Clear leakage during pregnancy

Vaginal discharge - NHS

You will always have some vaginal discharge starting a year or 2 before puberty and ending after the menopause.

How much discharge you have changes from time to time. It usually gets heavier just before your period. When you're pregnant, it's normal to have more discharge than before.

Healthy vaginal discharge is usually thin, clear or milky white, and should not smell unpleasant.

Non-urgent advice: Call your midwife if you have vaginal discharge and:

it smells unpleasant or strange
it is green or yellow
you feel itchy or sore around your vagina
you have pain when you pee

Any of these could be symptoms of a vaginal infection.

Urgent advice: Urgent

Contact your midwife or doctor immediately if you have any vaginal bleeding while you're pregnant.

Is it normal to have vaginal discharge in pregnancy?

Yes. It is normal to have more vaginal discharge in pregnancy. This helps prevent any infections travelling up from the vagina to the womb.

Towards the end of pregnancy, the amount of discharge increases further. In the last week or so of pregnancy, it may contain streaks of sticky, jelly-like pink mucus.

This is called a "show", and happens when the mucus that's been present in your cervix during pregnancy comes away.

It's a sign that the body is starting to prepare for birth. You may have a few small "shows" in the days before you go into labour.

Read more about the signs that labour has begun.

Thrush in pregnancy

Thrush is an infection that can cause unusual vaginal discharge. if you get thrush when you're pregnant, it can easily be treated - talk to your midwife or doctor.

Thrush can cause:

increased vaginal discharge which is usually white (like cottage cheese), and does not usually smell
itching and irritation around the vagina

Always talk to your doctor, pharmacist or midwife if you think you have thrush, as there are some thrush medicines you should not use while you're pregnant.

You can help prevent thrush by wearing loose cotton underwear. You may find it helps to avoid perfumed soap or perfumed bath products.

Find out more about vaginal discharge.

Page last reviewed: 31 March 2021
Next review due: 31 March 2024

Signs and what to do

Amniotic fluid is the liquid that surrounds a fetus in the womb. It has a range of functions, all of which relate to the development of the fetus.

The fetus and fluid stay in the amniotic sac, which usually breaks when a woman goes into labor. It can sometimes rupture early, which is called premature rupture of membranes (PROM).

In this article, learn about the signs that amniotic fluid is leaking, the common causes of PROM, and when to speak to a doctor.

Leaking amniotic fluid might feel like a gush of warm fluid or a slow trickle from the vagina. It will usually be clear and odorless but may sometimes contain traces of blood or mucus.

If the liquid is amniotic fluid, it is unlikely to stop leaking.

Signs that it is not amniotic fluid

The uterus sits on the bladder during pregnancy, so it is not uncommon for pregnant women to leak urine. If the discharge smells like urine, it probably is.

Women may also experience an increase in vaginal discharge during pregnancy. Normal discharge tends to have a mild smell and look milky.

Share on PinterestA person should consult a doctor if they suspect that they are leaking amniotic fluid.

If the fluid does not appear to be urine or discharge, it is best to speak to a doctor.

Women who also experience the following symptoms should seek medical attention too:

foul-smelling, brown or green discharge from the vagina
fever
the uterus feeling tender
rapid heart rate
a decrease or lack of increase in weight

While waiting for medical attention, a woman should not use tampons, have sex, or do anything else that might introduce bacteria into the vagina.

A doctor may take a sample of the fluid to determine whether it is amniotic fluid. They may also carry out tests to determine the cause of the leak.

These tests could include a vaginal exam to see if the cervix is dilating and the woman is in labor. An ultrasound can help doctors check how much fluid is surrounding the baby.

They may also perform a dye test, which involves introducing blue dye into the amniotic sac and asking the woman to wear a sanitary pad. If the dye shows up on the pad, this can indicate leaking amniotic fluid.

The amniotic sac ruptures when a woman goes into labor. People often refer to this as the water breaking.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, just one in 10 women will experience a “dramatic gush” of amniotic fluid. For most women, it is more likely to feel like a constant trickle.

Sometimes, the amniotic sac breaks or leaks before labor starts. If the amniotic sac breaks before the 37th week of pregnancy, doctors refer to it as preterm PROM.

Women who got pregnant less than 6 months after their last labor or are carrying more than one baby have a higher risk of PROM.

Other factors that can lead to PROM are:

contractions that put pressure on the amniotic sac, causing it to tear
the amniocentesis needle making a hole that takes too long to heal
cerclage, a procedure where doctors stitch the cervix closed until the baby is ready for delivery
a urinary tract infection (UTI) or sexually transmitted infection (STI)
medical conditions, such as lung disease and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
exposure to harmful substances, including tobacco, illicit drugs, and alcohol
too much or too little amniotic fluid
the placenta separating from the uterus

Share on PinterestRest may help treat the cause of a leak.

