# My water has never broken and I've never seen the mucous plug...why?



## Salihah (Dec 14, 2003)

Hi everyone! I've had three babies and am pregnant with my fourth, due anytime. I am wondering if any other moms or a midwife can help me with this question.

With none of my pregnancies has my water naturally broken. With the last birth (natural with a midwife) I was 5 cm dialated a week before labor started. Once I was in full-blown labor and nearing 10 cm, the midwife finally just broke my water.

Now I am preg. with #4 and wondering after 3 other births and my water never breaking on its own, will it this time? Is there a reason why it doesn't for some women?

Also, I've never seen my mucous plug. I have no idea what it looks like or when I've lost mine with my past babies. This past week I have had so much mucous discharge, clear or opaque white...a lot today. My midwife wasn't concerned about it. Is this normal to have when you're due soon? How would I know if I was loosing my plug?

Sorry to be so clueless, especially on #4, but since I've never experienced those things, its new to me!

Thank you!


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## Hayes (Nov 20, 2001)

I have always had my water break at the beginning of labor. I have never seen my mucous plug! Every mama and every birth are different. I am due with #4 as well!


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## doctorjen (May 29, 2003)

1. Water breaking - most of the time your water will break somewhere in labor - for many women it is late in labor or while pushing. Occasionally the bag will remain intact until the baby is delivered and must be ruptured then so baby can breathe. There is no real reason that you have to have your water broken (unless, the baby is out!) I have attend quite a few women who told me "They always had to break my water" and I say "No they didn't have to, they just did. Invariably, these women had their water break somewhere along the way in labor during the birth I attended.
2. Mucus plug - not everyone notices a mucus plug. Sometimes it thins slowly over time and you simply have a mucusy discharge and never notice it. I've never seen a mucus plug of my own either, and I have 4 babies.


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## lorijds (Jun 6, 2002)

What doctorjen said.

I've never had a "plug" either.

A strong bag just typically means good nutrition, good vaginal flora, and good luck. It's nothing bad; it's great! What a nice cushion around the baby's head for pushing! Not to mention protecting her from potential infection.

We rarely break the bag of waters unless the head is out. I would say this happens in about 5-8% of our births, where the water breaks either the contraction before the birth, or we break it as the head is emerging.


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

I havent seen my plug either I have three and all hb's.

As for the bag it breaks 'right' before the baby is born for me.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Another here whose water broke LATE in pushing. I had a very long pushing stage and my water didn't break until she was almost out.

-Angela


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## shalena (May 31, 2004)

My water broke late in pushing , if I recall correctly, it was just a few pushes before he was out!


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## CarrieMF (Mar 7, 2004)

With my first 2 kids they broke my water. With my third it broke before I went into labour. With the 3rd I did not go into labour and they augmented it because of decelerations. With my first they broke it at 6cm because I was too stubborn to get out of bed and they figured it would speed up labour, I do not think it did and the dr almost lost his head because he did not tell me he was going to do it he just did it and it hurt ALOT. with my 2nd it was bulging at 8cm and the nurse broke it(without the amniohook). I am not sure what prompted her to other than I was in a hospital since I had gone from 4-8cm in 2hours and there was nothing wrong. She was born less than 45minutes later. My mom was similar. In her births where her water broke first she had to be augmented after 2-3 days of labour, but with her other 2 they never broke her water. It broke and baby came out within 1-2minutes.

I lost my plug all at once with my first. You would definitly know if you had. It is the biggest wad of snot you've ever seen. It was close to 2" all the way around. It was tan colored. With my 2nd I never saw it. With my 3rd I lost it in bits and pieces daily for 10 weeks, then after my water broke it was more and more and more and more mucous every time water came out every 5minutes or less for 18.5hours until they augmented and I was in bed. It was very gross. It was clear.


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## Salihah (Dec 14, 2003)

Thank you everyone for sharing, I guess I am not so unusual afterall!









I don't think my midwife would have broke it with my last baby, but I was nearing 10 cm and at the time I thought it would make the pressure I was feeling less intense if she did...LOL!

My baby is breech and although we understand he could still turn during labor we want to be prepared for a breech birth as well...lorijds and doctorjen, is it fine to just let be without breaking it in labor for breech babies as well? Is it perhaps better to not break it to help prevent possible pressure on the cord?

Thank you for all the help!


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## helene.p (Nov 1, 2004)

I've heard that it's advantageous to keep the bag of waters intact for as long as possible to protect the baby from any infection.

If that's the case, then I don't understand why it would be manually broken at all!!

Does anyone know what will keep it intact as long as possible?? I've heard that the less vaginal exams you have, the more chance it will stay intact. Also, the careprovider should not "sweep the membranes" during a vaginal.

helene


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## Artisan (Aug 24, 2002)

I had one birth where it broke early in labor, more like a trickle. (The gush followed after the baby was born.) With #2, they offered to break my water and I declined. It broke on its own when my body started involuntarily pushing. I started feeling more and more pressure (I was in the tub), felt a giant POP and then the "ohmygodIhavetopush" sensation. I have never seen my mucus plug either.

I am glad I declined the offer to rupture my membranes in my second labor. Right after the water broke, the MW could see there was some light meconium. There had been no fetal distress during labor, but if she had broken the bag and seen mec earlier on, there would have been a greater chance for infection, and more interventions throughout the labor.


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## Spark (Nov 21, 2001)

I've always heard that strong bag of water is a good indication of maternal health. So pat yourself on the back!









I always lost a fair amount of water during or before labor began, but then had enough to POP again during pushing. HTH!


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

Its a good thing you don't have early rupture of membranes, we have had several babies born in the caul i try to rupture the membranes as the shoulders emerge.
With preterm rupture of membranes there is a strong association with vaginal infections things like GBS, BV, mycoplasma to name a few.


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## mykidsmom4876 (Feb 1, 2005)

I've never seen my mucous plug either, I have always felt like I may have been missing out on something because I haven't, Now I don't feel so bad! I have three kids, and I am pregnant with my fourth due any day now! But with my first two kids, the doctor ruptured my membranes, with my last child, my daughter, I was trickling fluid most of the day, then once I went to the hospital realizing it must be time, my water gushed in the exam room. This time we'll see what happens, but I think my mucous plug may be leaking bit by bit now because it has gotten to where I need to wear panty liners. ( Hope that wan't too much info.!)


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## Quindin (Aug 22, 2003)

Another one who has never seen the mucus plug here!!

My water broke during labor with DS #2, but it was broken my with DD and DS#2


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## threeforme2005 (Sep 12, 2004)

Never seen a mucous plug and I'm on baby #3. I've also had my water broken twice in the hospital while pushing, so I'm with you there too. You are quite normal


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## Rainbow (Nov 19, 2001)

With my first my water broke literally *JUST* before the baby was born... I was pushing with water still intact. With my 2nd I leaked fluid all day, but the "big gush" also didn't happen until immediately before the birth.

It doesn't really need to be broken, it will break- at some point- when your body is ready for it.


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