Labour and water breaking

The fluid may come as a sudden gush or a continuing trickle, and contractions may start before or after it. A small leak can be difficult to distinguish from urine or discharge. Your maternity team can assess the fluid and check your wellbeing, the baby's movements and the stage of pregnancy. The timing matters because water breaking before labour or before the expected time for birth may change the monitoring plan.

Call your maternity unit promptly and describe when the leakage began, its colour, smell and amount. Place a maternity pad in your underwear so the fluid can be observed; do not use a tampon or put products into the vagina. Follow instructions about attending assessment. Keep track of contractions and your baby's usual movements, and bring your maternity records if you go in.

Get urgent advice for green, brown, bloody or unpleasant-smelling fluid, fever, abdominal pain, reduced baby movements or contractions. Attend immediate assessment for heavy bleeding, severe illness or anything protruding from the vagina. If water breaking happens before the expected time for birth, call without waiting for labour; it can indicate preterm labour.

Ask how the rupture will be confirmed, how your baby will be monitored and which symptoms mean you should return urgently. Ask what to expect if contractions do not start and how to protect against infection while waiting for the next step.