difference between water breaking and discharge

[counterGOPI]

how in the world do i know the difference,especially if the water only leaks out a bit at a time? the discharge from pregnancy is already so heavy i wouldve thought my water broke months ago! :LOL
<3,
nicole

[kalirush]

For me, the waters were... well, pretty watery. Slippery in a way that discharge wasn't. Especially at first, it was kinda cloudy white (mixing with the CM, I think), but clear later on. Oh! And it really did have this strange, slightly sweet smell- different than CM smell, anyhow.

I'm sure that doesn't help much... It wouldn't have for me, when it was me wondering. Um, one thing you can do if you talk to your mw/ob is that the pH is different, and can be tested. But short of that...

Julia

[marieangela]

I'm not much help. I had a slow, high leak of waters and just blew it off as discharge. I should have been tipped off, though, that I often had to get up during the night before I went into labor because I felt the "discharge" leaking. For me it was clear and a thin eggwhite-like consistency.

[curlyfry]

Originally Posted by marieangela

I'm not much help. I had a slow, high leak of waters and just blew it off as discharge. I should have been tipped off, though, that I often had to get up during the night before I went into labor because I felt the "discharge" leaking. For me it was clear and a thin eggwhite-like consistency.

Oh gosh...that sounds just like what's been happening to me today! Do you think it could be my water breaking? I had some pretty strong contrax last night...but no pattern...I've gotta hold out, my mw gets back from vacation next Sunday, and I didn't want to go before then! Maybe baby has different plans?

[spsmom]

don't know if this helps but when pg with ds, my water broke but only leaked. i was lying in bed and turned over and felt a small gush of fluid. i was unable to control the flow like you can with urine. and it did flow that entire day. it was enough to need to wear a pad but not enough to soak through. ds was born about 30 hours later.

[Galatea]

This is interesting. Yesterday and last night I kept having this feeling like a bubble of something was coming out my vagina and between my lips. Maybe a very slow leak?

[counterGOPI]

hmmm. i dont think im leaking then... it seems like it sometime though since i have so much discharge but its usually around the same times everyday and a leak would be more sporatic right? can you even leak if you havent dropped at all yet?
<3,
nicole

[kalirush]

I didn't drop until late in labor, and I was clearly leaking for days, so I don't think the two are related.

Julia

[Shell_Ell]

Originally Posted by Galatea

This is interesting. Yesterday and last night I kept having this feeling like a bubble of something was coming out my vagina and between my lips. Maybe a very slow leak?

I have felt this alot lately too. I shrugged it off as discharge, but who knows!

[marieangela]

To clarify, I was wearing panty liners, but going through a lot of them. Also, I had not been waking up at all or only once a night to pee before having to get up 5 or 6 times the night before Gavin was born. I don't think he dropped until labor-I didn't feel any different at least. Anyone in doubt could ask their midwife or doctor to check. It was a pretty easy thing to check-three ways. I do recall my midwife saying that the real indicator was ferning, though.

[counterGOPI]

silly question.. whats ferning?

[LacieD]

Ferning is when you look at it under a microscope and it looks like a pretty fern. It's the same pattern you look for if you use the ovulation tester microscope things.

[counterGOPI]

ohhhhhhhhh. i see. ok. thanks!!