Did my Water Break Quiz: How to tell if your water broke

This Is my Water Broken Quiz will help you figure out if your amniotic sac broke or if you just peed… even with or without contractions.  It can be really hard to tell if your waters are leaking… We’ll talk about how long it can be before baby needs to get out, and how often it happens? Plus, what does water breaking look like?

Reminder:  Please don’t take the advice on this website over the advice of your physician or a professional. This post is not medical advice.

This post includes (click to what ever area you’re interested in):

First off, how do I know so much about water breaking?

Hi, I’m Hilary — many people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse 👩‍⚕️. I have been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of labor and delivery bedside nursing experience, I am also the curly head behind this website Pulling Curls and The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. 🩺​ I’ve helped hundreds, if not thousands, figure out if their water was broken — so I really an expert on this.

Before we get going, have you thought about what you’d like for your BIRTH? Grab my free birth plan tips & template here:

Did my Water Break?

Everything changes those last few weeks of pregnancy, it can be REALLY hard to tell (I get it).

First off, let’s try a little quiz — that might give you an idea:

Did my Water Break Quiz

I’m going to give you a Is my Water Broken Quiz? to help you determine IF yours is — and then we’re going to talk about ALL The answers, as well as some common mis-conceptions about water breaking.

If your water IS broken, it’s time to call your doctor and pack your hospital bag. This is the big time! 🙂 FYI, You are still going to be sure that baby is moving as you do those things.

However, if your water is not broken — I have a tip for you!

Maybe you’re feeling….

• Overwhelmed by all there is to know
• Really wish you could fit in a birth class but even THAT is overwhelming because Tuesdays at 6 pm just doesn’t work for the both of you.
• Want class with an engaging expert that you know you’ll really get something from.

The Online Prenatal Class for Couples was created just for you.

• It’s available 24/7 (and can be done in 20-minute “birth bites” so you’re not overwhelmed).
• It’s meant for couples — so your partner isn’t just a cheerleader but a teammate
• Is an all-in-one class that makes sure you’re not missing a thing!

What does Water Breaking Look Like?

A lot of people wonder WHAT it is going to be like. Honestly, most people feel a small trickle of fluid that just continues (sometimes the baby’s head corks it off), however most women have a different “story”

It is a varied feeling among women — but let’s talk more about how to know that’s IT!

What will it feel like when my water breaks?

Some women say it feels like a pop and then a big gush of fluid.

Some women feel like it’s just like they’re peeing, but they can’t stop it.

It isn’t painful, unless it is accompanied by labor contractions (and it’s the contractions that hurt, not the breaking of the water).

If you’re looking for the signs of labor I have a labor checklist you might enjoy:

What should I expect from amniotic fluid?

What does amniotic fluid look like? 

Amniotic fluid is WATERY, it’s not thick and it isn’t normally bloody (but can have streaks of blood or mucus, that’s normal).  If you do gush blood, you need to get yourself to the hospital, and if it’s a LOT you need to call 911, but amniotic fluid smells kind of like a public pool.  A little chlorine-y, and a little bit like urine (because amniotic fluid is made mostly of baby pee).

The amniotic sac is a membrane that surrounds your bag of waters. It normally is pretty tough, but can break (obviously).

Your amniotic fluid does NOT look like mucus. That could be your mucus plug, but be mindful that discharge changes a lot towards the end of the third trimester — or closer to your due date. I have a whole post on if it’s discharge or your water breaking.

How much amniotic fluid will come out?

You may get a gush, you may get a trickle of water.  Depending on where your on the “sac” it broke, it will gush or trickle.  It is likely to dump more when you move, or when you go from sitting to standing.  We call that a slow leak — when it’s only a little.

Check out most post on how much water comes out when your water breaks that helps answer this.

We go into detail about why that is in here.

When will the amniotic fluid stop coming out?

It will continue to come out.  If you get a gush, and then absolutely nothing, you can probably thank your bladder.  I’ve heard of pregnant women who had a “dry birth” and I’m not sure what that is.  It does keep coming out, it’s baby pee.  And in case you didn’t know it already — baby pee is in a seemingly endless supply!

Can I tell if my water is going to break?

Not normally, but I do have a post on the signs your water may break soon.

I have a bunch of posts on water breaking you might find helpful:

• What Does Water Breaking Look Like?
• What Does It Feel Like When Your Water Breaks?
• Can Your Water Break While You’re Peeing?
• What Makes your Water Break During Pregnancy?
• Signs Your Water Is Going To Break

How to tell if your water broke or you peed

I JUST had this the other day.  A lady came in to tell me that about 5 hours previously she had woken-up to a SOAKED bed and was sure her water was broken.

I asked her if she had any leaking since then, and she’d had none.

And her water hadn’t broken.

She’d peed.

And frankly, guys – it’s not unusual.

Especially, it was her 3rd, she was older and she just didn’t have a “young” bladder anymore.

The big thing to watch for is if it KEEPS coming out.

Your amniotic fluid is made of mainly baby pee — so it KEEPS coming out.  Coughing, or going from sitting to standing should elicit another gush.

It really helps to know that a lot of what you think is CRAZY is actually VERY normal in the land of labor and delivery — learn stuff like that from an expert!

