We’ve all seen the film version of waters breaking.
There’s usually an enormous splash in the middle of a supermarket, restaurant or wedding. Everyone panics, someone shouts, “The baby’s coming!” and a few minutes later the baby is born.
Real life is usually much less dramatic.
For most people, their waters break during labour rather than before it begins. Even when they do break before contractions start, it does not usually mean the baby will arrive within minutes.
You may have hours before labour becomes established and sometimes labour does not begin naturally straight away.
Your waters may come as a noticeable gush but they can also feel like a slow trickle, repeated dampness or a small leak that is difficult to distinguish from urine.
Whatever it feels like, contact your midwife or maternity unit if you think your waters may have broken.
What Are My Waters?
During pregnancy, your baby grows inside a fluid-filled bag called the amniotic sac.
The fluid around your baby is called amniotic fluid. It cushions and protects your baby and allows them to move and develop.
When the sac opens, the fluid begins to drain through your vagina. This is what we mean when we say your waters have broken.
The medical term is rupture of membranes.
Some babies are born with all or part of the amniotic sac still around them. This is known as an en caul birth and is uncommon, often regarded in many cultures as good luck or a good omen.
What Does It Feel Like When Your Waters Break?
Everyone experiences this differently.
You may notice:
- a sudden gush of warm fluid
- a slow but steady trickle
- repeated dampness in your underwear
- fluid that continues to leak when you stand, walk or change position
- a sensation that feels a little like you have wet yourself.
Unlike urine, amniotic fluid is difficult to control by tightening your pelvic floor muscles.
However, it is not always easy to tell the difference, particularly because leaking urine is common towards the end of pregnancy.
If you are unsure, contact your maternity unit for advice. You are not wasting anyone’s time by asking.
What Colour Should the Fluid Be?
Amniotic fluid is usually:
- clear
- pale straw-coloured
- slightly pink or lightly bloodstained at first.
It may contain small white flecks of vernix, the creamy coating that protects your baby’s skin.
Contact your maternity unit urgently if the fluid is:
- green, yellow or brown
- heavily bloodstained
- unpleasant-smelling
- accompanied by fresh vaginal bleeding.
Green or brown fluid may mean your baby has passed their first poo, called meconium, before birth. This does not always mean there is a serious problem but you and your baby will need prompt assessment and closer monitoring.
What Should I Do if I Think My Waters Have Broken?
Put on a clean maternity or period pad (not a tampon) and contact your midwife or maternity triage unit.
Try to note:
- what time the leaking started
- whether it was a gush or a trickle
- the colour and smell of the fluid
- whether your baby is moving normally
- whether you are having contractions
- whether you feel well.
Your maternity team will ask you some questions and advise when and where you should be assessed.
Do not wait until contractions start before making contact, and do not wait until the next morning if it happens overnight.
Will I Need to Go Straight to Hospital?
That depends on your individual circumstances.
Your maternity team may ask you to attend immediately if:
- you are less than 37 weeks pregnant
- the fluid is green, brown, heavily bloodstained or smelly
- your baby is moving less than usual
- you have vaginal bleeding
- you have continuous abdominal pain
- you feel feverish, shivery or unwell
- your baby is breech or lying sideways
- you have been told your baby’s head is high or not engaged
- you have a low-lying placenta
- there are concerns about your baby’s growth
- you have Group B Strep and have been advised that antibiotics are needed during labour.
If you are at least 37 weeks pregnant, feel well, your baby is moving normally and the fluid is clear, you may initially be assessed by telephone before arrangements are made for a face-to-face check.
Follow the advice given by your own maternity unit.
How Will They Check Whether My Waters Have Broken?
Your midwife will ask about what happened and check how you and your baby are.
This may include:
- checking your temperature, pulse and blood pressure
- listening to or monitoring your baby’s heartbeat
- feeling your abdomen to check your baby’s position
- looking at the fluid on your pad.
If it is obvious that your waters have broken, an internal examination may not be necessary.
If it is uncertain, you may be offered a speculum examination. With your consent, a small sterile instrument is gently inserted into your vagina so the midwife or doctor can look for amniotic fluid around your cervix.
Digital vaginal examinations are usually avoided when your waters have broken but you are not in labour, unless there is a clear clinical reason because repeated examinations can increase the risk of infection.
What Happens if My Waters Break During Labour?
If you are already in labour and you and your baby are well, your care will usually continue as planned.
Your midwife will note:
- when your waters broke
- the colour of the fluid
- whether the fluid changes
- how your baby is coping.
You may notice that contractions feel stronger after your waters break, although this does not happen for everyone.
Your baby will not suddenly “fall out” because your waters have gone. The cervix still needs to open and your baby still needs to move down through the pelvis.
What if My Waters Break Before Labour Starts?
When waters break at or after 37 weeks before labour begins, this is called prelabour rupture of membranes at term.
Around 6 in 10 people will go into labour naturally within 24 hours.
If you and your baby are well, you should usually be offered a choice between:
- waiting for labour to begin naturally for up to approximately 24 hours
- having an induction of labour as soon as possible.
