Your amniotic fluid is the cushioning around baby in the uterus. Your water breaking can be a sign of labour starting or an early labour sign. It is important once your waters break to contact your midwife, who can inform you what to do next. Our community discuss what happens when your water breaks below.
Green amniotic fluid is a sign of meconium
Note that if your amniotic fluid is green, this is an indication that there is meconium. There is a risk to baby that they may breathe in this fluid. It is important to get straight in touch with your medical team if you have green fluid when your waters break.
What if my waters rupture prematurely
Pre-term pre-labour rupture of membranes (PPROM) is when your amniotic fluid ruptures before 37 weeks of pregnancy. If your waters break before 37 weeks, you should contact your medical team immediately.
Community question: What happens when your waters break
What happened when your waters broke? Any dramatic stories when out and about?
My waters broke with a pop
- I was laying in bed, getting contractions and I felt a huge pop but thought it was my daughter kicking. I went to get up and all of a sudden I felt gushing.
- My first I was well into labour, on the bed just as the midwife was about to break them I heard a pop and it went all over her lol felt so bad, and second we were in the car on the way to the hospital in hubby’s new car, something he has been praying wouldn’t happen lol lucky for him it was only a tiny bit
- Not heaps dramatic but I’d been having contractions for 20 hours and was at hospital. I had just asked my hubby to get me a drink so he wandered across the room all of a sudden I heard a loud pop like the cork of a bottle. Then I looked up in surprise at him and then a massive gush of water came splashing onto the floor. My hubby didn’t believe that it could make such a weird sound he thought it must have been someone opening a bottle next door! That was until he saw the stuff on the floor.
- Woke up at 9am and made my morning cuppa, I sat on the lounge and had a sip. Then ‘pop’! Couldn’t get up quick enough, scared the crap out me! As soon as I stood, it gushed out until I could get to the linen cupboard to grab a towel. Contractions started an hour later at 10.30am. They were 2 mins apart and fast. Got to the hospital at 11.30am and I was already 7cm dilated! Beautiful baby girl born at 3.05pm 5 weeks ago.
- Was staying at my family’s holiday house 2 hours away at 35 weeks when I felt a pop. I hopped up and it gushed out everywhere. Then to make matters worse, I was 2 hours from the hospital. My partner stayed up with his family another 30 minutes away because he had a few drinks with his mates while I was having my baby shower the day before! Let’s just say myself ringing everyone in his family trying to wake him up was bad from panicking! Lol
Doctor or midwife broke my waters
- Nothing too dramatic here when my water broke. My first baby the doctor broke my waters for me during labour. With my second I had extremely high amniotic fluid and was induced, so they broke my waters and it just kept coming!! Glad it never happened while out and about, or on my couch, or bed, or carpet!!
- I have 3 kiddies and my waters haven’t broken on their own for either one
- I didn’t even know that I was in labour. I went to the hospital cause I hadn’t felt him move all day. I was already 5 cm dilated, they broke my waters and he came 5 hours later, 2 1/2 of those hours was pushing :-)), very quick!!
- Mine were broken by my doctor when I was induce at 37 weeks and we knew I had a lot of fluid. No-one was ready for the tsunami and the doctor, training doctor and 2 nurses all got wet shoes and the more I laughed the worse it was lol.
- With my first baby the doctor broke my waters and 2.5hrs later bub arrived. Then with my second baby my waters broke just before pushing bub out. Number three baby the nurse broke it just before bub arrived. It was a quick labour of 2 hours. Baby number 4, I woke up to go to loo and I felt a trickle. I thought I was wetting myself to find it didn’t stop and continued to trickle for 23hrs until I gave birth.
- With my first, they had to break them. Then 5 mins later she was born. I only did an hour of pushing. If it happens like that again, I’ll be happy.
- I got induced both times so the midwife broke mine 1st time it was non stop gushing till he was born 18hrs later and second wasn’t nearly as bad 🙂
My waters broke at home
- I was bouncing on a gym ball. Then sat on the couch (luckily with a sheet over it) and my waters broke. There was meconium in them 🙁 Luckily she wasn’t distressed. But it meant I couldn’t have the water birth I wanted and had the Syntocinon drip, wires everywhere and a world of pain! No drugs and natural labour. Hopefully this time I get the water birth I wanted 🙂
- My waters broke in bed at about 3 am.. I was 36 weeks so thought I peed the bed -.- until I got up & went to the toilet & it was still coming out lol ! I wasn’t in labor though still went to hospital & had to stay on antibiotics. Our daughter came 2 days later after a 2 and a bit our labor.
- Mine broke at 11.30 at night in bed. I woke feeling as if I had just wet myself. Woke my partner up, rung the hospital. It wouldn’t stop haha. I had no contractions and didn’t really have many Braxton Hick contractions either. We had only just been to the anti-natal class on the Sunday and it definitely did not go how it was ‘supposed’ to. Lol. They induced me at 8.25 Wednesday morning as I had Strep b positive and my blood group is negative, and we had him at 10.25. !!!!! He was 3 weeks early so when we rang everyone to tell them the good news they were all surprised. That was our first, so I’m kind of scared for when we have our 2nd lol
- My waters broke at 1am when I got up to wee. I couldn’t sleep so knew something was going on. I went straight into labour with contractions 2 mins apart and full on. 4hrs and 21mins later my son was born. Would have been quicker if I wasn’t such a sook and pushed properly to begin with.
