Leakage of amniotic fluid symptoms 39 weeks. The danger of water leakage during pregnancy

Harbingers of childbirth

Precursors of childbirth usually appear about a month - 2 weeks before the event itself, and can cause a lot of anxiety. Precursors of labor in first-time mothers usually appear earlier than in repeat births, but they are less pronounced; in multiparous women they can appear only a few days, almost immediately before birth.

Precursors of labor are a complex of symptoms, which is a kind of replay of events and the establishment necessary connections in the body of the expectant mother, which will ensure the normal course of childbirth.

In many ways, the woman’s nervous system is responsible for the development of childbirth, and in order for everything to end happily, it is necessary that the appropriate nervous connections be established, the so-called dominant of childbirth must be formed. It is clear that if a woman has already given birth, this happens faster, according to a previously worked out scenario, and the shorter the interval between births, the easier it happens. This is why repeat births are shorter, and the warning signs of repeat births also take less time and are more pronounced.

When do the warning signs of labor begin? They usually occur at 37-38-39-40 weeks of pregnancy.

How long do the warning signs of labor last? Usually they continue until the onset of labor, and this can happen after a month, or after 2 weeks, or after a couple of days.

So, what indicates that labor is about to begin? What are the warning signs of childbirth?

Weight loss before childbirth

Descent of the abdomen

Signs of a lowering of the abdomen are easier breathing, a feeling that it has become lower and interferes less, and at the same time it can cause some discomfort of a different kind. The head puts pressure on the bladder, and you constantly run to the toilet, at the same time it can be difficult to go to the bathroom, and constipation may bother you.

If you notice these symptoms, this does not mean that labor will begin tomorrow; drooping of the abdomen can occur even a month before the event itself; these are the first harbingers of labor, one of those that appear the earliest.

Mood changes

Both options are normal, it is better to obey your desires. If you want to sleep, sleep, gain strength, you will need it very soon.

Discharge, removal of plug before childbirth

The opening of the cervix before childbirth begins in advance. First, it shortens and smoothes out, gradually its canal opens slightly, this is called cervical ripening. By the time of birth, it will become completely soft and smoothed; this preparatory opening of the cervix during pregnancy is ensured precisely by training contractions, and only a mature cervix will allow labor to develop normally.

It must be said that in repeatedly pregnant women, the opening occurs literally before the birth itself or even with its onset. In primigravidas, the opening of the cervix by 2 fingers may already be at the time of admission to the maternity hospital, in advance, even before the start of active labor, for them this process is extended over time and begins in advance.

Signs of opening of the cervix are discharge from the genital tract. Discharge – a precursor to labor – is caused by the release of the mucus plug. Even if the mucus plug has moved away, it is impossible to predict when labor will begin. The plug before childbirth is a lump of mucus, up to one and a half to two centimeters in diameter, it can be of different colors, transparent, yellowish, brown, and even streaked with scarlet blood. These are all normal options.

The plug comes off in different ways, for some it takes several days, and then there is a mucous-bloody discharge, for others it comes off all at once. Most often, labor begins within the next week after the appearance of this discharge.

Appetite disturbance

Decrease in child's motor activity

An excessively restless child before birth is a reason to consult a gynecologist; intrauterine fetal hypoxia is possible.

Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea

Precursors of labor such as diarrhea are somewhat more common and can occur a couple of days before birth.

All these not the most pleasant symptoms are a kind of liberation for the baby; the intestines should be empty before birth so as not to interfere with the child’s passage through the birth canal, and nature took care of this.

Pain in the perineum, pain in the sacrum and pubis

False contractions

Even before labor begins, false contractions can deplete the nervous system if taken seriously. Yes, these are harbingers of imminent labor, but not yet the birth, perhaps another two weeks will pass before you give birth.

What are they, training contractions before childbirth?

These are contractions of the uterus, somewhat painful, the pain resembles that which sometimes bothers you during menstruation, this is not the feeling of pulling in the stomach that happened before, but pain that comes in attacks, pain in the lower abdomen and lower back, growing in waves and letting go.

But it is not so strong and long-lasting that you experience real discomfort; you can easily continue to do your business, despite its presence.

If these are just harbingers of labor, contractions are intermittent and irregular. They can bother you at various intervals (5-15 minutes) for several hours and stop completely, as if nothing had happened.

To understand whether these are contractions or not, you just need to note the time between them. If they do not increase in duration and the intervals remain chaotic and long, this is not childbirth.

If this is your first pregnancy and you don’t have to travel more than an hour to the maternity hospital, you shouldn’t go there immediately. Childbirth for the first time lasts long enough, and even if you make a mistake, disaster will not happen. Try taking a warm bath, taking a nosh-pa tablet and going to bed. Most likely, you will fall asleep peacefully.

