# Any signs before water breaks?



## BellyBean (Dec 1, 2008)

I know only about 20% of pregnant women have their water break on their own. Is it a complete surprise when it happens, or are there any "warning signs"??? Just curious if I might *see* it coming.


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## MissMommyNiceNice (May 1, 2007)

Mine broke at 5:30 in the morning. I thought maybe I peed the bed, went to go pee, changed my underwear, went back to bed. Then I decided that was really a contraction a few minutes later and went back to the bathroom and used the litmus paper the mw gave me to make sure it was amniotic fluid and not pee. So, no, I guess to answer your question, I didn't find any real indication that it was going to happen. And it wasn't like a lot. Like I sneezed too hard when I had to pee really bad...that was about the extent of the liquid...


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## SunShineSally (Jan 18, 2005)

I was wondering the same thing with my Ds my waters broke after he came out! I keep feeling like this boy will fall out of me and that if I walk to much I feel like I will





















ummm........pee my pants





















so I was wondering if those were signs or if there are really no signs at all!!!


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## at_the_hip (Jan 12, 2008)

I've had it go both ways...my first dd I had a major gush...but I did hear/feel a little POP first!

The next two births my water didn't break until I was in transition.

#4, my water was leaking slowly the day prior to labor. I would have tiny little gushes but nothing major. When it finally did break the rest of the way in active labor, all of the membranes came out with it...very strange!


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## clicksab (Oct 15, 2006)

At the time I was completely shocked! Especially since I was 36 weeks. But looking back, there were definitely signs that I was going to give birth soon. The night before, I was on the phone with my mom and I remember complaining that I felt really different and gross...like I was starting my period. Y'know, back pains and feeling kind of crampy. My mom even commented "hmm, well...you know, you were a preemie! Maybe you're going to have her soon." I, of course, thought she was crazy.


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## jenfl (Oct 20, 2007)

I woke up in the middle of the night to check on our sick cat, went back to bed, started to drift out, and felt/heard a POP. No warning!


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## henny penny (Mar 26, 2008)

No warning. I wasn't sleeping well, went to the couch at about 5am, laying there felt a distinct PIP! sensation, went right to the bathroom and gushed water. Thus began my labor!


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## eloise24 (Nov 17, 2005)

Looking back, I had pretty good "bowel cleansing" for the two days before my labor started with water breaking and I took more naps than usual. Otherwise, nothing that was definite!


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## Everrgreen (Feb 27, 2007)

Complete surprise, no warning signs. Even in hindsight I can't think of anything. Maybe nesting, but that could have just been a coincidence. I was only 36 weeks so I wasn't expecting to go into labour any time soon. It happened in the early afternoon and was just a trickling. I thought maybe I had let a bit of pee go. The trickling got heavier and more frequent until finally my first contraction came (about 10 hours later).


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## wendimarie (Jul 5, 2005)

With DS, I was asleep, woke up, immediately heard a pop and made a mad dash to the toilet. Not sure what caused me to wake up. Oh and I wasn't in labor yet and my water breaking didn't get labor to start. I was 42 weeks.

With DD, I had already started losing my mucus plus a few hours before. I was having regular contractions 3-5 minutes apart. I had the same pop sound and then my water broke. My daughter was born 46 hours after my water broke (HBAC).


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## sunshadow (May 17, 2009)

No warning for me either. My brother had just called that day (well day before actually) asking if baby had come yet. I laughed and said, 'gawd no. I have at least three weeks to go.' Then that night while sound asleep I woke up at 1am because my water broke. It broke in a massive way. But, no I had absolutely no indication. Actually, I guess looking back that week I was having maybe one mild braxton hicks contractions a day, but I didn't even realize that was what that was. I hadn't had them at all before that. So, maybe that was the warning.


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## Kidzaplenty (Jun 17, 2006)

No warning.


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## Elecampane (Mar 12, 2008)

No warning. I woke up to pee and was half asleep. Walked back into the bedroom and realized something was leaking. No contractions or anything.


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## Inspired007 (Aug 25, 2006)

I didn't have any significant warning. My water broke with dd as I was laying in bed full from a large meal. I felt the baby kick and wondered if I felt a pop. I sat up on my arms and knees and didn't feel any diff so I went to the bathroom. As soon as I sat down on the toilet, a gush of water flowed out. I knew it was my water b/c I hadn't yet released my muscles to pee.

