Why is the water green during childbirth? Green amniotic fluid during childbirth

When a woman's water breaks, it means that the baby is ready to be born. This also indicates that labor will begin in the near future, as the baby cannot be in the womb without amniotic fluid. Doctors advise going to the maternity hospital as soon as your water breaks and not waiting until contractions begin. After all, there are cases when they don’t even begin. It is possible that the water will not break on its own and the doctors will have to pierce amniotic sac. The waters undergo a thorough assessment, because they are very easy to determine the condition of the baby. Amniotic fluid is considered normal when it is clear. But if doctors find that the color of the water is green or very dark, this means that there are undoubtedly some deviations from the norm. And in most cases, the gynecologist will pay attention to this. Of course, many pregnant women have no idea why the water is this color and what it can mean for both the child and the woman herself.

Why are the waters of labor green?

Post-term pregnancy is also considered a cause of green waters. In this case, the color of the water changes due to the fact that the placenta begins to age. Consequently, the amount of oxygen and nutrients supplied to the child decreases, and again the baby begins to develop hypoxia. It is not uncommon for the cause to be due to infections suffered during pregnancy. These include sexual diseases, problems with the urinary tract, and colds of various types. There are also sometimes cases where doctors say that the waters turned green due to what the woman ate the day before the examination. For example, if a woman’s diet included peas or apple juice. But women may disagree with this opinion, because they believe that nutrition cannot in any way affect the change in the color of amniotic fluid.
The reasons for the complications to some extent include genetic diseases in the baby. But this is very rare, so doctors don’t even begin to talk about this reason. Another important reason is the shock of the child during childbirth. Especially if the birth is very long and difficult. Therefore, there is no doubt that in a stressful situation he will not pass meconium. But judging by the statistics, this does not bode well and happens in almost half of the cases.

Consequences of green waters

But still, doctors do not undertake to judge the baby’s health status by the green waters. After all, very often there were cases when, even with normal waters, the child did not gain even half the points on the Apgar scale, and the one who was born with green ones, on the contrary, was completely healthy and very strong.

The first sign of the imminent onset of labor is the release of amniotic fluid. If, a day after this event, labor does not occur, you should go to a medical facility without expecting contractions to occur.

Assessing the state of amniotic fluid is an important diagnostic point in labor management.

It is believed that their color should be transparent. The presence of a greenish tint in them indicates a problem, so you should definitely inform your gynecologist about this.

Many pregnant women ask questions about the cause of green water and what it means for the fetus. Let's try to figure it out.

Green waters during childbirth: causes and consequences

Nowadays, green waters during childbirth are quite common. Determine the exact reasons why amniotic fluid acquire a greenish tint, only a gynecologist who observes a woman during pregnancy can do so.

Why are there green waters during childbirth?

It is not possible to find out absolutely exactly why green waters appear every time. However, a list of common factors influencing the occurrence of green water has been compiled. Often the cause of this phenomenon can be fetal hypoxia, infectious diseases suffered by a woman during pregnancy, and many other factors.

Causes of green waters during childbirth

Fetal hypoxia. Due to oxygen starvation, the child involuntarily contracts the muscles of the anus, which causes fetal feces to be released into the womb. For this reason, amniotic fluid acquires a greenish tint.

Post-term pregnancy. The main source of nutrients and oxygen for the baby is the placenta. By the end of pregnancy, it loses its original qualities, and the baby does not receive enough nutrients and oxygen. As mentioned above, a lack of oxygen leads to hypoxia, which means meconium (original fetal feces) is released, and the waters turn green.

Infectious diseases. During pregnancy, a woman can be a carrier of various types of infections. For example, these could be genital and urinary tract infections, colds and respiratory diseases.

Poor nutrition. There is a version that if the regime and diet are violated, the water may appear green. However, the overwhelming majority of doctors claim that there is no cause-and-effect relationship.

Genetic diseases of the fetus. In rare cases, the green color of amniotic fluid occurs in genetic diseases of the child. But, as a rule, this factor appears infrequently.

Stress for the future newborn. Any birth, early or late, entails a series of stressful moments for the baby. Therefore, you should not be surprised if the child suddenly experiences involuntary passage of meconium. In particular, according to some statistics, a similar phenomenon occurs in approximately 30% of births and does not bode well.

Knowing the reasons for the appearance of green water during labor is necessary if you plan to become pregnant again in the future. However, it should be understood that any new pregnancy always proceeds completely differently.

Often after the end of labor, when a woman hears that the amniotic fluid is green, she has questions: what does this mean, why did this happen and what does this mean in the future?

Of course, the appearance of green waters does not mean anything good. During childbirth, the baby may swallow liquids containing toxic substances, after which complications may occur. Very often, when the water breaks in a green color and in the absence of labor, doctors send the woman for a caesarean section, since the child is starved of oxygen and his life is in danger.

