Water Breaking: What It Feels Like, What to Do, and When to Call

Water breaking usually feels like a pop followed by a gush or a slow trickle of clear, odorless fluid that you cannot hold back, and it should not hurt: if you think yours has broken, put on a pad, note the time and color, and call your provider right away.

Few pregnancy moments are as anticipated as water breaking. You may have pictured a sudden flood in the grocery store, but for most people labor starts before the water breaks, and when it does break it can be anything from a big gush to a damp feeling you are not sure about.

This guide covers what water breaking feels like, how often it happens before contractions, exactly what to do in the first hour, what happens next at term, how group B strep fits in, and the warning signs that mean you should call or go in now.

Water Breaking: The Short Answer

Cleveland Clinic explains that amniotic fluid is a protective barrier, and that without it your baby is at risk for infection. That is why every source we read treats water breaking as a reason to call, even when you feel fine and have no contractions yet.

The medical name is rupture of membranes. When it happens before contractions start, it is called prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM); before 37 weeks, it is preterm PROM, or PPROM (StatPearls, an NIH clinical reference).

What Does Water Breaking Feel Like?

• A pop, then fluid: Cleveland Clinic describes a popping feeling followed by a gush or trickle of fluid from your vagina.
• Unexplained wetness: Mayo Clinic describes wetness in your vagina or on your perineum, or a constant or on-and-off leak of small amounts of watery fluid.
• A flow you cannot hold back: the NHS says you may feel a slow trickle or a sudden gush of water you cannot control.
• Nothing at all: Cleveland Clinic notes some people feel nothing, and a slow trickle can go unnoticed.

How much fluid? Cleveland Clinic says you can have up to 4 cups of amniotic fluid at 36 weeks and about 2.5 cups at 40 weeks, and what comes out can look like a bucket spilling or a slow trickle.

Does it hurt? No. Cleveland Clinic says it does not hurt when your water breaks. Any pain you feel is usually from contractions.

What it looks like. Cleveland Clinic describes amniotic fluid as mostly clear or light yellow and odorless, sometimes tinged brown or red. The NHS says it may be a little bloodstained at first, and to tell your midwife immediately if it is smelly or colored.

Pee, discharge or fluid? Mayo Clinic admits it can be hard to tell amniotic fluid from urine. Cleveland Clinic notes urine is usually dark yellow with a distinct odor. We cover the full comparison in signs of leaking amniotic fluid vs discharge. If you cannot tell, call: a quick exam can check.

How Often Does Labor Start Before the Water Breaks?

Far more often than movies suggest. Cleveland Clinic says that for most people, up to about 90%, labor starts before the water breaks. StatPearls reports that prelabor rupture of membranes happens in about 8% of term pregnancies.

Your water can break before labor, after contractions have started, or right before delivery (Cleveland Clinic). Sometimes the provider breaks it during labor instead.

So no gush does not mean labor is far off. Other signs often come first, such as regular contractions or losing your mucus plug. See signs that labor is 24 to 48 hours away and what contractions feel like.

What to Do in the First Hour After Your Water Breaks

Not sure it was your water? Cleveland Clinic suggests putting on clean underwear or a pad, lying down for 15 to 30 minutes, then standing to see whether more fluid comes out. Mayo Clinic says if you are unsure, call your provider or head to your delivery facility right away.

Bath, shower and sex. The NHS says there is no evidence that a bath or shower after your waters break increases infection risk, but sex might. If you are waiting at home, it suggests checking your temperature every 4 hours while awake; a raised temperature is usually above 37.5 C (99.5 F).

If you are 37 weeks or later, grab your bag. Our 37 weeks pregnant guide covers what else to expect that week.

What Happens After Your Water Breaks at Term

You get checked. Mayo Clinic says your provider may do a physical exam and sometimes an ultrasound. StatPearls notes providers use a sterile speculum exam and avoid finger cervical checks when possible, because they increase infection risk once the membranes have ruptured.

Labor often starts on its own. StatPearls reports that after term PROM, labor begins within 24 hours in 60% to 70% of patients and within 72 hours in over 95%.

If not, induction is usually offered. Mayo Clinic says the longer the wait, the greater the risk of infection, so your doctor might start contractions before labor begins on its own.