I wiped it up, put on a pad, and went back to bed, all while it still gushed. It was an amazing moment and I began shaking from the anxiousness and excitement of my pending birth. I really hope my water breaks this time too. It's an easy way to know for sure if you're really in labor or not.


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## ~Charlie's~Angel~ (Mar 17, 2008)

I knew I was dialted to about 4. I was in a supermarket, bending down to pick up a loaf of italian bread that MIL had asked I pick up if I could. We were supposed to be all meeting at the ILs for BIL birthday. When I bent down, I felt this little pop in my lower back region. I didnt think much of it, since my back pops all the time. But still, i put the bread back down and stood up straight. Thats when I felt the WHOOSH and clamped my legs closed. I stood there for about 30 seconds, not sure what the HELL to do! I turned and started inching my way towards the door, trying hard not to unclamp my legs (that was an instinct I had without thinking much about it) A woman behind the service desk must have seen the look on my face, and asked me if I was ok (I was HUGE) to which I gave her a very resounding NOOOOO. I wasnt in pain yet, just totally caught off gaurd and unprepared. I was two weeks early! The contractions started until about 20 minutes later, and my son was born about 5 1/2 hours later. My second labor came very differently and gradually, but my first was TOTALLY a surprise, with pretty much no warning that I could see, even now looking back. Not even BH!


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## mom-to-jj (Sep 8, 2008)

My water breaking was a complete surprise. I was 40+1, not dilated at all, and my OB was sure she'd end up inducing him. I was at an all-church work day and had just told someone that I felt totally fine and normal in every way. I'd been squatting to scrub some baseboards, and then a few minutes later I reached up to clean a ceiling vent when I suddenly felt a small gush. I hurried to the bathroom, and as soon as I sat down a really big gush came out.

No warning at all, no premonition, no crampiness, no popping sound. I am totally paranoid of it happening again in public, even though I did like knowing for sure that it was the start of labor.


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## NCmama (Jun 21, 2005)

Laying in bed at 7am, felt a wave go down my abd. then a pop. I didn't move and when my husband came in I told him I needed a towel because I think when I stand there's going to be a mess! Sure enough as soon as I stood it was a huge gush that never stopped. I am still amazed at ALL THAT FLUID! Now I am paranoid it will happen in public. I can't imagine being that poor woman in the grocery store!! LOL!!!


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## Lousli (Nov 4, 2003)

No warning either time. With my first, I was 36 weeks and was just laying down in bed. I felt and heard a pop (my husband heard it too, he was sitting at the foot of the bed) and when I stood up, it gushed. There hadn't been any other indications.

The second time around I was in the hospital because of some complications and I went to the bathroom. When I climbed back into my bed I felt that exact same popping sensation and I immediately told the nurse that I thought my water had broken. My daughter was born 5 hours later.


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## Gray's Mommy (Jul 8, 2005)

Both of my labors started with my waters breaking...once at home vacumming and the other time I was in bed. I heard a pop & then the small gush of fluid.

I expect it to be similar this time around too, but you never know.


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## jacie87 (Jan 17, 2009)

I didn't have any warning. I was making the bed and suddenly felt a gush of liquid come out. I kind of just stopped what I was doing and stood there for a while. It wasn't very much but a second gush came a few minutes later and that's when I was like "I think my water just broke." I put a pad on and went about my day. I didn't start having contractions until about 6 hours later and the liquid never got to be so much that it affected the dryness of my pants.


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## gentlestrengths (Feb 11, 2005)

As an aside - you can take extra vitamin C while pregnant to help make your amniotic sac strong so that it doesn't break until you're well into labor. =)

Just make sure you're not taking more than 1000mg in your first trimester. Amounts higher (much higher) can cause miscarriage. You can also eat foods high in vitamin C of course. I always supplement with a 1000mg Ester-C vitamin just for the "insurance". I don't know if it works for everyone, but for me personally, my water has only broken in late labor each time. It is more ideal because the there is a better chance your baby's head is well applied to the cervix and lessons the chance of cord prolapse (cord getting in the way of the head, or coming through the cervix altogether). It also protects the baby and you from infection the longer your water is intact, as well as helps contractions be more evenly applied to the cervix, and also lessons the intensity of the contractions because the babe's hard head has a cushion of water between it and your cervix.


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## mamakaikai (Apr 17, 2009)

No warning. My water broke in the morning after I was out of the shower going about my usual morning routine. No warning pops of any kind for me. No previous contractions or feeling premenstrual or anything. Just a constant trickle of fluid.