There are times when the fetus’s first stool is passed during the birth process itself, because the child has experienced great stress. In this case, he was in an unsafe environment for a minimum of time, and the likelihood of complications for him was minimal.

The discharge of green amniotic fluid is not the most important criterion by which the health and general well-being of the newborn is assessed. There are often cases where children born with the breaking of green waters have very good health, and also score 8-9 points on the Apgar scale, which is a good and even excellent indicator. In some cases, on the contrary, the broken water may be of a normal, transparent color, but the baby may experience some health problems.

Every pregnancy and birth is different, so there is no single formula for determining the cause and effects of green waters. In post-term pregnancy, the water may break completely clear. The absence of hypoxia in the fetus can result in the discharge of green water, and with oxygen starvation, the amniotic fluid can be transparent. Even if your pregnancy proceeds absolutely normally, without any problems or complications, there is a chance that the amniotic fluid will be green.

The doctor must remember that his initial task is to competently manage the birth and prevent any complications. If a situation suddenly arises in which the baby's airways are clogged with green water, they must be removed as soon as the head appears in order to prevent meconium from entering the baby's lungs during his first breath. To carry out this manipulation, the obstetrician will have to stop pushing and perform aspiration of the newborn's airways.

We wish that everything goes well with your child, no matter what the color of the amniotic fluid is at birth.

All pregnant women know the signs of beginning labor, even if they are expecting their first child, since this is a signal to take things and go to the maternity hospital. These signs include the onset of contractions and the rupture of amniotic fluid, which can occur in different ways for women in labor. Amniotic fluid may leak little by little, may recede unexpectedly and immediately, or may not recede until the amniotic sac is punctured directly in the maternity chair.

Doctors always assess the condition of the amniotic fluid, paying attention to the color, and at home, the woman herself will pay attention to the amniotic (amniotic) fluid. It is necessary to focus on color, since normally the amniotic fluid is transparent, and an unusual color indicates the presence of some abnormalities.

Green waters during childbirth are quite common in lately phenomenon (15–20%), which is not always a warning sign, so it is important to know possible reasons their appearance.

Despite the modern level of medicine, it is not always possible to determine the cause of the appearance of green water. Green amniotic fluid itself is not dangerous if labor activity proceeds normally, and the baby did not have time to swallow any liquid. Otherwise, negative consequences are possible (the development of pneumonia, respiratory failure and other problems with the child’s respiratory system), so the midwife clears the baby’s airways immediately after the baby’s head comes out, before the first breath (the baby’s airways are also cleared during a caesarean section).

The amniotic fluid acquires its unusual color due to the reflex secretion of meconium, the baby’s original feces. To understand whether the situation poses a danger to the baby, you need to understand the reasons for the release of meconium.

Reasons for the release of original feces

• With hypoxia, which is observed in 10.5% of cases. The prerequisites for the development of hypoxia can be different - from anemia to congenital malformations and compression of the child’s head during labor, but in any case, the reflex discharge of meconium is associated with the child’s discomfort due to lack of oxygen. That is why, in cases where the waters break and there are no contractions for a long time, a caesarean section is performed.
• During postterm pregnancy. The placenta, which provides a connection between the baby and the mother and supplies the baby with nutrients, has certain degrees of maturity. By the 40th week, the placenta is no longer able to fully supply the baby with oxygen and nutrients (usually this is the 3rd degree of maturity), so even in the absence of any diseases or abnormalities, post-term pregnancy is fraught with the same hypoxia for the baby. Therefore, when the gestational age exceeds 40 weeks and the waters have not broken, and ultrasound results reveal placental insufficiency and there are signs of hypoxia, a cesarean section is recommended. Caesarean section during postmaturity is also performed if labor has begun, but the green waters have broken and the cervix has not yet dilated.
• In a stressful situation for the child that arises during childbirth.

Green waters during childbirth are also a consequence of infectious diseases suffered during pregnancy, and in some cases, evidence of the presence of genetic pathologies of the fetus. But such cases are rare and are always accompanied by other signs that can be detected during pregnancy using amniotic fluid analysis and other examinations.

There is also a hypothesis that the cause of the appearance of a greenish tint in the amniotic fluid is the foods eaten by the mother the day before - apple juice or fresh green peas, but there is currently no scientific confirmation of this version. In the absence of severe hypoxia, it is difficult to determine why the water changed color in a particular case. Many mothers, having heard and read a variety of information, are very worried if they hear “the waters are green.” But this fact does not mean at all that problems with the baby’s health cannot be avoided - the tactics correctly chosen by the doctor and timely assistance from the midwife play an important role here.

What could be the consequences?

If green waters during childbirth are due to hypoxia, the consequences depend on the degree of oxygen deficiency (mild, moderate, severe). With prolonged severe hypoxia, dysfunctions of organs and body systems develop (impaired functioning of the respiratory system, regurgitation syndrome, etc.). Asphyxia during childbirth is possible, requiring resuscitation measures in the delivery room, and in some cases, artificial ventilation.

