Signs your water may be about to break

Amniotic fluid may feel warm and continue to leak when you change position, cough, or walk. It is often clear or pale, but fluid can be difficult to distinguish from urine or normal pregnancy discharge. Waters can break before contractions, during labour, or earlier than expected, so the timing of contractions does not confirm what is happening.

Note when the wetness began, its colour and smell, and whether it keeps coming. Use a sanitary pad rather than a tampon, and contact your maternity unit or obstetric team for instructions. Do not put anything into the vagina until you have been assessed.

Contact maternity care promptly for any suspected fluid leak. Seek urgent help if the fluid is green, brown, or bloody, or if you have fever, severe pain, regular contractions, reduced fetal movement, or feel unwell. A leak before term needs immediate assessment because it can be linked with preterm labour.

Could this fluid be amniotic fluid? How will you check it? Should I come in now, and what signs should make me return or call emergency services?