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

My water broke as I entered transition. So, yeah, I knew it was happening sooner or later.

I was laboring in bed when I had an urge to get on the toilet right away. I sat down on the toilet and had what seemed like a pretty big gush.


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## NekeT (May 9, 2009)

My water broke as I was pushing (my midwife is pretty hands off). It broke, and 10 minutes later DD was here. So, aside from 11 hours of labor, no warning for me either.


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## isign (Jan 17, 2008)

#1 I never heard/felt anything. I had contrax off and on all day, and then I thought I kept wetting myself. I put on white panties - it was the middle of the night, and my weird logic said that if it was pee, it'd be yellow. It was just a small leak, but enough to make L&D at the hospital say I couldn't go home. Contrax never started - got pit.

#2 I was severely nesting, or freaking out that DD wouldn't have a bed, long story. DH had just put the arm up on the bed & said done, when I stepped over the baby gate and felt a pop. That was 2ish, and again, no contrax till the pit was started.


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## Lilcrunchie (Jun 16, 2004)

I never had bloody show or loss of mucus plug until I was in full blown labor with each of my other 2 pgcies.

With DS (my first), I was in bed and relaxing on a Saturday morning. Our plan for the day was to do a LOT of walking indoors (it was February in the northeast and the sidewalks, etc. were icy) as that always got me contracting. We didn't get that far LOL. I was in bed, felt a small trickle. Stood up, and there was a pretty good gush of fluid. We had pergo in our bedroom and it was slippery...I almost fell







Contractions were immediately 5 mins apart and my midwives had me come into the hospital as I had a 45 minute drive and was already 3 cm dilated a week prior. DS was born about 6 hours after my water broke.

With DD my labor was about 3 hours total, and my water stayed in tact the entire time.

With DS's birth, the only clue I had looking back was that 2 nights before my water broke, I had a lot of hotflashes, etc. overnight. Nightsweats, some nausea, etc. DH had grilled a pork loin that evening and I kept telling him I had trichinosis because he didn't cook the poor well enough or something (we rarely eat pork). Poor DH







I think that was a big hormonal shift. The night before I actually went into labor I felt fine. And I had way more contractions 2-3 weeks before I went into full blown active labor than in the week prior. And those "early" contractions were dilating me...and oddly were more uncomfortable (felt them in my back) than my contractions in active labor.


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## triscuitsmom (Jan 11, 2007)

No warning... was just on my way out the door and said to DH I was going to go pee one last time before leaving (like I always always did because I was almost 38 weeks and he was right on my bladder







)

And all of a sudden it was everywhere







DH asked me if I was sure







To be fair to him so did my midwife... noone (myself included) seriously believed I'd go before my due date as I went to 43 weeks the first time (and ftr my water broke in labour that time). Actually two people did lol... my backup midwife told me at my 37 week appointment not to bother making appointments for 39 and 40 weeks (I did anyway). I figured she was just being crazy















And one of my best friends picked the day my water broke as the day I'd have him









Water broke at 37 weeks, 6 days and there was very definitely NO warning.


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## sanguine_speed (May 25, 2005)

Mine ruptured at 3:30am while I was sleeping. I must have felt it because I woke up right away. I stood up and there was a giant gush (it was also gushing in bed).


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## beckyand3littlemonsters (Sep 16, 2006)

it was only with my ds cameron that my waters broke before labour my other 3 it was when i was pushing. the only sign if thats really what it would be counted was a sharp pain below my bump just a couple of minuites before my waters broke.


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## MamaMelis (Oct 23, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wendimarie* 
With DS, I was asleep, woke up, immediately heard a pop and made a mad dash to the toilet. Not sure what caused me to wake up. Oh and I wasn't in labor yet and my water breaking didn't get labor to start. .

This is exactly how it was for me! No warning signs at all.


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## Channelle (May 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NCmama* 
Laying in bed at 7am, felt a wave go down my abd. then a pop. I didn't move and when my husband came in I told him I needed a towel because I think when I stand there's going to be a mess! Sure enough as soon as I stood it was a huge gush that never stopped. I am still amazed at ALL THAT FLUID! Now I am paranoid it will happen in public. I can't imagine being that poor woman in the grocery store!! LOL!!!


Lol, that was my friend! Her water broke in the frozen foods section, she said it was a HUGE gush!

