As you are nearing the end of the pregnancy you probably wonder what causes your water to break and how it will happen. Once the water brakes, the labor has started, the contractions will appear soon and the baby is on its way.
What Makes Your Water Break When You Are Pregnant?
The role of the amniotic fluid is to protect your baby during pregnancy, as it grows surrounded by this fluid inside of the amniotic sac. The amniotic fluid starts to create after the second week of pregnancy. It plays the role of a cushion for the baby during its development inside of the uterus. However, leakage of amniotic fluid in small amounts is considered normal during pregnancy.
Your body knows when there is the time for your water to break and for the labor to start. It is something totally normal and it triggers a serious of events that will finally cause the rupture of the membranes, releasing the amniotic fluid and starting of the labor.
Usually as the time of labor approaches, the baby moves naturally toward the birth canal pressuring against your pelvis, making the water to break. When the water breaks the woman feels a rush of warm liquid, due to the pressure of your baby that has caused your water to break.
What Happens If Your Water Breaks Too Early?
Keep in mind, than sometimes the water can break before it is the time for the baby to be delivers. In cases when the water to break happens before the 34th week of pregnancy, immediate medical help is necessary as it is a serious condition for both the mother and the baby. Medications of corticoids are usually given to the pregnant women in order to help grow the baby’s lungs faster. The amount of amniotic fluid that remains inside of the amniotic sac is monitored closely and sometimes C-Section is performed in order to deliver the baby pre term. If the water brakes between the 34th and 37th week, the situation is less serious, as the baby is almost mature, even though the lungs are still behind in development when compared to other organs. However, the baby has a great chance to survive and immediate medical help is also necessary in this case to. When the water brakes after the 37th week of pregnancy it is considered that the labor has started. However, the time between the water brake and the delivery of the baby should not be longer than 24 hours as it can lead to complications (Read also: Assisted Birth).
What Causes the Water to Break before Time?
As mentioned before the water can break even before it’s the time of delivery. Some of the reasons for early water brakes include:
- Infections of the vagina (Read also: Vaginitis), cervix or uterus
- Infections of the bladder or/and kidneys
- Multiple baby pregnancy
- Stress
- Early activation of membrane enzymes, etc.
The amount of the amniotic fluid differs from one women to another. Some woman have just a little damp, while for other the amount of the discharge from the vagina could be significant for the water to break. In many cases, the water can break even at night during sleep. Shortly after the water brakes, the contractions will start, if they have not started already.