- With my first pregnancy my waters broke at home. I had just hopped back into bed after having my early morning cordial ( at 4:20 am !) and then 2 minutes later I felt a leak, ran to the bathroom and flooded it. With number 2 baby, I was induced and they broke my waters in hospital now pregnant with number 3 so who knows how we will go this time !!
- With our first mine broke about 3am,we’d only been asleep for an hour. All hubby and I could do was race to stand in the shower, look at each other and laugh and laugh, that was Thursday morning. I leaked like the famous fountains of Las Vegas until Saturday night when he finally arrived in a huge flood. I must have had multiple litres extra, no wonder he is a water baby! Then with DS2 the doctor broke my waters in full labour. He hadn’t yet engaged so a tidal wave surged down the bed, 12 min later he arrived.
- With ds1 mine broke all over our new couches just as hubby gave me dinner. With ds2 it was at hospital as I was vomiting sorry if tmi.
- Mine was in bed before any contractions. I woke up feeling like I was wetting myself only it didn’t stop.
- My hind waters broke at 6:30am as I rolled over in bed. It was only a tiny bit and considered going back to sleep but thought I’d better tell mum (I’m a single mummy). So I did and sat on her bed then went to get up again and it gushed all over the floor. We went to hospital to be checked as bubs head wasn’t engaged and were worried the cord was coming first. After being checked and having tiny contractions every half hour, I was told to go home but stay active so mums idea of active was to take me shopping. Halfway through walking around for an hour I had another massive gush and all over the floor. I was so embarrassed that I made my mum go and buy me new pants and undies. Within ten minutes of that happening contractions came on hard every 3 min but my son wasn’t born until the following morning. This was after being told I was going to have a cesarean due to lack of progress ( 1 cm on Syntocinon drip for 12 hours) then BAM, 10cm and 4 pushes later my little boy was born at 6:25am
Waters broke after a stretch and sweep
- I had a stretch and sweep done on the Wed afternoon at 41wks. Then I woke about 4am the next morning and was angry that nothing was happening. I rolled over and then a little pop and a little discharge- wasn’t like laying in a puddle or anything. Finally I had been laying on a towel for like 6wks lol
My waters broke when I was out and about
- I was at a pool hall (I was 30 weeks) when my waters broke in a huge, smelly gush (I had a uterus infection it turns out). Had to wait 20 minutes for an ambulance, grossest wait ever
- My last baby I had just gotten out of the car a Ikea at 39+4, all ready to get some meatballs. They partly broke in the carpark so we headed home, had a contraction and they broke all over the car seat!
My waters broke when I was at work
- Was on my last shift at 38wks at a hair and beauty salon spray tanning a client. I was bent down doing the backs of her legs and as I stood up then came the gushing. Only 4hrs earlier I had pranked called my partner saying I was in labour so it took ALOT of convincing when I rang back and said I really had this time.
- Broke at work, about 45min after I had already been to the hospital for my antenatal appointment.
Waters broke during labour at the hospital
- With DS1 broke as I walked into hospital ( had my son an hour later, DS2 water broke as his head came out 🙂
- In hospital broke on own with a big gush, I had heavy bleeding beforehand and freaked out was in tears when the nurse came, she had to sedate me as it was 1am! All good now happy baby girl
- With my first, I was already in hospital and it broke at the same time as I threw up (charming lol). Second time they broke my waters as I requested an epidural. Next time I’ll be asking for the epi first, as fifteen minutes after they broke my waters, dd2 was out! Did not intend on a drug free birth at all! And both times my waters were stained, so it was a bit upsetting. Dd1 had the NICU team present just in case, dd2 came out before the NICU team made it to the delivery room.
My waters broke during sex
- With my daughter they broke during sex at 33 weeks. Then with my son they broke in hospital all over the midwife and he was born 9 mins later.
My water broke and contained meconium
- My first I was a little trickle, went to hospital, then got sent home. At home with mum, contractions started as I walked in the door. Hoped on the bed with mum to watch phantom of the opera, MAJOR gush of water, with green in it (meconium). The taxi to the hospital took 10mins and I was having contraction NON stop. Got into labour room and everything stopped. I wanted a home birth but mum had a feeling. Bub was born via assistance, got cut and then tore on top of that again! Second time, was induced with little miss, assisted again, my kiddies have big heads and shoulders. This time round I refuse to get induced! Hoping it will be natural and then I will put off hospital as long as possible! We currently live 10mins away.
- First time they were broken in hospital as I was already 10cm dilated and bubs was in distress. They came our bloody with meconium.. Pretty gross lol.
More tips for labour and birth:
Getting ready for labour
- Birth plan during labour are they worth it?
- Pregnant now what? Preparing for birth
- Pubic hair and labour
- Preparing for labour
- Hospital bag
- Raspberry leaf tea – pregnancy aide
Early labour
- What does early labour feel like?
- How long after losing my mucus plug until labour starts?
- Is this braxton hicks or real labour?
Bringing on labour
- Fastest way to bring on labour
- Induction with gel
- Medically inducing labour
- Elective induction of labour
- Acupuncture to bring on labour
- Membrane sweep to bring on labour
