If you didn't already head to the hospital when your water broke in the first phase, this is usually the time to head to the hospital. Although it is the shortest phase, the transition phase is the most challenging. Transition typically lasts 30 minutes to 2 hours as your cervix fully dilates from 8 cm to 10 cm.
If the gush is a one-time event it's probably urine or vaginal discharge. If you continue to feed fluid leaking it's more likely to be amniotic fluid. Put on clean, dry underwear, add a panty liner, and lie down for about 30 minutes.
Look out for these 10 signs of labor that tell you baby's on the way:
- Baby "drops"
- Cervix dilates.
- Cramps and increased back pain.
- Loose-feeling joints.
- Diarrhea.
- Weight gain stops.
- Fatigue and "nesting instinct"
- Vaginal discharge changes color and consistency.
As the countdown to birth begins, some signs that labor is 24 to 48 hours away can include low back pain, weight loss, diarrhea — and of course, your water breaking.
Contractions are the most common first sign of labor. Just before you go into labor, your cervix, the lower part of your uterus, will soften, thin out, and shorten. You may feel a little discomfort, maybe even a few light, irregular contractions.
Your baby moves less: Women often notice that their baby is less active the day before labor begins. No one is sure why. It may be that the baby is saving up energy for the birth. If you feel less movement, call your doctor or midwife, as sometimes decreased movement can mean that the baby is in trouble.
The signs of water breaking include feeling a slow leak or a sudden gush of water. Some women feel a slight pop, while others might feel fluid coming out in bursts as they change positions.
The sensation is different for everyone. For some, it's a slow trickle or a discharge feeling (you may think you've suddenly become incontinent!). For others, it's that Hollywood-style gush, like you just completely peed your pants. Still others hear a pop and feel pressure, then relief, once the bag breaks.
Is it pee or did my water break? Though many pregnant women leak urine, especially in the third trimester, a sniff will probably clue you in: If the fluid is yellowish and smells of ammonia, it's probably urine. If it doesn't smell (or smells sort of sweet), it's probably amniotic fluid.
Natural Ways to Induce Labor
- Exercise.
- Sex.
- Nipple stimulation.
- Acupuncture.
- Acupressure.
- Castor oil.
- Spicy foods.
- Red raspberry leaf tea.
Breathing during deliveryThe contractions squeeze the baby, moving it into position to exit the birth canal. The contractions also serve to push amniotic fluid out of the baby's lungs, preparing them to breathe. The seal between the baby and the outside breaks when the mother's water breaks.
Does your mucus plug come out before or after your water breaks? Usually before, though you can leak amniotic fluid through a tear — which doesn't necessarily mean you've lost your mucus plug yet, as it prevents bacteria from traveling up to baby, not water from leaking out.
One woman may go from having a closed cervix to giving birth in a matter of hours, while another is 1–2 cm dilated for days or weeks. Some women do not experience any dilation until they go into active labor. This means that the cervix is completely closed initially, but it widens to 10 cm as labor progresses.
Active labor usually lasts about 4 to 8 hours. It starts when your contractions are regular and your cervix has dilated to 6 centimeters. In active labor: Your contractions get stronger, longer and more painful.
The cervix must be 100 percent effaced and 10 centimeters dilated before a vaginal delivery. The first stage of labor and birth occurs when you begin to feel regular contractions, which cause the cervix to open (dilate) and soften, shorten and thin (effacement). This allows the baby to move into the birth canal.
Weeks 14–20Between weeks 13 and 20, the risk of experiencing a miscarriage is less than 1 percent. By week 20, a miscarriage is known as a stillbirth and may still cause a woman to go into labor.
After 23 weeks your baby does not need the amniotic fluid so much, so low levels of fluid may not be a problem in itself, but if the low levels are due to your waters breaking then there is a risk of infection. If you are under 24 weeks of pregnancy and the baby is born, sadly, it is unlikely the baby will survive.
Survival rateThe earliest a foetus can survive out of the womb is 22 weeks gestation (when there is a 0-10 per cent chance of survival). At 24 weeks a foetus is considered viable, meaning doctors will intervene as their organs are mature enough to give them a chance of surviving.
Normally your waters break shortly before or during labour. If your waters break before labour at less than 37 weeks of pregnancy, this is known as preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM). This can happen in up to 3 out of every 100 (3%) pregnant women.
Place a sanitary pad or panty liner in your underwear and examine the fluid that is on the pad after 30 minutes to an hour. If the fluid is yellow in color, it's likely urine. If it isn't, the fluid could be amniotic fluid.
Your twins may be born a little early. Doctors consider 37 weeks to be full-term for most twin pregnancies. The average length of pregnancy for twins is 36.4 weeks. Babies who are born between 32 weeks and 37 weeks generally do very well.
When they're almost ready to make an entrance or just at some point during labor, the bag pops or breaks — and amniotic fluid leaks out through the vagina. Typically, your water will break because your contractions or baby put pressure on it — like popping a balloon from the inside.
Babies born after only 20 to 22 weeks are so small and fragile that they usually do not survive. Their lungs, heart and brain are not ready for them to live outside the womb. Some babies born later than 22 weeks also have only a very small chance of surviving.
Vaginal dischargeThis discharge is totally normal and is just another change your body goes through in response to the pregnancy hormones and the increased blood flow to the area.
