When there is too much amniotic fluid, this is called polyhydramnios. According to the American Pregnancy Association, it occurs in 1 percent of all pregnancies. The pad contains a test strip that acquires a different color depending on the origin of the fluid. If it turns yellow, it's a case of urine leakage. On the contrary, it would mean that you are leaking amniotic fluid if it turned blue or green. How do you know if your water has broken or is leaking? Lubrication Amniotic fluid prevents parts of the body such as the fingers and toes from growing together; webbing can occur if amniotic fluid levels are low. NHS. 2018a. What is the amniotic sac? NHS, Common health questions, pregnancy. www.nhs.uk Opens a new window [Accessed September 2019] To avoid introducing bacteria into the vagina, don't use tampons or douche or have sex before seeing your caregiver. What will happen if I'm leaking amniotic fluid?

Amniotic fluid is odorless and clear, though sometimes it's tinged with blood or mucus. If amniotic fluid is infected, it may have a foul smell. Fetal lung testing. If delivery is planned sooner than 39 weeks, amniotic fluid might be tested to help find out whether a baby's lungs are mature enough for birth. This is rarely done. Anyone who is concerned about leaking or levels of amniotic fluid during pregnancy should discuss this with their healthcare provider. After treatment, your doctor will still want to monitor your amniotic fluid level approximately every one to three weeks. Too much amniotic fluid is called polyhydramnios. It’s a rare condition that causes symptoms like swollen feet, breathlessness or constipation.An undetected amniotic fluid leak can lead to complications if bacteria enter the uterus, which can cause severe infection and can pose a danger to both the pregnant woman and the fetus.

You're likely to start by talking with your pregnancy care provider. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment and what to expect from your doctor. What you can do NICE. 2016. Sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NICE guideline 51. www.nice.org.uk Opens a new window [Accessed September 2019] In approximately 10% of full-term pregnancies, a spontaneous release of water occurs before the contractions begin. The most common is that there is a large flow of water, alternatively a steady flow of amniotic fluid - and then the diagnosis is simple. The diagnosis becomes more difficult in cases where the amniotic fluid leakage is very sparse. If you're diagnosed with polyhydramnios, your health care provider will closely monitor your pregnancy. Monitoring may include the following: Newer noninvasive tests such as the AmniSure ROM test from QIAGEN Sciences. This test does not require a speculum examination. It works by detecting the placental alpha microglobulin-1 biomarker in the amniotic fluid.

If you're having contractions, or there's doubt over whether your waters really have broken, you midwife will probably ask you to come to the hospital or birth centre. If you're coming in by car, you or your birth partner could pop a bin liner and clean towel on the seat to protect it, just in case. NHS. 2017. Am I in labour? NHS, Health A-Z, Pregnancy and baby. www.nhs.uk Opens a new window [Accessed September 2019] Pregnancy complications: Early detachment of the placenta before your baby is born, fetal malformations, or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Have magnesium sulfate fed through a fine tube (drip) into your vein if you're between 24 weeks and 30 weeks pregnant and are in active labour, or are having a planned preterm birth within the next day. Having magnesium sulphate can help to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy, which may affect some babies who are born too soon. Polyhydramnios is present when the AFI is more than 24 centimeters (cm) and the MVP measures more than 8cm.

If you are experiencing an amniotic fluid leak, it’s possible you have a condition called PROM or premature rupture of membranes. PROM can occur after 37 weeks gestation when you’re considered full term. Should you experience a leak prior to 37 weeks gestation, you may have a condition known as PPROM or preterm premature rupture of membranes. Remember, genetic amniocentesis is usually offered to pregnant people for whom the test results might greatly affect how they manage the pregnancy. The decision to have genetic amniocentesis is yours. Your health care provider or genetic counselor can give you information to help you decide. How you prepare Being 35 or older. Babies born to people 35 and older have a higher risk of chromosomal conditions, such as Down syndrome. A health care provider might suggest amniocentesis to rule out these conditions if prenatal cell-free DNA screening is positive.Normally, the level of amniotic fluid is at its highest around 36 of pregnancy, measuring around 1 quart. This level decreases as birth nears. When the waters break, the amniotic sac tears. The amniotic fluid contained within the sac then begins to leak out via the cervix and vagina. NHS. 2016. Choices when pregnancy reaches 41 weeks. NHS, National Institute for Health Research. www.nhs.uk Opens a new window [Accessed September 2019]