Your midwife or doctor should discuss the benefits and possible risks of both options and take your preferences and individual circumstances into account.
If labour has not started after around 24 hours, induction is usually recommended because the risk of infection gradually increases after the membranes have broken.
If you decide to wait longer, your maternity team should explain the additional monitoring and safety advice you will need.
Does Breaking My Waters Increase the Risk of Infection?
The amniotic sac provides a protective barrier around your baby.
Once the membranes have broken, there is a small increase in the chance of infection. At term, NICE advises that the risk of serious infection in the newborn increases from around 0.5% with intact membranes to around 1% after prelabour rupture of membranes.
The risk increases the longer the time between the waters breaking and birth.
This does not mean you or your baby will develop an infection. It explains why your maternity team will ask about symptoms, monitor your wellbeing and usually offer induction if labour has not begun within approximately 24 hours.
What if I Have Group B Strep?
Tell your maternity team if:
- you have had a positive Group B Streptococcus test during this pregnancy
- Group B Strep has been found in your urine
- a previous baby developed a Group B Strep infection
- you have already been given a plan for antibiotics during labour.
If your waters break at term and you have tested positive for Group B Strep during the current pregnancy, NICE recommends offering induction as soon as possible, alongside antibiotics during labour where indicated.
Your maternity team will explain the plan that applies to you.
Can I Stay at Home While Waiting for Labour?
If you are at least 37 weeks pregnant, you and your baby are well and your maternity team is happy with your assessment, you may be able to return home or remain at home while waiting for labour to begin.
Your maternity team may advise you to:
- check your temperature every four hours while awake
- monitor your baby’s usual pattern of movements
- notice any change in the colour or smell of the fluid
- stay in contact with the maternity unit
- return at an agreed time if labour has not begun.
Local arrangements vary, so follow the plan agreed with your own team.
What Can I Do While Waiting?
Unless your maternity team advises otherwise, you can usually continue with gentle everyday activities.
You can:
- eat and drink normally
- rest or sleep if you can
- move around and stay upright
- use breathing and relaxation techniques
- take a warm bath or shower
- prepare your birth bag
- spend time in a calm, comfortable environment.
Showering has not been shown to increase the risk of infection after the waters have broken.
Avoid sexual intercourse because it may increase the chance of infection.
Do not insert tampons or anything else into your vagina.
When Should I Call Back Urgently?
Contact your maternity unit immediately if:
- your baby is moving less than usual
- the fluid becomes green, brown, yellow, bloody or unpleasant-smelling
- you have fresh vaginal bleeding
- you develop a raised temperature
- you feel shivery, feverish or generally unwell
- you develop continuous abdominal pain
- your contractions become strong or regular
- you have concerns for any reason.
Do not rely only on a specific temperature number. Feeling unwell or noticing a change matters, even if your temperature is below 37.5°C.
What if My Waters Break Before 37 Weeks?
If you are less than 37 weeks pregnant and notice a gush, trickle or ongoing vaginal fluid loss, contact your maternity unit immediately and attend for assessment.
This is known as preterm prelabour rupture of membranes, or PPROM.
It increases the chance of:
- premature birth
- infection affecting you or your baby
- problems associated with having less fluid around the baby
- uncommon complications such as cord prolapse or placental abruption.
At hospital, you may be offered:
- a speculum examination
- monitoring of your baby’s heartbeat
- blood tests and observations
- antibiotics
- corticosteroid injections to help mature your baby’s lungs, depending on your stage of pregnancy
- other treatments based on your individual circumstances.
If you and your baby remain well, continuing the pregnancy with close monitoring may sometimes be recommended. If there are signs of infection or another complication, your baby may need to be born earlier.
Your obstetric and neonatal teams will explain what the situation means for you and your baby.
Myth-Busting: Waters Breaking
“My waters breaking means my baby is coming immediately.”
Usually not. Labour may already be established, may begin over the following hours, or may need help to start.
“It will always be a huge gush.”
Not necessarily. It may be a small trickle or repeated dampness.
“I should wait for contractions before calling.”
No. Contact your maternity unit when you think your waters have broken.
“Once my waters break, there is no fluid left.”
Amniotic fluid may continue to be produced, and some people continue to leak fluid until birth.
Want to Feel More Prepared for Labour?
Our Complete Antenatal Course explains the signs of labour, what it may feel like when your waters break, when to contact your maternity unit and what happens if labour does not begin as expected.
The course is self-directed, allowing you to learn at your own pace, with ongoing support from experienced midwives by email whenever you need it.
The aim is not to predict exactly how your labour will begin—because every labour is different—but to help you feel informed, prepared and confident about what to do next.
References
- NHS. Signs that labour has begun.
- NHS. Premature labour and birth.
- NICE Guideline NG235. Intrapartum care.
- NICE Guideline NG207. Inducing labour.
- NICE Guideline NG25. Preterm labour and birth.
- NICE Guideline NG195. Neonatal infection: antibiotics for prevention and treatment.
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. When your waters break prematurely.
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Umbilical cord prolapse in late pregnancy.
- Royal College of Midwives. Care during labour and birth.
- PIF TICK. Making health information trustworthy.