A mild degree of hypoxia is usually compensated by the baby’s body and can subsequently manifest itself as nervousness and increased excitability (but this does not mean that it will definitely manifest itself), so such children are seen by a neurologist. In most cases, a course of rehabilitation treatment quickly produces positive results.

If the green water breaks during a post-term pregnancy, the consequences depend on the doctor (a timely cesarean section prevents the development of severe hypoxia).

When the waters are green and there are no obvious signs of hypoxia in the fetus, the only serious danger is meconium aspiration syndrome. Children often swallow amniotic fluid, but meconium entering the respiratory system during childbirth poses a danger to the baby. The syndrome occurs in only 1% of cases, but without timely medical care, the chances of falling into this percentage increase. Sometimes in such cases, the doctor suggests a cesarean section, but since “cesarean babies” have a higher risk of developing allergies and it is more difficult to establish breastfeeding, mothers often refuse, not understanding why they cannot give birth on their own in the absence of other contraindications.

With caution

It is important to understand what doctors fear and make the right decision. At natural childbirth within 10-15 seconds after birth, the baby’s body adjusts to independent breathing. The baby takes his first breath, the lungs expand, and oxygen-poor blood begins to flow to the lungs. But if water with meconium is present in the baby’s body, the first breath is accompanied by meconium entering the respiratory tract. Therefore, the child should not be allowed to take his first breath until the airways are cleared, and here everything depends on the timely actions of the doctor. Home birth with green waters can result in inhalation of meconium, so the only correct decision in this case is to urgently go to the maternity hospital, since time is working against you.

Green waters cannot be considered an indicator of the health of the newborn - the child may well get high scores on the Apgar scale, so the unusual color of the amniotic fluid is just a reason to pay extra attention to the moment the baby is born.

The moment when a pregnant woman’s heart subsides is considered the clearest sign of the baby’s imminent birth. The baby is not able to stay for a long time in the uterus, which lacks amniotic fluid. Therefore, it is recommended to enter the maternity ward no later than 24 hours after the discharge.

It is quite possible that to begin the birth process you will have to pierce the amniotic sac, thereby causing the appearance of water. Their qualitative and quantitative composition is carefully assessed, as it provides a lot of information about the child’s condition. It is clear liquid that is considered normal, but green water during childbirth is an alarming sign. Of course, it’s not a fact that everything is very bad, but the gynecologist’s attention to the woman in labor will become increased.

Causes of green waters during childbirth

This phenomenon is not uncommon, and in each case it can be explained by completely different reasons. It is not always possible to determine exactly why the amniotic fluid has acquired an abnormal color. But there are several specific factors that can have an indirect or direct impact on this kind of situation:

1. Oxygen starvation of the fetus inside the womb. The child begins to reflexively contract the muscles of the anus, which leads to the release of original feces - meconium. This is what gives the water its color.
2. Postterm pregnancy, when the aging placenta cannot fully fulfill its duties, the baby does not receive enough oxygen, which leads to hypoxia.
3. during childbirth may well be explained by an infection suffered during pregnancy. This can be either a common cold or a disease of the genitourinary system.
4. There is an opinion among mothers that the color of the water may well change due to the large consumption of green peas or apples. This guess has no medical confirmation.
5. There is a rare situation in which green water during childbirth is the result of a genetic pathology of the fetus.
6. Almost 30% of births in which the waters are green are explained by the fact that the child is experiencing completely natural stress. As a result, meconium is released, that is, the baby simply poops out of fear.

Consequences of green waters during childbirth

It is worthwhile to accurately determine the cause of greening of the amniotic fluid only if the woman is going to give birth again. But you need to take into account the fact that each subsequent pregnancy proceeds differently. It’s better to think about how dangerous what has already happened is for the mother herself and her child.

Typically, green waters during childbirth are considered a bad symptom. This is due to the fact that the fetus can simply swallow them, which can lead to unforeseen circumstances. There is also the possibility of the child dying due to lack of oxygen. He literally can’t breathe, and he simply doesn’t have the strength to be born on his own. Therefore, the birth may well end in cesarean.

However, you should not specifically link the appearance of green waters with any pathologies of the child. It is quite possible that a normal birth, which took place with the release of clear amniotic fluid, will end in the death of the fetus, while the mother with green waters will give birth to a full-fledged baby.

You need to understand that the process of relief from a burden is complex and surprising. It has many functions involved female body, and it is impossible to say for sure why it was the green waters that filled the uterus during childbirth, and whether they were the cause of complications. You should always hope for the best, choose a personal obstetrician in advance and monitor the condition of the baby during pregnancy, not only during medical procedures, but also for the mother herself to listen to her child.