Treatment will depend on the cause of the leak, as well as the age, health, and development of the fetus.

A doctor may recommend bed rest, meaning that the woman should reduce her activities and rest for most of the day. They may also advise abstaining from sex.

If a woman has an infection, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics that are safe to take during pregnancy.

If the baby is ready to be born, doctors may choose to initiate labor using a drug called oxytocin. Alternatively, medications called tocolytics can help stop premature labor if it is too early for the birth to occur.

About 12 days into pregnancy, an amniotic sac forms around the growing fetus. Amniotic fluid fills the sac and has several purposes, including:

protecting and cushioning the fetus
keeping the fetus at a steady temperature
allowing the fetus to breathe in the fluid while the lungs grow and develop
helping the fetus’s digestive system grow and develop as they swallow the liquid
assisting the muscle and bone development of the fetus as they move around in the fluid
protecting the umbilical cord, which carries food and oxygen from the placenta to the fetus

The amniotic fluid comprises mainly water for the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. After that, it also contains nutrients, hormones, antibodies, and the baby’s urine.

The quantity of fluid in the amniotic sac tends to increase until around the 36th week of pregnancy when it starts to decrease. At its peak, there is about 1 quart of amniotic fluid inside the sac.

It is not unusual for women to experience more vaginal discharge than usual during pregnancy. Vaginal discharge will typically smell mild and appear milky. Women may also leak urine when they are pregnant.

A pregnant woman with a liquid other than urine or normal discharge coming from the vagina should visit the doctor. This is particularly true if the fluid is green, brown, or has a foul smell.

Leaking amniotic fluid will usually be clear and odorless and will continue to leak.

signs, danger of tests at home

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Leakage of amniotic fluid can occur when the bladder is damaged, which is very dangerous for the child and opens the gate to infections and pathogenic microflora.

If you suspect a leak of amniotic fluid, a woman should immediately consult a doctor. Do not hesitate, the successful outcome of pregnancy and the birth of a healthy child depend on it!

The Obstetrics and Gynecology Center of the International Medical Center ON CLINIC is open for you every day, including weekends and holidays.

Within our walls, the best specialists who constantly improve their skills in the most famous clinics in the world will take care of your well-being and the health of your baby.

Make an appointment or study to determine the leakage of amniotic fluid right now by calling us by phone or writing to us on the website.

Is it possible to independently detect leakage of amniotic fluid?

Leakage of amniotic fluid can only be diagnosed by a doctor, regardless of the gestational age.

As a rule, during the third trimester of pregnancy, normal physiological secretions become more abundant. This can lead a woman to the erroneous idea that amniotic fluid has begun to leak, although in fact everything is in order.

If the fetal bladder is damaged at the very beginning of pregnancy, water can leak barely noticeable, drop by drop. A woman may not pay attention to such a symptom, although in fact she needs the help of a doctor.

Conclusion: at any stage of pregnancy, leakage of amniotic fluid can be confused with normal discharge or with mild urinary incontinence, which can be observed before childbirth.

In order not to make a mistake and not risk your health and the health of your baby, if you suspect a leak, immediately make an appointment with a doctor. It is better to spend a few hours and make sure that everything is in order than to remain in the dark and bring the situation to the development of complications.

Signs of amniotic fluid leakage

Since with a small amount of discharge it is impossible to understand their nature, the obvious symptoms of amniotic fluid leakage include the outflow of fluid from the genitals when changing position and in motion. When the amniotic fluid ruptures (which occurs at the end of the third trimester during the normal course of pregnancy), the liquid is colorless and without any smell pours out very abundantly, flowing down the legs.

Determination of amniotic fluid leakage in ON CLINIC

The use of any tests to detect leakage of amniotic fluid is recommended only on the recommendation of a doctor. Special tampons and pads that change color when exposed to amniotic fluid may not always help in diagnosis, as they also change color in diseases such as cervicitis, vaginitis, bacterial vaginosis and others.

To determine amniotic fluid leakage, ON CLINIC uses an integrated approach that includes various research methods, including laboratory tests and ultrasound.

The high professionalism of our gynecologists guarantees effective medical care. The treatment regimen for identifying problems in the expectant mother is developed by the doctor individually. And this, of course, improves the quality of the therapy and gives a stable successful result.

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How does the water break in pregnant women before childbirth: sensations, signs, quantity

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What waters are leaving?
- Why does the water break in pregnant women?
- How much water is released?
- What color is the water in pregnant women?
- How much water do pregnant women leave?
- When does the water break - before contractions or after they start?
- What does it mean if the water broke, and the pregnant woman has no contractions, is this normal?

Everyone knows: if a woman's water breaks, it means that the nine-month pregnancy marathon has reached the finish line and very soon the newly-made mother will be able to press the baby to her breast for the first time. However, this process raises many questions even among multiparous, and especially among primiparous. Let's figure it all out.

