Water breaking

The amniotic sac is a fluid-filled membrane that cushions a baby in the uterus. At the beginning of or during labor, the membranes rupture. This also is called water breaking.

When your water breaks, you might have a trickle of small amounts of fluid from your vagina. Or there may be a more obvious gush of fluid. If your water breaks, contact your healthcare team right away, and go to your hospital or birthing center. Do this even if you're not sure whether the fluid is amniotic fluid, urine or something else.

Once your water breaks, timing becomes important. If labor hasn't started already, the longer it takes for labor to start after your water breaks, the greater the risk of you or your baby getting an infection. Your healthcare team might suggest taking steps to start your contractions before labor begins on its own. That process is called labor induction.