Pregnancy1 is a journey full of new experiences, both good and bad. Even after researching for months about all possible outcomes, things may take a detour and surprise you.
Generally, when your water breaks, it marks the beginning of your labor, then contractions, becoming more assertive, follow the breaking of your water.
It is your bodyโs way of preparing your birth canal for the baby to be pushed out of your uterus (womb).ย But can your water break without being dilated2? Yes, it can. Read on to know why and how!
But what is this water? And what connection does this water have with your baby? Letโs find the answer to these questions!
1. What is an Amniotic Sac and Amniotic Fluid?
During pregnancy, the growing baby is surrounded by a transparent fluid-filled sac called the amniotic sac, which comprises a couple of membranes.
This amniotic sac provides protection and nourishment to the baby throughout the pregnancy. The fluid in the cavity inside the amniotic sac is called the amniotic fluid, a clear, pale yellow-colored fluid.ย
Amniotic fluid3 is vital for the babyโs healthy growth and development inside the womb. It has many essential functions, including exchanging nutrients and antibodies from the mother.
It aids in providing cushioning and protecting the baby from mechanical shocks and injuries, it is also a buoyant medium for the baby to move around freely in the later stages of pregnancy. An optimal amount of the fluid is needed inside the sac in a uterus for a complication-free pregnancy.
2. What is Meant by Dilation?
During pregnancy, your body prepares for birth as the baby grows and develops inside you. Many biochemical and physiological changes occur in your body once you reach your third trimester.
One of these is dilation of the cervix, which happens when you go into labor, and the term dilation means to expand. Your cervix dilates to deliver the baby out of your body into the world.
Some women experience the dilation of the cervix earlier in their pregnancies. Significant events of childbirth mark three labor stages:
- ย The active labor stage is the first stage โ the cervix is dilated between 1cm and 10cm.
- ย The second stage is the dilation of 10cm, followed by delivery.
- ย The third stage is when the placenta is delivered after the delivery of the baby.
3. How do You Know if Your Water has Broken?
For every woman, water breaks are quite a unique experience. However, it is not as dramatic in real life as in the movies. So, how do you understand if your water has broken?
What does the water breaking feel like, and what does it usually look like? Let us learn about some of the signs of water breaking experienced by most women that you may experience:
- A feeling of sudden gush or a slow trickle of fluid from your vagina, which is odourless and almost colourless.
- You can feel the presence of fluid in your underwear or slow leak down your leg in either small or more significant amounts.
- Uncontrollable, thin, and watery leakage from your vagina, which you canโt hold in.
- The labour contractions seem stronger once you feel your watery fluid start leaking.
3.1. What Causes Your Water to Break?
Doctors and healthcare professionals donโt quite know the reason behind it. However, it is believed that it might happen due to the signaling coming from the babyโs brain or the motherโs hormones, which may lead to the water break.
4. Can Your Water Break Without Being Dilated Early?
Your water can break earlier in your pregnancy before you reach your third trimester(full-term). This is called the Premature Rupture of the Membranes(PROM), it happens in 8% to 12% of pregnancies, and there are a few reasons that can contribute to ruptured membranes.ย
The possible causes for the early water break or the premature rupture of the membranes are mentioned below.
4.1. Underweight and Having Poor Nutritionย
Low body mass index and nutritional deficiencies of copper and ascorbic acid and other vitamins and minerals during pregnancy lead to early labour due to rupture of membranes or PROM.
4.2. Previous Preterm Birthsย
Previous preterm births, also known as preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes PPROM. Women with a last early preterm birth have a 25% risk for preterm birth in a subsequent gestation (pregnancy).ย
4.3. Inflammation and Infection
Yes, infection and inflammation can both cause water to break. Infection of the amniotic fluid, intra-amniotic infection, or the inflammation of the fetal membranes can lead to a higher risk of preterm premature rupture.
During an inflammation, inflammatory responses such as prostaglandins and other substances are secreted simultaneously, and their overproduction can cause uterine contractions.
Once the contractions start, you go into labour, contributing to untimely fetal expulsion and early birth(Before 37 weeks pregnant). Therefore, aberrant activation of the motherโs inflammatory response can be detrimental as it may cause premature labour.
4.4. Short Cervical Length
Having a short cervical length during pregnancy4 relates to the chance of you having a preterm(early or premature) birth of the baby due to a prelabour rupture of membranes. So, yes, the cervix length is one of the critical factors for early water break.
The size of the cervix must be equal to or more than 25mm (2.5cm) long; a cervix length less than that is considered short. The shorter the cervix, the higher the risk of water breaks and premature birth(earlier than 37 weeks pregnant).ย
4.5. Experiencing Vaginal Bleeding
Experiencing vaginal bleeding in the second and third trimesters is associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery.
Vaginal bleeding anytime during the nine months affects up to 25% of all pregnancies. Some adverse outcomes include low weight after the baby is born and miscarriage besides preterm delivery.
4.6. Smoking During Pregnancy
Smoking during pregnancy is one of the common and most significant risk factors for premature or preterm birth and early water break.
It is well-known that smoking affects fertility and causes the individual to become more infertile with its increased consumption. It is yet another fact suggested by medical professionals that smoking creates risks during pregnancy and delivery.
Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to deliver their babies early. Smoking also doubles the risk of abnormal bleeding while giving birth and puts the life of both the mother and the baby in danger.
Smoking is one of the reasons for babies born with birth defects like cleft lip. You should seek advice from your midwife or healthcare provider if your water breaks early or, if possible, go to the hospital.
5. What Happens After Your Water Has Broken?
If youโre in doubt about your labour and whether it has begun, consult your doctor or midwife. Your healthcare team can help you with your doubts after they do a physical exam.ย
Your water can break before or during labour begins. Once you suspect your water has broken, make a note of the time and contact your healthcare provider, contractions typically start after water breaks.
If itโs time to go to the hospital, have all your essentials, such as a sanitary pad and medical history records, packed along with your birth plan.
In some cases, when your water doesnโt break, your healthcare provider may need to intervene to help induce labour.
Healthcare providers do this by rupturing the amniotic sac during a vaginal exam to avoid delayed delivery by a procedure known as amniotomy. You will experience more and more fluid gushing.
As your cervix prepares for your labour, you will lose the mucus plug, which prevents bacteria or infection from entering your uterus and reaching the baby. Your pain receptors are triggered, and you will experience contractions followed by pain.
6. Bottom Lineย ย
Your water can break due to a lot of reasons, some can be natural and normal, while few are of health concerns to both the baby and mother, but it is crucial that whatever the reason may be, it is taken good care of.
It is essential to remember that every pregnancy is a unique and beautiful experience. No matter how the water breaks, it signals that your baby is ready to come into the world and meet you.
So, do not panic. Take a deep breath, contact your healthcare provider or national health service once your labour starts, and welcome your little one. Stay safe and healthy!
- Tal, Reshef, and Hugh S. Taylor. โEndocrinology of pregnancy.โย Endotext [Internet]ย (2021). โฉ๏ธ
- Goer, Henci. โWhen Your Water Breaks Before Labor Begins.โ โฉ๏ธ
- Modena, Alberto Bacchi, and Stefania Fieni. โAmniotic fluid dynamics.โย Acta bio-medica: Atenei Parmensisย 75 (2004): 11-13. โฉ๏ธ
- Suhag, Anju, and Vincenzo Berghella. โShort cervical length dilemma.โย Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinicsย 42.2 (2015): 241-254. โฉ๏ธ
Last Updated on by Namrata
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