StatPearls notes that moving promptly toward delivery after term PROM is associated with better outcomes than waiting. Induction can use oxytocin through an IV and, depending on your cervix, medicines that soften it (Cleveland Clinic, StatPearls). Near your due date, see 39 weeks pregnant and 40 weeks pregnant; once contractions start, early labor vs active labor explains the phases.

Group B Strep and Infection Risk in Plain Terms

Once the sac is open, bacteria have an easier path to your uterus and baby. StatPearls calls intrauterine infection one of the most significant complications of water breaking before labor, which is why providers avoid a long gap before birth.

Group B strep (GBS) is a type of bacteria that can pass to a baby around birth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists three risk factors for a newborn developing GBS disease: testing positive for GBS late in pregnancy, a fever during labor, and 18 hours or more between water breaking and birth.

StatPearls says that after 37 weeks, antibiotics to prevent GBS infection are given to people who are GBS positive or otherwise at high risk. If you know your result, say it when you call.

Signs of infection listed by StatPearls include fever, a fast fetal heart rate, a tender uterus and pus-like or foul-smelling discharge. At home, watch for fever, belly tenderness and fluid that smells bad.

When Your Provider Breaks Your Water: Amniotomy and Membrane Sweeps

When the water does not break on its own, your provider may break it. This is an amniotomy, or artificial rupture of membranes (AROM). Cleveland Clinic says the provider inserts a small plastic hook through your cervix to open the sac, that it is not painful, and that it may be done when labor has stalled or to speed it up. Your provider decides after examining you and checking how your cervix is changing (see effacement).

A membrane sweep is a separate method. Cleveland Clinic describes the provider passing a gloved finger over the membranes that connect the sac to your uterus, to release prostaglandins that help soften the cervix. It does not work for everyone.

Can You Break Your Water Yourself? Myths and Facts

No. Do not try to break your own water or put anything into your vagina. The sac is a barrier against infection (Cleveland Clinic), and Cleveland Clinic says it is not safe to try to induce labor on your own with medications or supplements.

Tired of waiting past your due date? Talk with your provider about options. Stop-and-start contractions are common too: see prodromal labor.

If Your Water Breaks Before 37 Weeks

Call your provider right away and expect to be seen. StatPearls says preterm PROM complicates about 1% of deliveries overall. Mayo Clinic lists risk factors including a previous preterm PROM, infection, second or third trimester bleeding, smoking or illicit drug use, being underweight and a short cervix, and possible complications including infection and placental abruption.

Care depends on how far along you are. Cleveland Clinic describes antibiotics, steroids and magnesium sulfate for babies under 34 weeks, and says delivery might be the safest choice at 34 weeks or later.

Umbilical Cord Prolapse: The Rare Emergency

Rarely, the umbilical cord slips into the vagina ahead of the baby. Cleveland Clinic says this happens in about 1 in 300 births, often within minutes of the membranes rupturing, and calls it a medical emergency because it cuts off the baby’s blood and oxygen supply. If you see or feel the cord, call 911 immediately.

Related Betteroo Guides

• Signs of Leaking Amniotic Fluid vs. Discharge
• Early Labor vs. Active Labor
• Signs Labor Is 24 to 48 Hours Away
• What Do Contractions Feel Like?
• Mucus Plug: What It Looks Like
• When Do You Start Showing?

When to Call Your Doctor or Midwife

Call your provider or labor and delivery as soon as you think your water has broken, at any hour (Cleveland Clinic, NHS). Call right away, or go in now, if:

• You are under 37 weeks: any leak or gush needs to be checked now (Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic).
• The fluid is green, brown or another color, or smells bad: (NHS).
• You are bleeding: (NHS, Cleveland Clinic).
• You have a fever: above about 37.5 C (99.5 F) per the NHS, or a tender belly (StatPearls).
• Your baby is moving less than usual: (NHS, Cleveland Clinic).
• You are GBS positive: StatPearls says guidelines start induction right away.

Call 911 if you see or feel the umbilical cord in your vagina (a medical emergency, per Cleveland Clinic) or have heavy bleeding.

Unsure whether it was your water at all? Call anyway. This article is general education, not medical advice.

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