Some women experience a gush, while others experience a continuous trickle.

It is important to not place anything inside the vagina after your water has broken, so avoid: intercourse, baths, and vaginal exams. This may cause an infection

If you experience any of the following, you should contact your doctor straight away -

• Fluid is not clear, but green or brownish.
• You have a fever.
• You feel something pulsing in the vagina (If you feel this put your knees to your chest on the floor and call an ambulance, you may have a prolapsed cord.)

Only 5% of labours begin with spontaneous breaking of waters with contractions following. More commonly, the waters break during labour. So if you think your waters have gone, you must go into hospital or call your doctor, even if you can’t feel any contractions.