How to tell if your water is leaking slowly

If you're in the third trimester of pregnancy, you'll naturally be looking out for all those signs that your baby is potentially on their way, of which one of the main signs is when your waters break.

We've all seen those moments in films and TV shows where a pregnant woman's waters break and it's usually pretty dramatic with a gush of water soaking everything in sight. That isn't always the way things happen for every mum-to-be and you might actually experience the opposite instead and wonder how to tell if your water is leaking slowly.

Midwife Pip is an expert on the subject, and she uses her experience and knowledge to share with us the causes of water leaking and how to tell if your water is leaking slowly, explaining the differences between urine and amniotic fluid. If this is something you're concerned about, we've got you covered, researching and compiling information from authority sources to answer all of the most common questions pregnant women have.

Causes of water leaking

Most of you will already know what it means when your waters break – that baby is coming! But if this is your first pregnancy you might wonder what it feels like and when it can happen.

Midwife Pip explains: "Your baby develops inside a bag of water called the amniotic sac which is filled with amniotic fluid (this is your waters)." She says;"Waters can break before or during labour, and some babies are born with their waters still intact. This happens as a normal part of labour where the baby’s head and power from contractions puts pressure onto the bag of waters, much like a balloon popping."

It can feel different for each woman. Some say that they feel their vagina becomes wet, and there may be a slight trickle of fluid, and you might feel more fluid coming out when you move. Others experience that 'gush' of liquid, and it can be a bit more like what you'd expect from the movies. You might even feel a 'pop', but don't worry, this won't typically cause any pain. You might not feel anything at all though, aside from damp underwear, and many women mistake this for a little bit of pregnancy incontinence.

How to tell if your water is leaking slowly

If you are one of the women who don't experience 'niagra falls' when your waters break, you might worry about knowing how to tell if your water is leaking slowly, or wonder why there isn't a gush of water.

"When the amniotic sac breaks or tears, this fluid (typically known as 'your waters') leaks out via your cervix and vagina." Says Midwife Pip, "You may feel a ‘pop’ and see a gush of fluid, or you may feel a slow trickle. Sometimes it is quite tricky to know for sure and your midwife may perform a speculum examination to work out if they have gone or not."

So if you're nearing the time when you expect your waters to break, but all you are experiencing is a trickle or damp underwear, reaching out for advice or an examination from your midwife is a good idea.

Midwife Pip explains why some women don't experience the 'gush': "The amniotic sac may break behind your baby, known as ‘hind waters’ or in front of your baby, known as ‘fore waters’." She says; "Hind waters tend to cause a slower trickle because your baby acts as a bit of a plug when your hindwaters break slowing down how much fluid leaks out."

How to tell difference between urine and amniotic fluid

If you're worried or reluctant to see your widwife in case the trickle or wet feeling is just urine, don't worry – here's how you can tell the difference: "Amniotic fluid shouldn’t smell like urine and will be clear, straw-coloured/slightly pink in colour" says Midwife Pip. "It is a good idea to put a maternity pad on so you can monitor the fluid coming out."

Urine tends to have an acidic smell, whereas amniotic fluid, as Pip says, is usually odorless, but it can smell slightly sweet. If you're wearing a pad you should be able to see more easily whether the fluid leaves more of a yellow stain than a pinkish one. It could well be that you are leaking urine, in the case of a bladder infection, so either way, it's still a good idea to have your midwife check you over.

What’s considered a normal level of amniotic fluid

Amniotic fluid helps regulate the baby's temperature, protects them from injury, and allows for their movement, so you might be wondering what is considered to be a normal amount.

"The level of amniotic fluid is highest at 36 weeks, where there is around 800mls, then this reduces a little at 40 weeks where there is about 600mls of amniotic fluid present." Midwife Pip explains. "Some women have excess amniotic fluid, which is called Polyhydramnios and others have too little, which is called Oligohydramnios."

Don't worry if you've never heard of these terms before. These conditions are typically picked up during routine ultrasound scans, often in the second or third trimester, so you would probably have been made aware if any of these applied to your pregnancy. Sometimes the levels of fluid are only slightly outside the normal range and don’t cause any issues, while in other cases, they may need monitoring.

Risk of amniotic fluid leakage

If you are only losing small amounts of fluid, it's important to inform your midwife: "Once the waters have broken, there is an increased risk of ascending infection to baby so your midwife will talk to you about how long to await labour before you may want to think about being induced." Says Midwife Pip. "Internal examinations will be kept to a minimum to reduce the risk of infection and you will be advised to keep an eye on yourself for signs of fever and on the fluid leaking out."

If you are losing amniotic birth before your baby is due, there can also be the risk of premature birth and other complications, and depending on how far along you are, there may also be the risk of miscarriage – which is why it's important to get the care you need at this stage.

When to get help

"You should call your maternity unit or midwife when you think your waters may have broken and you will be invited for an assessment, if there are no concerns and you are full term, you will often go back home to await contractions" says Midwife Pip. "You should keep an eye on yourself for signs of fever and on the colour and smell of the fluid, if it is offensive smelling, heavily blood stained or a green/ brown colour, you should call your midwife without delay."

About the expert

This article contains expert advice from Midwife Pip. Midwife Pip is a truly passionate midwife and advocate for the profession, bursting with knowledge. Pip is an experienced, practicing Midwifery Sister, MSc graduate, founder of Midwife Pip Podcast, Hypnobirthing and Antenatal Educator, co-author of published research and very importantly, a mum.

Proud aunt to her teen niece, Zara Mohammed is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. She has 10 years freelance writing experience creating lifestyle content for various platforms, including pregnancy, women’s health, parenting, child development and child mental health, plus lots of fun seasonal family articles and celebrity news.