After your waters break - The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust

Patient Information Leaflet

Introduction

This leaflet is for pregnant women. It gives information about what happens if your waters break when you are more than 37 weeks pregnant and you are not having contractions.

What happens if my waters have broken and I am not in labour?

Sometimes a woman’s waters break before labour starts. This happens in about 1 in 20 pregnancies and is known medically as pre-labour rupture of the membranes (PROM).

When this happens, the length of time between the waters breaking and the contractions beginning varies. 9 out of 10 women will go into labour on their own within 24 hours.

If you think your waters have broken, you should contact the Maternity Triage Department on 01384 456111 ext. 3053 and speak to a midwife for advice. The triage midwife may arrange for you to come into the hospital.

Does it matter if I am not contracting when my waters break?

A delay of less than 24 hours between your waters breaking and contractions starting is unlikely to affect your labour.

However, there can be an increased risk of infection to your baby if contractions have not started within 24 hours of your waters breaking. This is because the sac of ‘waters’ or amniotic fluid provides some protection from infection to your baby if it remains unbroken.

What happens when it is confirmed that my waters have broken?

The hospital midwife will confirm if your waters have broken. If you and baby are well, the midwife will give you the choice of:

Induction of labour as soon as possible
Going home and wait to see if your contractions start (Expectant management) for up to 24 hours

If you choose induction of labour you will be admitted for this to be commenced as soon as possible. If you choose expectant management, the midwife will give you a date and time to return to the hospital, if your labour has not started within 24 hours of your waters breaking. If the 24 hours falls in the middle of the night, we will invite you to return at 8am the next morning.

We may recommend that your labour is started sooner in these cases:

If you know, or the midwife finds, that you are a carrier of bacteria called Group B streptococcus (GBS)
A problem is found with you or your baby when you come to hospital

We will discuss this in more detail with you and your partner.

What should I do if I choose to wait at home (expectant management)?

Wear a sanitary towel so you can check the colour and smell of the water you are losing.

Contact the Maternity Triage Department on 01384 456111 ext. 3053 immediately if your waters become coloured (green, brown or blood stained) or start to smell horrible.

You should also contact the Maternity Triage Department if:

You start having contractions (labour pains) that are regular and last 60 seconds or more
You experience constant pain
Your baby’s movements change
You feel unwell or you have a temperature
You have any bleeding
You have any other concerns

Other advice:

You can shower or bath as you would normally
You should avoid having sex as this may increase the risk of infection
Return to the Maternity Unit at the agreed time

If you go into labour within 24 hours of your waters breaking, no further treatment is needed.

What happens if I have chosen expectant management and I do not have contractions within 24 hours?

We will suggest that you come to the Maternity Ward for an induction of labour. This is when we try to start your labour for you.

Labour can be started by either a pessary inserted into your vagina or a drip that contains a hormone to start your contractions. Your midwife will discuss this with you and offer you an ‘Induction of labour’ leaflet when you arrive.

During your labour, we may need to give you antibiotics about once every four hours when your contractions are regular and your cervix (neck of your womb) is opening. These will be given until your baby is born. If they are required the Midwife caring for you will explain the reason why.

What if I do not want an induction of labour?

If you do not want your labour to be induced after waiting 24 hours, please discuss this with a midwife.

Can I find out more?

This leaflet explains what happens when your waters break at this hospital. The following weblinks give general information about the subject:

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on 01384 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet.

If you have any feedback on this patient information leaflet please email dgft.patient.information@nhs.net

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

Originator: Maternity Documentation Group. Date reviewed: December 2025. Next review due: December 2028. Version: 3. DGH ref: DGH/PIL/00890