What makes waters break early

If you are asked to make a choice, you may have lots of questions that you want to ask. You may also want to talk over your options with your family or friends. It can help to write a list of the questions you want answered and take it to your appointment. To begin with, try to make sure you get the answers to 3 key questions , if you are asked to make a choice about your healthcare:. Three questions that patients can ask to improve the quality of information physicians give about treatment options: A cross-over trial.

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Toggle navigation. Home Patients Patient information leaflets When your waters break prematurely. If this happens, you have a higher chance of giving birth prematurely and there is an increased chance that both you and your baby may develop an infection that can make you both unwell.

You will be offered a course of antibiotics to reduce the risk of an infection developing and to help the pregnancy to continue.

If you are well with no signs of infection and your baby is growing well in your uterus womb , then it may be better to allow your pregnancy to continue until 37 weeks.

You will be monitored very closely for any signs of infection by your healthcare team, and your individual circumstances and preferences will be taken into account.

If you or your baby show any signs of infection or develop other complications, you may need to give birth to your baby straight away. Shared Decision Making If you are asked to make a choice, you may have lots of questions that you want to ask. Sometimes when fluid leaks out slowly, women mistake it for urine. If you notice fluid leaking, use a pad to absorb some of it. Look at it and smell it.

Amniotic fluid usually has no color and does not smell like urine it has a much sweeter smell. If you think your membranes have ruptured, call your health care provider right away. You will need to be checked as soon as possible. At the hospital, simple tests can confirm that your membranes have ruptured. Your provider will check your cervix to see if it has softened and is starting to dilate open up.

If your doctor finds that you have PROM, you will need to be in the hospital until your baby is born. If your pregnancy is past 37 weeks, your baby is ready to be born.

You will need to go into labor soon. The longer it takes for labor to start, the greater your chance of getting an infection. You can either wait for a short while until you go into labor on your own, or you can be induced get medicine to start labor.

Women who deliver within 24 hours after their water breaks are less likely to get an infection. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Healthy Lifestyle Labor and delivery, postpartum care. Products and services. Water breaking: Understand this sign of labor Water breaking worries? By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again.

Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Frequently asked questions. Labor, delivery, and postpartum care FAQ Labor induction. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Accessed May 2, Duff P. Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. Labor and delivery. National Health Service. Your doctor may wait for 48 hours or longer before inducing labor if you and your little one are otherwise healthy. What happens next depends on how far along you are:. You might have to be on bed rest or remain in the hospital for the best outcome. Your water will break and your labor will start or vice versa when your little one is good and ready.

This medical procedure is called an amniotomy. Medically breaking the water can help make contractions stronger. This can lead to injury to you or your baby or to an infection. You can try other more fun things that may help naturally bring on labor , like getting a massage or having sex. In some cases, it may seem more like a water leakage than a break. Here are a few ways to tell whether your water broke:. Your water can break before or during labor.

Rarely, other causes can make your water break too early.