What will it really be like when my water breaks?
You’re in your third trimester- you have made it so far! But uhhhhh what is next? Toward the final weeks of pregnancy there is often a common anxiety. Well, there may be a few things keeping you up at night-so to speak. (cough cough- the belly, the bladder, the appetite, the dreams, the anticipation, the partner snoring so obnoxiously next to you…) But what I am really talking about is the anxiety about your water breaking.
This is a troublesome thought for many expectant mothers. This event has the potential to be highly embarrassing. Especially if you think back to any movie ever made about pregnancy; Hollywood is giving ladies the wrong impression! Yes, sometimes your water does break. Also yes, sometimes it happens in public. However, not always, not completely, and not often visibly to the public. Let me explain what I mean.
There is a large percentage of women whose cervix begins to open up (dilate) to thin out (efface) and who begin contracting for several hours without even a pin hole leak’s worth of fluid. Their bag of waters continues to cushion their baby until, perhaps, they request that their provider manually pop their bag of waters. (quick and painless!) Or maybe their provider leaves it be, and that bag remains intact all the way until birth.
It’s not always a gush!
There are also some women who “spring a leak.” This is far more common. Initially, you may think you peed a little, ‘cuz hello- pregnancy is super sexy, remember? Or you may think you just have a little discharge, ‘cuz again- “I am so hot right now!” But at this stage in your pregnancy, your water may be leaking. As labor progresses, the bag of waters may burst more fully, or it may stay like that until you’re ready to push! The next possible scenario may be the least likely- but this is the one we are concerned about. The full blown water breaking scenario. Let’s talk this through.
So what do you do?
Pretend you’re at the grocery store. Minding your own business, picking up your red raspberry leaf tea and decaf coffee (ugh). You moved. Like, I’m talking you took the slightest step left; you didn’t bend, you didn’t twist. You’re not even totally sure you took a full breath at that moment, yet BAM! You sensed this strange internal “pop,” and your pants just got WET! Um, awkward. So, what do you do? Well, the good news is you’re probably wearing pants- I am even willing to bet you’re likely in black maternity leggings. Thankfully cotton is pretty absorbent. So here’s what you may want to do: leave your cart, head to the bathroom. Take off the soaked undies, grab a wad of paper towels-here is your temporary damage control. Next, take a quick detour to the feminine product aisle and grab a package of pads! Head directly to the checkout counter, purchase, exit, and head home! If things are feeling a little too squishy for this whole bathroom detour bit, simply leave your cart. Head home. Crisis averted. The music didn’t shut off; the world did not come to a screeching halt. No one is going to follow you home asking if you will be completing your grocery transaction- it’s over- put the event behind you. ‘Cuz guess what?! You’re gonna be having a baby in 12-24 hours, give or take a few!
If the idea of a scenario similar to that above is really stressing you out, I have a few suggestions to ease your mind. These are easy, discrete things that will calm your already hormonal thoughts-let’s give you one less thing to worry about. Always carry a spare pair of leggings and undies in your purse (it’s probably a huge purse anyway.) You can also store a few ultra-absorbent pads in there. If you tend to travel on the lighter side, keep a bag in your car with spare clothes and a few pads- just in case. In fact, if you’re approaching your due date and the thought of your water breaking is really worrying you, wear a pad daily. Best case, you never end up needing it. Worst case, your water breaks somewhere unexpectedly and you have a built in diaper there to cushion the blow. Another user friendly idea is to layer a few bath towels on the seat of your car. After all, you probably spend a lot of your day in this seat. Work, shopping, errands, social engagements, chauffeuring other children to their daily activities- you’re likely in the driver seat of your car far more often than you think, so if you cover it with an absorbent material…
There you go- two major public-water-breaking predicaments averted- stores and cars! You are SO prepared.
Try not to worry about your water breaking! It isn’t scary; it is not painful, and most often it’s not embarrassing at all. In fact, it’s AWESOME because that means you have a tangible start to your labor. Braxton Hicks contractions can mess with your head for weeks. Losing your mucus plug may mean labor will begin sometime this week. But your water breaking? That means you’re having a real life baby- in the next day or so! So if you ask me- which I realize you didn’t, but since I am the one writing, I get to say what I think! – having your water break is an ideal predicament in which to be. You know a baby is coming soon. So amniotic fluid- bring it on! We are ready for you in all your publically humiliating glory!
Oh yea, and I forgot to mention. You’re noticeably VERY pregnant by this point. Your toddler’s preschool teachers all know you’re pregnant. Those strangers at the bookstore know you’re pregnant. The clueless barista at Starbucks knows you’re pregnant. So even if you make a giant puddle on the floor (again-HIGHLY UNLIKELY), NO ONE is going to think you peed all over the floor, not even a single old man who only buys frozen dinners and Metamucil. He has seen those Hollywood movies with the dramatic water breaking scene. Even HE knows what is going on here. Go get it girl. Go bust a move!
Happy Birthing Day!
Written by Laura Martin
