Amniotic Fluid Smell
I have been reading about what typically happens when my water breaks, but I am still wondering what the amniotic fluid smell compares to. Can you give me an idea of what it smells like?
This is a really important question and I’m glad that you took the time to ask it, as it is something that all pregnant women need to be aware of. If you are going through your first pregnancy, it is going to be quite confusing as your due date gets closer and closer to distinguish between when your water breaks and if it is some other type of vaginal discharge. Keep in mind that whenever your water does in fact break, it is not going to be a huge gush of fluid like you would think. This of course makes trying to determine when your water has broken even more difficult.
Since most pregnant women have bladder control issues, the most common thing that is confused for amniotic fluid is urine. However, urine does have its own unique smell that most people are quite familiar with. It will also have some type of color to it, where as amniotic fluid is going to be clear.
Amniotic fluid also has a much more distinct smell to it and many women describe it as smelling like vinegar, bleach or ammonia.
If you feel that your water has broken, you want to give your doctor a call as soon as possible. This way he can do a test on the fluid to determine if it is amniotic fluid or not. You will typically go into labor within 24 hours after your water has broken, if not your doctor may want to induce your labor after this time period has past. This is because the chances for infection are greatly increased once your water has broken.
It is important to note that about three quarters of all women will not have their water break until they are actually in labor. So it is not very common for your water to break before you go into labor.
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