Amniotic fluid is a essential substance for the baby to survive inside the uterus maternal. This fluid is responsible for protecting the baby from external agents, and offers the necessary temperature so that the baby stays warm during its stay in the uterus, among other functions. It is composed of many substances, mainly water but also lipids, proteins, carbohydrates or fetal cells, among others.
So that, amniotic fluid, it becomes an essential element for the baby's development to be optimal during the nine months of its gestation. Generally, when the pregnancy is coming to an end, the amount of amniotic fluid is reduced. And at the time of delivery, the amniotic sac ruptures so fluid is expelled and start the birthing process.
But something also happens in many cases that can complicate the development of the baby, the bursa can be fissured, resulting in the loss of amniotic fluid. This would put the baby's health at risk and therefore it is essential to know how to recognize the loss of fluid, to go quickly to the hospital and that health workers can assess the situation.
How to know if your waters have broken
Typically, the amniotic sac ruptures spontaneously, in the hours before delivery and even during delivery itself. You can easily notice it because the liquid it will be expelled completely and the amount of fluid will be very abundant.
You will know how to easily identify it because the amniotic fluid is transparent or with a whitish hue. Also, it is more liquid than the discharge and may contain small specks of blood or a whitish substance.
If this happens, you must go to the hospital immediately. Although it is very possible that you are not yet in labor, the absence of amniotic fluid can pose a serious risk to the health of your baby.
How to identify a fissure
In some cases, the amniotic sac is slightly ruptured and the expulsion of the fluid is more difficult to identify. It is very possible that you confuse it with discharge or urine, but it is very important that you know how to differentiate the substances, since again, the loss of amniotic fluid can put the baby's life at risk.
The loss of fluid can be intermittent and the amount very small and therefore you could confuse it with other substances. If you have doubts about whether you have ruptured the amniotic sac, you can follow these tips:
- Go to the bathroom and make sure empty the bladder completely. Put on clean underwear, if you stain it in a few minutes, you will know that it is amniotic fluid.
- You can force cough, the spasm will cause you to expel fluid in the event that there is a fissure in the sac.
- You can also take a little walk, if you have broken the jacket you will get stained quickly.
- Place a small towel in your underwear, preferably a dark color to be able to differentiate the fluids that you expel.
If I think I have ruptured my amniotic sac, should I go to the hospital?
In case you confirm your suspicions and discover that you are leaking amniotic fluid, you should go to the hospital without delay. This can happen at any time during pregnancy, even when the baby is not ready to be born. So it will be necessary apply medical measures to ensure that the baby is kept safe in the womb. You may have to go to the hospital to take these steps and protect your baby.
If you also observe that the amniotic fluid is a color yellowish, greenish or brownish, or if it contains a lot of bloodIt is essential that you go to the emergency room immediately. These are signs that the baby could have a problem and it is necessary that the doctors observe it as soon as possible.
The amniotic sac can break for different reasons, an infection, a fall, an injury or for unknown reasons. Therefore, it is very important that you take care of your health throughout your pregnancy, in this way, you will be protecting your baby from possible complications.