Did my water break or is it discharge?

AS I said above — when your water breaks, it is super watery.  Yes, you can have a trickle, but if you cough or change positions usually more comes out.  Discharge is more constant and often thicker or white. However, at the end of your pregnancy it will likely thin out. BTW, I have a whole post on vaginal discharge during pregnancy.

This can be hard to tell — which is why we have the test I talk about next….

How to check whether your water broke

In order to REALLY know if amniotic sac ruptured — you will have to go to your doctor or to the hospital.  Your Labor & delivery nurse can test it. There is also this “at home water leaking test“

The hospital does have a definitive test to tell if your water has broken. It’s called Amnisure (other hospitals may use Ferning, and some may use Nitrazine paper as an initial test) — it is a very simple test.  It isn’t something you want to wait and wait to decide if it’s broken, but you can certainly wait a couple of hours.  Maybe shower, put on a sanitary pad and see if it’s still coming out.

If you THINK it might be broken, I’d call your doctor to see what they recommend. And yes, I do go all into contacting your doctor late at night in this class.

What to do if you can’t decide if your water is broken?

Sometimes there’s LOTS of fluid, and sometimes there isn’t much fluid (thanks to the baby’s head shutting it off) — and that can be confusing.

First off, put a call into your provider. Sometimes they don’t answer right away, and they might give you some good advice for your particular circumstances. This is definitely true if you are not yet full term. If you think have premature rupture of membranes, also called PPROM, call your provider immediately.

Second, put on a pad or panty liner on and do some stuff. Lay down and read for a bit, and then get up — does more come out? Most often it will (but not always) if it is amniotic fluid.

You should hopefully have some pads on hand — you’ll want some for after baby (grab my checklist for after baby here):

Tricks to Tell if Your Water Broke:

There are a few tricks you can try (I go over these and other tricks in the prenatal class for you):

Stand up (or lay down for a bit and then stand up). If your water is broken, most often you’ll get a gush of fluid that has collected in your vagina and runs out when you stand up.

One other time I see a lot of fluid come out is when women lift their hips up off the bed (most often they do it when we’re changing out something that’s under their butt). Often a lot of fluid comes out with that.

Cough — sometimes coughing will also make fluid come out (but also if you have a week bladder, it can make you pee instead, and no coughing won’t induce you).

What happens after my water breaks?

Water breaking itself isn’t all that exciting, but it normally does start “labor” — so, what REALLY happens after it breaks?

Pro Tip: Most nurses have to chart how long labor lasted, and we most often say that labour starts when your water breaks (especially if it did it naturally)

If you’re worried about fluids on textiles around your home (your bed, couch or car) I recommend these. I think they can also be helpful for YEARS to come with kids!

Will I go into labor after my water breaks?

Once your water breaks, contractions usually start in the next few hours.  If you’re heading to 12 hours without contractions you can expect that your doctor is going to want to start you on some Pitocin (the other induction agents are limited once it is broken).  There is an increased risk of infection now that barrier is broken.  They’ll take your temperature frequently (enough to drive your nurse insane).  An infection is the main concern if your fluid is broken for a long time.  They also may start you on antibiotics after it’s been a while.

They will want to see you in active labor sooner, rather than later. Especially if you have certainly risk factors like group B positive (most providers call this the GBS test). Your risk of infection increases the longer your water remains broken.

BTW, you might be feeling some cramps and wondering when labor is going to start — all very normal! It is harder than you imagine to know if you’re in labor. In fact, I have a whole podcast on labor signs.

The thing is there can be some time between water breaking and labor really getting going, which is why I tell you what to do during that time in this class.

Can bad things happen after it breaks?

If anything comes into your vagina  besides fluid from your uterus (or just your basic discharge — I’m talking about the umbilical CORD or an ARM), you need to get your butt in the air (hands and knees with your face in the floor, bum in the air) and call 911.  The cord can slip out when your amniotic sac breaks and this can have serious consequences.  Don’t take a shower, don’t have dinner.  Call 911.  The end.

If you feel something in your vagina, feel free to reach up and check

BTW, this is pretty rare, but it is certainly a pregnancy emergency. Talk with your provider if you have questions about this.

Things to take note of when your water breaks

If you know your water’s broken (and it’s often fairly obvious) check coat:
C — Color of the fluid (is it clear or green?)
O — Odor (does it smell funny?)
A — Amount of fluid (giant gush or a slow trickle)
T — Time (what time did it break, remember the clock starts going after your water is broken)

If you know this, they will answer most of the important questions your healthcare providers will ask.

And, when in doubt — call your health care provider or head into L&D.

I also have a whole podcast on how to tell if your water broke that you can listen to while you read:

And, of course a video too!

Water Breaking Common Questions

Ok, now that we’ve talked ALL about that amniotic sac. And guys, that’s a pretty small part of the whole picture.

Come join me in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples.  It is SO important to get prepared for your birth, but the traditional Tuesdays at 6 pm for 3 hour class just doesn’t work for families anymore — so I made my own. It really covers everything from bump to bassinet!

Or, if you’re not quite ready for the full class, check out my free pregnancy tips class — It’s your first step towards being your own birth boss.

This post was originally published in March 2014, and has since been updated.