Signs your waters may be about to break

The membranes around the baby may rupture with a sudden gush or a slow, continuing leak. Fluid is often thin and watery, while urine and normal discharge can look or feel different; it is not always possible to tell at home. A feeling of pelvic pressure or contractions may occur, but the waters can break before labour starts. Leakage before the expected time can be associated with preterm labour and should be assessed promptly.

Put on a clean maternity pad and note the colour, smell, amount, and time of the fluid. Do not use a tampon or put anything in the vagina until you have received advice. Call your maternity unit or obstetric team, even if the leak is small or stops. Keep the pad available for assessment, and follow the instructions you are given about examination, bathing, sex, and monitoring contractions.

Seek urgent maternity care for green, brown, or bloody fluid, fever, feeling faint or unwell, severe abdominal pain, regular contractions, or reduced baby movements. If you are earlier in pregnancy and have a watery leak, do not wait for labour symptoms. A suspected rupture of membranes needs professional assessment because infection and early birth require timely decisions.

Ask how the fluid will be checked, what warning signs to watch for, and when to return if the leak continues. Share your gestational age, the fluid’s colour and smell, your contraction pattern, and any change in fetal movement.