Sometimes false contractions turn into real labor. The intervals shorten, the contractions intensify and lengthen, and then it’s definitely time to go to the maternity hospital.

What are the warning signs of childbirth that indicate danger and require immediate attention to the maternity hospital?

The warning signs of premature birth are similar to those described above. The development of such symptoms before 35 weeks is a reason to urgently consult a gynecologist. Premature opening of the cervix and labor activity can develop in the middle of pregnancy if it fails due to injuries during abortion, surgery and previous births.

The appearance of pure scarlet blood from the genital tract at any stage is a threat to the child’s life.

The appearance of leakage amniotic fluid. This is a feeling of dampness, watery discharge, intensifying with movement. If you notice this, you should consult a doctor immediately, there is a risk of infection of the uterine cavity and fetus. Wearing a white fabric pad helps to distinguish the leakage of water; it is easy to assess the nature of the discharge; the amniotic fluid does not smell, it is usually transparent. They may be brown (a very bad symptom) or green from meconium (also very bad).

Signs of the onset of labor

What determines the onset of labor?

Of course, it depends on whether you and the child are ready for them. The ripening of the cervix, the formation of the necessary nerve connections and hormonal levels lead to the appearance of symptoms of incipient labor.

The first signs of incipient labor may appear between 37 and 42 weeks; if labor does not begin on time, doctors try to speed up the onset of labor.

Usually the second birth begins earlier. If labor does not begin, measures are taken to prepare the cervix. Very often, sex brings great benefits; there are more than enough cases when labor began after sex.

What time does labor begin?

Oddly enough, most babies choose to be born at night. This is due to daily fluctuations of hormones in a woman’s blood; their optimal level usually occurs in the pre-dawn hours, which is why labor begins at night.

Are there differences in how labor progresses during different births? Yes, I have. And this depends on many factors, for example, how much time has passed between births, at what time they began.

How does premature labor begin? Usually, if the first symptoms of premature labor begin are contractions, and if the woman goes to the maternity hospital on time, this is regarded as a threat of premature labor and in most cases it is possible to stop labor if the dilatation of the cervix has not gone too far.

It is much sadder if premature birth begins with the rupture of amniotic fluid. If the pregnancy is severe, it can be prolonged for several days or even weeks, but in most cases the child is born.

How and when does the first labor begin?

The first birth often begins at 40 weeks or more, and is preceded by a fairly long period of precursors. Most often, the precursors smoothly transition into labor, having previously managed to spoil the nerves of the expectant mother and forced her to consult gynecologists more than once with suspicion of the onset of labor.

How do the second and third births begin?

Usually for more early than the first, 38-40 weeks, and develop more rapidly. The period of harbingers is either very short, a few days, or completely absent.

How to recognize the onset of labor is usually not even a question for the expectant mother; she remembers how it happens. Contractions are not the only possible way for labor to begin. The onset of labor may vary...

Transition of the harbingers of labor into labor. The frequency of contractions before childbirth increases, their strength increases, the intervals shorten and become rhythmic.

Independent occurrence of labor. Contractions begin regularly from the very beginning and gradually intensify.

Premature rupture of amniotic fluid. It must be said that the onset of labor is usually easily recognized by a woman, and at the same time there is always a great emotional upsurge, composure and readiness to fight arises, you will experience joy and relief at the same time. And of course, there will be a feeling of anxiety and fear, how else? Even the beginning of the second birth is a step into the unknown.

Let's look at all the signs of the onset of labor.

Transition of labor harbingers, false contractions, into real contractions

If this is the beginning of labor, how do contractions progress? If during training contractions they can hardly be called painful, how to understand that labor has begun is not difficult: the pain becomes severe. This pain is no longer similar to menstrual pain. This is pressure in the lower back, spreading to the lower abdomen, with a dull aching sensation that intensifies and then releases. There is no pain in between. At first, such contractions are short, 10-15 seconds, but as labor progresses they become more frequent and longer.

When the intervals between them do not exceed 10 minutes, and they themselves last 40-50 seconds, this is already active labor, you definitely need to see a doctor urgently.

Although the first birth usually lasts at least 12 hours, you will agree that it is better to arrive early than late; it’s time to call an ambulance and go to the maternity hospital.

Independent occurrence of labor

And the problem of how to determine the onset of labor during repeated births is no longer necessary, the woman is familiar with all the sensations, she remembers the symptoms perfectly.