The lady at my childbirth classes told us (jokingly) that they recommend pregnant women carry a jar of pickles with them at all time, and if their water breaks in public, throw down the jar and waddle away!


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## brackin (Sep 19, 2005)

Not sure if this was a warning or not, but in hindsight, it makes sense. About 6 hours before my water broke (with a trickle and then a HUGE gush), I was walking 3 miles. About 2 miles into it, I felt crampy, then such intense referred pain in my upper thigh that I had to stop and catch my breath for a few minutes. I think that that shift in DS's position precipitated my water breaking a few hours later.


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## Ashes (Aug 17, 2009)

No warning for me, except that I was already having contractions ( which I think is the norm? ) and I had been in labour at home for around 24 hours already. ( Had a 42 hour labour! ) My mother said with both her babies, her water broke ahead of time so I had a feeling mine would too. I was laying down on my bed with a towel underneath and sure enough, I felt a strong contraction ( as the rest ), and it came gushing out. It doesn't stop! It keeps going and going....

I didn't hear a pop as others have experienced.
I still gave birth 24 hours after this with an emergency c-section due to malpresentation.


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## klocke (Apr 14, 2008)

I only had my water break before labor with my third and it was completely unexpected. I was laying up against my DH on the couch watch the evening news so I was kinda inclined back. Anyway I heard a popping noise and looked up at my my DH and said, "I think my water just broke get me a towel now" I didn't move at all until my DH get me a towel because I didn't want all that fluid all over my couch, LOL. Anyway as soon as I sat up it just went all over the towel and didn't stop until after my son was born. My contractions didn't start until about 3 hours after my water breaking. I walked around my block with baggie pants and a dish towel folded up in my underwear because so much fluid kept coming out. Luckily you couldn't tell because it was dark and the sweats were big but in retrospect how silly!


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## Lilcrunchie (Jun 16, 2004)

No warning. I did have nausea and hot flashes 2 nights before I went into labor, but no obvious loss of plug or bloody show until I was in active labor.

In terms of water breaking, I woke up around 8 am one morning and was relaxing in bed. Felt a little trickle. Stood up and it really let loose. Our Pergo flooring in our bedroom became very slippery and I almost wiped out







I couldn't contain it with a pad or anything after a few mins. I sat on a shower curtain in the car for the 40 min drive to the hospital we were delivering at. Anyway, my water broke and my contractions were immediately 5 mins apart. My midwives had me come to the hospital right away as I was already 3 cm and 80% effaced a few days before that, and I had a longish ride to the hospital. DS was born 6h20min after my water broke.

With my 2nd pregnancy, my water didn't break until sometime during pushing.


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## JorgieGirl (May 13, 2006)

No warning. I did hear a pop and feel that immense gush of water, but I'd hardly consider a pop any kind of warning. lol. Luckily, I had a towel nearby and shoved it between my legs.

Contrax started 30min later.


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## pampered_mom (Mar 27, 2006)

With dd it was totally SROM, in the birthtub and when I was in transition. I actually didn't even really know that it had happened (since I was already sitting in the water). Looking back on it I remember feeling a "pop" almost like there was this release of pressure. I didn't even really key into it until dh asked the mw when it would happen and she said I'd know.

It was only at that point that I was even able to key into what had likely happened and my mw agreed given that there was then some little bits of vernix floating in the water (my goodness was dd covered in vernix).


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## Dee-Groovy (Nov 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NCmama* 
I am still amazed at ALL THAT FLUID! Now I am paranoid it will happen in public.

LOL same here! No warning for me either. At 3:30am I got up to pee and it never stopped. I couldn't believe how much there was. As I was riding to the hospital later I saw the small thin towel I had stashed in the car in case my water broke and laughed about its inadequacy! Silly first time mom!

I hope my water doesn't break this time because I've read that its associated with malpresentation.


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## Koalamom (Dec 27, 2007)

With dd, I had loads of BH and then went into labor. My water broke when I was pushing her out.

With ds, I had loads of BH, that were really strong, and then my water broke in several mini bursts over several hour period. I did know I was going to have my baby that day anyway even though it was almost 3 weeks early. My dh is Native American from the bird clan and as tradtition, we were going to name the baby after a bird. The name chosen was the crow. That morning a flock of crows came to my bedroom window and shouted at me to wake me up. My water broke by 5 the afternoon. I just knew it was coming.


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