Here is what water loss looks like

The amniotic fluid bathes the baby for 9 months in a gentle warmth specific to the gestation of the very small mammal. It is made up of a 99% mixture of water and electrolytes and its volume varies during pregnancy: 20 ml at the start of pregnancy, peak at 1000 ml at the 34th week and 800 ml at term. The bag of waters is a totally sterile environment

We wanted to know the different ways in which this pocket can rupture, or not, and especially how moms have experienced it. Following a call for testimonials that we launched, many of you responded. Here is a small anthology of your stories.

When the rupture of the bag of waters announces the start of childbirth

The bag of waters, once its role of nest and power cable has been accomplished, becomes, for some, a convenient alert signal that labor has begun:

“For my first pregnancy, my water broke in the morning at 4:40 am. This was followed by big contractions and less than an hour later baby was there” Mélanie

“For my second and last pregnancy (for the moment) I had to go to the WC before going to a supermarket to take a picture with Santa Claus for my eldest and when I got up… oops I sat down straight away ...uh what was that? I ask my son to bring me my cell phone to warn the dad. I sat on the toilet until my mother arrived to babysit my son. Still no contractions. Arrived at the maternity ward in the early afternoon, the contractions became intense immediately and the baby was born at 5 p.m. mandy

“Woke up around 5 a.m. by a desire to go to the bathroom, I go. I go back to bed but it still leaks. At first I thought I was peeing on myself. I get up and it's still flowing, so I understood... my water was breaking. It was leaking it was leaking... I had to put on a towel and walk around the house with it. I called the maternity ward, they told me to take a shower and come quietly.” Leatitia

Sometimes the loss of water, i.e. the bag that ruptures, has even been heard or felt as a bursting by the body:

“For both of my pregnancies my water broke without having any contractions. For my second I even heard the pouch tear in my belly.” Is she

“For my last delivery, which dates from March 14, 2018, my water broke at home on March 13 at 8 p.m. after feeling a rather pungent contraction. I really felt like something dropping (even bursting) then hot water between my legs. I was sitting on my bed and immediately got up and water continued to drip onto the floor. The contractions started right after. At first light, around midnight they became unbearable. My daughter, Romy was born without an epidural at 3:42 a.m. on March 14, 2018.” Eloise

If we can think that the loss of water is intrinsically and necessarily prior to childbirth, this is not the case for all of them and some have had many children before knowing this phenomenon, others still do not. have ever known:

How to Treat Sexually Transmitted Diseases During Pregnancy wikiHow: How to Treat Sexually Transmitted Diseases ... http:/ /t.co/lC1RV8P0

— Dan Ibbetson Wed Nov 09 17:40:00 +0000 2011

“Mom of 7 children, my water broke just for my seventh and last childbirth. Before the installation of the epidural I get up to sit down and there I feel something flowing. Not knowing what it was, it was the midwife who said to me: “Bah, your water is breaking!” I finally got to know what it was... a lot of emotions because on top of that it was my first daughter.” Anita

“My water didn’t break for both of my deliveries and I never understood why.” Karine

Break of water: when mothers-to-be need a helping hand

Some mothers never experience this famous “breaking of water”. Labor starts spontaneously without the pocket being pierced. On the other hand, if it does not progress sufficiently and the delivery is delayed, the maternity staff will proceed to an artificial rupture of the pocket, which is also called amniotomy. A procedure that expectant mothers dread but which is actually not painful at all. During a vaginal examination, the midwife will use a membrane piercing device to allow the fluid to drain out. Following the maneuver, the contractions will then intensify.

However, health professionals disagree on the usefulness of this artificial rupture. The HAS (Haute Autorité de Santé) specifies, for example, in its recommendations that an amniotomy performed at the start of labor has no impact on the duration of childbirth and is therefore not desirable. The HAS adds, however, that it can be practiced “in the active phase of labor if the dilation rate is less than 1cm/4h between 5 and 7 cm.”

Among the mothers who agreed to testify, many have suffered an artificial rupture of the water bag:

“Start of contraction at 2am. Arrival at the maternity ward at 6 a.m. without having lost the pocket. Finally they pierced it to me at 9 centimeters.” Olivia

“I gave birth 4 days late, the first membrane was pierced on September 25 at 2am and we had to pierce the second at 4am. A beautiful little girl weighing 3 kg 9 was born at 1:40 p.m. by the name of Romane. When your water breaks it's a strange sensation as if you were peeing but without knowing how to stop” Mazarine

These testimonies clearly show the variability of the loss of water, in the same way that each woman is different, the expulsion of amniotic fluid depends on each one... without really knowing why. If 10% of women whose water breaks do not go into labor immediately, 80% of women who have lost their water began to give birth within 24 hours. Sometimes the rupture of the water bag occurs too early in pregnancy and can lead to premature delivery. To delay childbirth as much as possible, hospitalization is necessary.

In any case, this liquid encompassed by two membranes and padlocked by the cervix, is the first protector of your child, before yourself. It is he who allows the fetus to be completely protected from germs and other dangerous little things for a little one who lives in this privileged space that is your belly. This is why the loss of water must sound the tocsin of departure for the hospital: even if you are not necessarily going to give birth in the second, the baby is no longer safe from any external infection.

Finally, amniotic fluid is distinguished from urine or losses by several characteristics: first it is colorless and odorless, it is hot and above all it is liquid, as its nickname indicates. some water.

Premature rupture of the bag of waters: what are the risks?

Sometimes the rupture of the bag of waters occurs too early in pregnancy. Before the 37th week of pregnancy, there is both a risk of premature birth but also of infection of the fetus. The course of action will depend on the term of the pregnancy. Before 33 weeks, the baby runs a real risk and hospitalization in a level 3 maternity hospital is necessary in order to accelerate the maturation of the lungs by injections of corticosteroids. Beyond that, the baby can normally breathe on its own, but the mother-to-be will still have to be cared for in a maternity ward with a neonatology service and placed on antibiotic therapy.

What about the mucous plug then?

It often happens that expectant mothers confuse the loss of the mucous plug, whose role is to close the cervix, with the rupture of the sac of the cervix. waters. It can easily be mistaken for vaginal discharge and its texture is very variable, sometimes mucous and tinged with blood. The loss of the mucous plug does not mean that delivery is imminent and does not expose the fetus to the same risk of infection. On the other hand, if it occurs at the end of pregnancy and is accompanied by regular contractions, take the road to motherhood without delay!