Difference between leaking amniotic fluid and leaking urine? 34 weeks pregnant?

Question

The past few days I have been experiencing some sort of leaking. I don't know if it is urine or amniotic fluid. Does anyone know? Or has anyone had this before? I go to my doctors the first of the week. Thanks

Answer 1

The same thing happened to me. I would lean over and liquid would come out. I went to the doctor and they did the test to make sure my water hadn't broke, and it hadn't. Then they told me.... You are peeing on yourself from all of the pressure and weight of the baby. It too was around when i was about 34 weeks. Still make sure you check with the doctor. Might not me your finest hour when they tell you your urinating on yourself but better safe than sorry. At least you can laugh at it in the long run!

Answer 2

I had this too. It was the last two months I was pregnant. As my due date got closer it got worse. When I was about 38 weeks pregnant I suddenly felt REALLY wet and just knew that my water was breaking. I've heard from more than one person that it can leak slowly or happen when you use the bathroom so I was just sure thats what it was. I had just used the bathroom like 5 min before that also. I had a Dr. appointment that day and told her that I thought it had broke. She checked me out and did a test where she swabbed the cervical lining to see if it was amniotic fluid. It was'nt. I never knew uncontrolable peeing was such a big part of pregnancy. I ended up being induced a week after my due date and had to have a c- section. I've heard that if the color of the fluid in your underwear or the fluid in the toilet has a slight pink color its probably amniotic fluid. If youre concerned you should call your Dr. today. Also after your water breaks you will usually feel very painful contractions start and they will be closer together. Some peoples fluid can leak for weeks before delivery though.

Answer 3

If it's amniotic fluid you should get to your doctor ASAP - once you start leaking fluid (aka you water has broken) the baby should be delivered within 24 hours to prevent serious risk of infection to both you and the baby. But a quick way to tell the difference is to smell it. If it smells like ammonia, it's urine. If not, it could very well be amniotic fluid. But if there is ANY doubt at all, PLEASE call your doctor so they can check. They'll actually test the fluid, which you cannot do at home (and if they are closed for the weekend, call the oncall and they will most likely send you to the hospital to check). Good luck.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Difference between leaking amniotic fluid and leaking urine? 34 weeks pregnant?
The past few days I have been experiencing some sort of leaking. I don't know if it is urine or amniotic fluid. Does anyone know? Or has anyone had this before? I go to my doctors the first of the week. Thanks

Answer 5

Leaking Urine During Pregnancy

Answer 6

One difference you may notice is that amniotic fluid has almost no odor. If it smells like urine it is urine. If it smells like sweet straw it is more likely amniotic fluid. Does the leaking occur as you stand up from a lying down position? Does it happen when you cough or laugh? If it happens when you stand up from a lying down position it may be a leak in your amniotic sac. The only way to know for sure is to see your doctor. You should definitely get checked out if it is foul smelling, bloody, pink, or if you have any fever at all.

Answer 7

Its not going to sound pleasant, but here's what I learned in my childbirth class - to smell it and you can tell if its not urine. If you still can't tell, you can go into a maternity ward and tell them you think you may be leaking amniotic fluid. They just have a little strip to test it. Its important to know the difference because some docs have a protocol to admit if your water is leaking. Many women don't experience their water breaking like in the movies, at least 50% experience leaking so make sure to get it checked if you can't figure it out at home. Take care and good luck!

Answer 8

Amniotic fluid smells different than urine. Really, from my experience, it smells a lot like ammonia, and you probably know what your urine smells like. If you believe you have a leak, your doctor can use a test strip to tell for sure if it is amniotic fluid. You should really see him soon if that is the case. If you lose to much fluid, you could also lose the baby.

Answer 9

Go to the bathroom. Wipe yourself clean. Put on a small, unscented pad.
Wait 5 - 10 min [ depending how fast it gets wet ]. Sniff the pad. If it smells like urine [ ammonia ], OK. If it doesn't, call your doc NOW.
Normal amniotic fluid is clear, sometimes with little white particles
[ vernix, esp if baby is early ],sometimes with a tiny amount of blood [ esp if you are already laboring ]. I can't explain the smell, but it is not like urine, and very faint.
Sometimes at 34 weeks you could have leaking urine because of the increased pressure of the heavier baby [ do your kegals! ] but if in doubt, CALL!

Answer 10

The difference is where it is coming from, but I am confident that you knew that and your question is How do you tell the difference.

Unfortunately, it is not an obvious thing. Both would happen when you are exerting yourself. Urine leakage is more likely to occur when your bladder is full whereas amniotic fluid will leak regardless of your bladder's state. You can try inserting something like a very small tampon just a little inside your vagina for a short amount of time to see if it comes out wet or if your panties get wet and it stays dry.

If you are concerned about it, you really should not wait until your doctor's appointment at the first of the week. You are still too early to deliver, so if there is a leak in your bag, you will need to be put on bed rest to try and prevent the bag from bursting any earlier than it has to. If you go to labor and delivery at the hospital, they have a pH type test that they can do to determine if the fluid is amniotic. They can also look at it under a microscope to examine the cells present.

Again, please don't wait too long if you have a serious concern.