How you can tell if your amniotic fluid (water) has broken

In American movies, labour almost always begins with a panicked pregnant woman exclaiming "Oh no, my water broke!" followed by a massive gush of water. In reality, however, only 10-15% of all births start with the water breaking, and it doesn't always come as a waterfall. Sometimes it's just a small "leak".

When I went into labour with my first child, my water broke. It was literally as if a water balloon had burst. I was completely unprepared and acted like the shocked pregnant woman in an American film. After that experience, I made sure I was better prepared, so much so that I trained as a childbirth educator and also started working as a doula. My new hobby, "birthing babies", led me to have three more beautiful children ❤️.

"How do I know if my waters have broken?" is one of the most common questions I was asked in antenatal classes. There's usually a lot of amniotic fluid coming out, a la "Oh no, my water broke", and there's no mistaking it, but sometimes it's just a small leak that can be hard to identify. I used to tell my students that amniotic fluid can actually have the same odour as semen (you heard right!). This is because amniotic fluid, as the name tells you, contains a lot of amines, same as semen. This can produce a similar odour. It can sometimes be difficult to know what's causing the odour in your panties. Of course, it's no surprise if it comes as a water bomb, but in the latter part of pregnancy it's not uncommon to have urine leakage (because the baby is pressing) and increased vaginal discharge. So how do you know which is which?

SIGNS OF AMNIOTIC FLUID LEAKAGE

In about 10% of all full-term pregnancies, water breaks spontaneously before labour starts. Premature rupture of the membranes, before week 37, occurs in 2-4% of all singleton pregnancies and 7-20% of twin pregnancies. It is usually characterised by a large or steady flow of fluid, making it easy to detect. However, amniotic fluid leakage can sometimes be sparse or come and go, making it harder to notice.

Other possible causes of fluid leakage can be normal discharge, bacterial vaginosis, cervical discharge or urine leakage. 30-40% of all pregnant women experience urinary leakage in late pregnancy, which can be mistaken for amniotic fluid leakage.

RISK OF UNDIAGNOSED WATER LOSS

Failure to recognise water leakage can cause infections to spread upwards from the vagina to the uterus. This can cause complications for both mother and baby, including infections in the uterus or placenta, fever, sepsis in the mother and pneumonia in the baby. On the other hand, a false positive diagnosis can lead to unnecessary medical interventions such as hospitalisation, antibiotic treatment or forced induction of labour.

VAGIVITAL AL SELF TEST - A SIMPLE SOLUTION

The VagiVital AL Self Test is a pad/pantie protector that helps detect amniotic fluid leakage. The test contains a polymer-embedded strip that changes colour from yellow to blue or green when amniotic fluid is detected. The test is designed to detect even very small amounts of amniotic fluid and can be used from week 16 of pregnancy.

When it feels like the test is wet, it is removed and the result is read after 15 minutes. In the event of urine leakage, the test remains yellow. Clinical studies show that the test has a high reliability with a sensitivity of 97.06% and a specificity of 96.92%.

Buy VagiVital AL Self Test for amniotic fluid leakage here!

FALSE POSITIVE RESULT

VagiVital AL Self Test can give a false positive result for bacterial vaginosis, as the pH level is also high. A pregnant woman with bacterial vaginosis should be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of her waters breaking prematurely, so a positive test result may still lead to necessary treatment. The test should not be used in the event of bleeding or bloody discharge, or within 12 hours of vaginal intercourse, as this may affect the result.

Kjøp vår selvtest for bakteriell vaginose med 92% nøyaktighet og resultater nå her!

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE AMNIOTIC FLUID LEAKAGE SELF-TEST

Question: How does the VagiVital AL pad work?
Answer: The VagiVital AL pad changes colour immediately on contact with amniotic fluid. When in contact with amniotic fluid, the pad's receptors change colour to blue and/or green. This colour remains stable after 15 minutes of drying time. The positive blue-green colour change creates a darker stain that can be easily observed over the yellow background.

Question: How long should I use VagiVital AL?
Answer: Use the VagiVital AL pad until you feel it getting wet. A pad is used for a maximum of 12 hours, then you switch to a new one. Each pack contains 5 pads.

Question: When should I use VagiVital AL?
Answer: Use VagiVital AL when, during pregnancy, you feel an unidentified wetness in your panties, or if your doctor or midwife suspects that you may be at a higher than normal risk of amniotic fluid leakage.

Question: Can the VagiVital AL pad replace a medical examination?
Answer: The test makes it possible to detect amniotic fluid leakage in cases where a doctor is not present. The test is designed both for home monitoring and for continuous monitoring over a longer period of time. Either way, we recommend that you always contact your midwife or doctor in the event of this type of problem.

Remember, it's always best to contact your midwife/birth centre if you're unsure about your symptoms or if you suspect you're leaking amniotic fluid.

Take care of yourself & Stay Pussytive ❤️

/Fanny Falkman Grinndal
Business Manager Nordics
Peptonic Medical AB
fanny.falkman-grinndal@peptonicmedical.se