman doesn't actually know she's in labour. There doesn't seem to be a lot known about it, and it's not overly common.
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How can you tell if your cervix is softening?

Symptoms of effacement
  • loss of mucus plug.
  • increase in vaginal discharge.
  • feeling like your baby has dropped lower into your pelvis.
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Are babies extra active before labor?

Very active baby before labor

Some women experience their baby moving a lot in the run-up to labor. One theory for this is the increase in Braxton Hicks contractions. As your body prepares for labor and birth, you might start to experience a greater frequency of Braxton Hicks contractions.
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How can you tell if labor is close?

Learning the signs of labor before your due date can help you feel ready for your baby's birth. Signs of labor include strong and regular contractions, pain in your belly and lower back, a bloody mucus discharge and your water breaking. If you think you're in labor, call your health care provider.
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What do first contractions feel like?

It may be hard to recognize a contraction, especially with your first baby. Many women have what feels like menstrual cramps in the lower abdomen. They may stay the same or they may come and go. You might also have pain in your lower back that either stays or comes and goes.
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