How does a pregnant woman know if she is leaking amniotic fluid?

Pregnant women need to pay special attention to changes in their bodies during the late pregnancy when they are close to delivery. The rupture of amniotic fluid or vaginal bleeding are both signs of delivery. Amniotic fluid leakage is a very common condition in the late pregnancy. Many pregnant women do not know how to distinguish it, which can easily delay medical treatment. The more obvious symptom of amniotic fluid leakage is the appearance of transparent liquid in the vagina and abdominal contractions, so timely medical treatment is needed.

How does a pregnant woman know if she is leaking amniotic fluid?

When the amniotic fluid breaks, there is usually a fishy smell and the color is mostly clear, sometimes slightly yellow, and it is warm, flowing out continuously in waves. Usually after the water breaks, most pregnant women will start labor pains within 12 hours. If you are really not sure, it is best to go to the obstetrics and gynecology department for a check-up. The doctor will use test strips, or use a speculum (duckbill) for direct visual inspection and other methods to check.

Pay attention to the difference between urine leakage and amniotic fluid leakage

1. Smell. The smell of urine is strong and even pungent; the smell of amniotic fluid is natural and even sweet.

2. The speed of water flow. Urinary incontinence is an intermittent phenomenon, but water breaking is like a flow of water, which is difficult to control and may even be accompanied by abdominal cramps. This may be a symptom that the baby is about to be born, so you should go to the hospital in time to prepare for delivery.

3. Check with test paper. If you can't tell whether you are leaking urine or your water has broken, you can use a test strip to check. Specifically, stick the test paper on your underwear and tell whether it is amniotic fluid or urine by the change in color. The pH value of amniotic fluid is 7.0-7.5, and that of urine is 5.5-6.5. If it is a blue test paper, the one that turns red is urine, and the one that does not change color is amniotic fluid; if it is a red test paper, the one that turns blue is amniotic fluid, and the one that does not change color is urine.

What does it feel like when your water breaks?

After the amniotic fluid breaks, the expectant mother can feel liquid flowing out of the vagina. Careful observation can reveal that the liquid is colorless and transparent, and the amount is larger than secretions, like water.

In addition, you can also feel that the outflow of liquid is uncontrolled. When the amount is large, it will feel warm; when the amount is small, it may feel a little wet, like urination, and it will flow out continuously, and even the pregnant woman cannot control it by contracting her vagina.

It is normal for amniotic fluid to break before delivery, and the incidence rate accounts for about 6%-12% of the total births. The breaking of amniotic fluid often causes symptoms such as premature birth, fetal hypoxia, and fetal infection. Therefore, when you feel the water breaking, it is best to go to the hospital as soon as possible to prepare for delivery.