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This question can be answered briefly: amniotic. In more detail, from the second week of intrauterine development, a fetal bladder forms around the embryo, which eventually occupies the entire volume of the uterus. It is filled with amniotic fluid, which is often called amniotic fluid. Thus, almost from the very moment of conception, the baby swims in an airtight bubble, which serves as an insurmountable barrier to most of the harmful substances and microorganisms that have entered the mother's blood.

When the time of birth comes, the membranes rupture, clearing the way for the baby to the big world. This is what the phrase “water breaks” means: in pregnant women, the fetal bladder bursts, and the amniotic fluid flows out of it. At the same time, the woman does not experience any special sensations.

How to understand that labor is starting? Read here.

Why do pregnant women break water?

Because membranes and amniotic fluid are no longer needed. They protected the baby throughout the pregnancy, but now their work is done. The fetal bladder is subject to natural aging, and its "lifetime" is adjusted so that its tissues become thinner and disperse just before childbirth.

How much water is released?

By the time of planned delivery, the baby occupies almost the entire space of the uterus, and there is little room for amniotic fluid. The total volume of amniotic fluid in the later stages is the same for primiparous and multiparous and usually ranges from half a liter to a liter. This is the maximum, but most likely, the amount of water that has broken will be less. Labor has already begun, which means that soon the cork will block the cervix - the baby's head will rest against it. Fully amniotic fluid will be able to flow out only when the doctors remove the baby into the world.

It also happens that the fetal bladder is not completely destroyed or does not break at all. In the first case, the baby is born with a part of the bladder (and amniotic fluid in it) put on the head and, sometimes, capturing the shoulders, upper body. In the second, doctors take a child from the mother in an "aquarium", inside which all the amniotic fluid is splashing to the last drop.

This amazing situation is described in books on obstetrics under the Latin name Caputgaleatum (translated into Russian - "head in a helmet") and occurs in one birth in 80 thousand, and the birth in "full armor" is more often noted in premature births. In the Middle Ages, this was considered a good sign, a sign that the child would be lucky all his life, and traces of these signs are still preserved in many languages. For example, to designate a lucky person, the Poles have the idiom "born in a cap", while the Italians and Russians - "born in a shirt. " And these popular expressions did not appear out of nowhere.

What color is the water in pregnant women?

Amniotic fluid is synthesized from maternal blood plasma and consists of water with a small amount of dissolved electrolytes, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Like any bathing area, it also contains some baby skin, hair, and urine. However, the amniotic fluid is still quite clean - it is updated every three hours.

Here is the answer to the question of what the departed water looks like in pregnant women: it is a clear liquid "without any special signs" - normally it has no aroma and color, except for a very slight yellowish tint. If the waters are tinted red, brown or green, if you smell a distinct unpleasant odor from them, be sure to tell your doctor!

How much water do pregnant women have?

In the movie, the membranes burst at the speed of a water balloon hidden in the clothes of an actress playing a pregnant woman. As a result, in feature films, amniotic fluid is poured out profusely and almost instantly. In life, this also happens, but it happens in a different way.

Sometimes the waters drain slowly, in a very small trickle or even in drops, and the process can proceed (in every sense of the word) for quite a long time and without any sensations. How to find out that in this case the waters of the pregnant woman have already broken? How long do you have to wait until they run out completely? Don't even ask such questions. If you observe that a clear liquid has begun to flow, and this does not stop, urgently call the doctor, then grab your "mom's suitcase" and go to the hospital.

How to overcome the fear of the first birth - read here.

When does the water break - before contractions or after they start?

Both options are possible. In both primiparous and recurrent births, any of these events is considered a sign of the onset of labor, and sometimes they occur at the same time. As soon as the amniotic fluid of the pregnant woman leaves, you need to urgently go to the hospital, even if there are no contractions yet. And vice versa: if contractions have begun, you should not wait for the water to break!

What, then, if the waters broke, and the pregnant woman has no contractions, is this normal?

In most cases, yes. This is just a feature of pregnancy, which occurs in both primiparous and multiparous, and contractions will not keep you waiting. However, in about 8% of births at term and in 30% of births before the 37th week, premature destruction of the membranes occurs, after which contractions do not begin even after a few hours. This is a rather risky situation for the baby, and it cannot be ignored. Starting from the 34th week, doctors usually decide to induce labor - now it is more dangerous for the child to stay in the mother's stomach than to be outside. At earlier terms, observation of the pregnant woman in the hospital and some procedures that reduce the risk of complications for the fetus are recommended.

Premature discharge can be profuse or slow, and often almost imperceptible, when the amniotic fluid leaks a little from a tiny hole in the sac, but even in the latter case it remains dangerous.