What is the difference between water breaking before labor and urinary incontinence?

Before giving birth, you should pay special attention to the daily safety of pregnant women, be prepared and take measures to deal with emergencies. So what is water breaking? What is the difference between water breaking and urinary incontinence? What should I do if my water breaks before giving birth? How to prevent water breaking before giving birth? The following editor will give you a detailed introduction.

What is water breaking

Water rupture refers to the phenomenon of amniotic fluid breaking before the onset of labor pains. After 10 months of pregnancy, urine will also flow out if you exert a little force to urinate. Therefore, many pregnant women cannot distinguish between water rupture and urination. Water rupture varies from person to person. Some pregnant women have a small amount of water rupture, which slightly wets their underwear, while some pregnant women have a large amount of water rupture, just like urination. If it is urinary incontinence, you can basically control the outflow of urine, but amniotic fluid is unconscious, uncontrollable, and continuous. It is difficult to distinguish between amniotic fluid and urine based on the properties alone. It is best to lie down immediately and have your family take you to the hospital to test the pH value or observe the cervical mucosa to determine whether it is amniotic fluid or urine.

Difference between amniotic fluid and urine

Odor is an important distinguishing sign. Urine has a strong and even pungent smell, while amniotic fluid has a natural and even sweet smell. In the third trimester, because the bladder is under great pressure, it is normal to miss a few drops of urine.

When the amniotic fluid breaks, it is like water flowing out, which is impossible to control. Hot water flows down in streams, and there will be a few streams every once in a while. There will also be cramping in the abdomen. At that time, the baby may be about to be born.

If you find liquid flowing out, but you are not sure whether it is amniotic fluid or urine, for the sake of safety, you can buy a test strip and stick it on your underwear. You can tell whether it is amniotic fluid or urine from the change in color. The pH value of amniotic fluid is 7.0-7.5, and urine is 5.5-6.5. In addition, if it is amniotic fluid, you will feel labor pains soon. When the membrane ruptures, you will feel liquid flowing out, like urine. Sometimes it is more or less, and sometimes it will flow out when changing body position or using abdominal pressure. In this case, pregnant women should go to the hospital immediately.

What to do if water breaks before labor

Once water breaks, no matter where the expectant mother is or what she is doing, she should lie down immediately, place a pillow or cushion under her buttocks, and try to keep her buttocks higher than her head.

Use amniotic fluid test paper (PH test paper) to test it. Because amniotic fluid is alkaline, if the test paper turns dark green, it means that the water has broken.

If the water is broken, an ambulance or taxi should be called immediately. The expectant mother must also lie flat on the way to the hospital.

Pay attention to whether there is meconium discharge from the lower body. If you find brown or green tarry substance, please tell your doctor immediately. This may be caused by the fetus being squeezed or in danger in the mother's body.

If a pregnant woman's water breaks in public, although it is a bit embarrassing and not common, she should still seek help in time. Everyone will understand and support her.

How to prevent water breaking before delivery

Maintain health and hygiene during pregnancy. If you have gynecological diseases such as vaginitis, please treat them in the early or middle stages of pregnancy.

Increase nutrition appropriately. A related study in the United States shows that appropriate supplementation of vitamins C and E can effectively prevent the occurrence of early water breaking.

If incomplete cervical occlusion is found during prenatal checkup at 14-16 weeks of pregnancy, surgical treatment should be performed promptly.

In the late stages of pregnancy, especially one month before the expected date of delivery, you must avoid sexual intercourse to prevent stimulation of the uterus and accidents.

Pay more attention to rest and avoid overwork. If it is a multiple pregnancy or polyhydramnios, you can increase the bed rest time appropriately.

Paying attention to the details of your own body changes can help you detect danger signs in time, and you should also make sure to have regular prenatal checkups.