The contractions at first are not strong, but they increase very quickly, it is impossible to miss the onset of labor, and you need to go to the maternity hospital as quickly as possible, such births are often very fast. If labor begins suddenly, if labor begins at home, this is a reason to quit everything, you will have time to do everything later. Take your documents with you, a bottle of water (plain, without gas), and urgently go to the maternity hospital, without waiting for your husband from work, etc.

You won’t need things at first; you can bring them tomorrow.

Premature rupture of amniotic fluid

At the end of pregnancy, the fetal head descends into the pelvis and puts pressure on the bladder, which is why many women have problems with urination. Not only do you want to run to the toilet often, but you may also experience urinary incontinence. In such a situation, how can you understand whether labor is beginning and water is leaking or just incontinence?

It's very simple, you just need to wear a panty liner. It should be either a simple white cloth or a pad with a non-mesh surface, then you can easily assess the nature of the discharge. Amniotic fluid is very easy to distinguish from urine.

How do the waters break? There may be two options.

They may come off at once, 150-200 ml of liquid will pour out onto your legs. Your task is to assess their character in order to tell the doctor about it. Normally, amniotic fluid is light and odorless. If you have green amniotic fluid, an unpleasant odor from it, or a brown color, you must tell your doctor about it, you can be sure that you will be asked about it. The discharge of amniotic fluid may be accompanied by cramping pain in the lower abdomen.

How do you know when labor has begun if your water is just leaking and there are no contractions? Is it water or just discharge? Tighten your stomach, strain slightly. If at the same time you feel increased discharge, do not hesitate, this is amniotic fluid, and you need to go to the maternity hospital.

When the pregnancy is already long, has exceeded 40 weeks, and there are not even harbingers of labor, impatience, fatigue and irritability appear. I really want labor to begin faster, and women begin to use various methods to speed it up, for example, they start rearranging furniture at home, develop vigorous physical activity, and are active sex life. All this helps to bring the onset of labor closer, but at the same time it is tiring; the best thing you can do before giving birth is to sleep more. There is no need to stimulate the onset of labor, the time will come and it will begin, no one is still pregnant.

If you are concerned about why labor is not starting, ask your gynecologist about it. An error in timing, for example, is quite likely, especially if the first ultrasound was only in the second trimester.

If accelerating the approach of labor is necessary from a medical point of view, doctors will do this using medical methods, and your task is to know the signs of the onset of labor and promptly determine that it has begun, and get to the maternity hospital on time.

The fetus in the womb is in the amniotic fluid throughout the entire gestation period. When water leakage is observed at 39 weeks of pregnancy, labor most likely begins. However, it is worth correctly recognizing the manifestation and contacting a specialist.

Symptoms and features

In the last trimester, according to biological characteristics, vaginal discharge increases. In this case, it is important to find out exactly their nature in order to know further actions. Ideally, if you start to feel something, you should consult a doctor who will give you the exact and correct sign.

What do you observe:

1. The number of discharges increases, especially when moving or changing position.
2. When the bladder ruptures, a stream flowing down the legs is noted. Tension of the pelvic muscles does not help in this case.
3. In case of a very small rupture, such a manifestation can be confirmed by a special test, a smear taken by a gynecologist in a antenatal clinic.

If leakage occurs at 39 weeks of pregnancy, you need to know what the fluid looks like. Define it appearance quite difficult, even on the gasket it can be transparent. In rare cases, it has a pinkish, brownish or cloudy tint.

Tests for self-determination of symptoms

So that you can be sure that the process is normal and begin to prepare for the birth of your child, you can use the following methods:

1. First you need to wash yourself and wipe your perineum dry with a dry towel. Take a lying position and if after 15 minutes you feel the release of fluid, then 80% of the fact that you will soon give birth.
2. A special gasket, which can be purchased at a pharmacy. It will help determine the likelihood of passage.

You should immediately go to the gynecologist if this symptom occurs. If he confirms the readiness of the cervix for the start of labor, then you will soon see the long-awaited baby.

To speed up the end of the perinatal period, the development and readiness of the fetus for birth will be diagnosed, as well as the degree of dilatation of the cervix and the divergence of the mother’s pelvic bones.

Normal effusion process

1. Leakage of amniotic fluid is activated at 39 weeks of pregnancy.
2. The appearance of contractions and at one of them the bubble ruptures, which leads to the complete pouring of the contents out.
3. If you went to the doctor and the bladder did not rupture, the obstetrician-gynecologist can do it himself, thanks to a special tool that resembles a hook.

Is this situation dangerous?

When you are in the last trimester, the manifestation is not dangerous for you and the baby. However, you should still consult a doctor, he will take measures to quickly complete the pregnancy process. Don't worry if you experience amniotic fluid leaking. at this stage- this is not dangerous, but will lead to the birth of a baby.