A spontaneous rupture in the amniotic sac during labor is commonly known as water breaking. During pregnancy the fetus is covered by a membrane full of fluid called amniotic fluid and the “bag” protecting the baby is called the amniotic sac. Water breaking or the spontaneous tearing of the amniotic sac, is a clear indication that the baby is ready to come into this world. It happens most often when the woman is already in labor; however, it sometimes happens before she can go into labor.
Signs of your water breaking during pregnancy are feeling of either a lot of water gushing out or constant flow of water. However, sometimes women tend to mistake urine for a sign of water breaking in pregnancy. Similarly some expectant mothers confuse excessive vaginal discharge with breaking of water, especially if the mother is ready for childbirth.
On the other hand, warning signs of water breaking may mistakenly be interpreted as urine or vaginal fluids.
Early signs of water breaking are very rare as this spontaneous rupture of the amniotic sac takes place when the mother to be is already in labor. Only in a few cases does the water break before labor starts and in this case, it is a sign that the mother should prepare herself for delivery.
The moment the amniotic sac tears, the baby is unprotected from bacteria and germs. In normal cases the labor has already begun. However in cases where the labor starts much later than the breaking of water, the chances that the baby and the expectant mother will be exposed to infection are higher. Therefore in case of a full-term pregnancy if the onset of labor is delayed, the doctor will induce the labor. In case of a premature labor, the mother needs to hospitalized and monitored closely till she delivers her baby.
Whatever be the situation, if the woman has the slightest doubt about water breaking, she must contact her healthcare provider immediately. The doctor will test the fluid that has flown out of the vagina to determine whether it actually is amniotic fluid or not. In extremely rare cases there are no signs of water breaking in pregnancy even after the mother to-be is well into her labor. In such cases the doctor performs an amniotomy to artificially tear open the amniotic sac. Although the procedure is not painful, almost the same sensation as that of natural water breaking is experienced. It is very important for the mother to be relaxed at this stage of pregnancy.
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