Can you leak amniotic fluid without knowing

They may also perform a dye test, which involves introducing blue dye into the amniotic sac and asking the woman to wear a sanitary pad.

If the dye shows up on the pad, this can indicate leaking amniotic fluid. The amniotic sac ruptures when a woman goes into labor. People often refer to this as the water breaking. For most women, it is more likely to feel like a constant trickle. Sometimes, the amniotic sac breaks or leaks before labor starts. If the amniotic sac breaks before the 37th week of pregnancy, doctors refer to it as preterm PROM.

Women who got pregnant less than 6 months after their last labor or are carrying more than one baby have a higher risk of PROM.

Treatment will depend on the cause of the leak, as well as the age, health, and development of the fetus. A doctor may recommend bed rest, meaning that the woman should reduce her activities and rest for most of the day. They may also advise abstaining from sex. If a woman has an infection, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics that are safe to take during pregnancy.

If the baby is ready to be born, doctors may choose to initiate labor using a drug called oxytocin. Alternatively, medications called tocolytics can help stop premature labor if it is too early for the birth to occur. About 12 days into pregnancy, an amniotic sac forms around the growing fetus. Amniotic fluid fills the sac and has several purposes, including:. The amniotic fluid comprises mainly water for the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. The quantity of fluid in the amniotic sac tends to increase until around the 36th week of pregnancy when it starts to decrease.

At its peak, there is about 1 quart of amniotic fluid inside the sac. It is not unusual for women to experience more vaginal discharge than usual during pregnancy. Vaginal discharge will typically smell mild and appear milky. Women may also leak urine when they are pregnant. Think of it like a warm, padded home where your baby grows and develops over 40 weeks of pregnancy.

It also contains nutrients, antibodies and hormones. It does a lot! The amniotic sac that holds your baby forms about 12 days after conception and is at first filled with mostly water. In this case, the fluid usually looks green or brown. If this happens, your doctor will determine whether or not baby needs treatment after birth to prevent breathing problems. A normal level of amniotic fluid is about one quart by 36 weeks pregnant.

From 36 weeks onward, your fluid level drops until your water breaks. Your doctor will use an ultrasound to measure the amount of fluid around your baby by using the amniotic fluid index AFI and the maximum vertical pocket MPV. AFI checks the depth of fluid in four areas of your uterus, while the MPV measures the fluid level in the deepest area.

Oligohydramnios is the condition defined by having too little amniotic fluid. Signs of this condition include:. Treatment options will depend on how far along you are, and in some cases, there are ways to increase amniotic fluid levels. Prior to delivery, fluid injection via amniocentesis is another way to increase amniotic fluid. And though it may sound simple, rehydrating either by drinking lots of fluids or via an IV has been shown to help increase amniotic fluid.

Medically Reviewed by Eric Surrey, M. Medical Review Policy All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals.

Back to Top. In This Article. Continue Reading Below. Recommended Reading. Preeclampsia: Symptoms, Risk Factors and Treatment. View Sources. Your Health. Pregnancy Groups. Jump to Your Week of Pregnancy. Pregnancy Week.