Whether amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid. Causes of amniotic fluid leakage

Doctors often recommend limiting fluid intake to prevent swelling. Expectant mothers should take this advice seriously. How much water to drink during pregnancy per day? What should pregnant women drink? How to reduce the load on the kidneys? More on this in the article below.

The role of water in the body of a pregnant woman

Water is the basis of all life. During pregnancy, the entire development of the child occurs in the aquatic environment. From the moment of fusion of germ cells until birth, the fetus is surrounded by amniotic fluid. Without it, the development of the baby is impossible.

Functions of water in the body of a future mother:

participates in the process of blood circulation of the mother and child;
the formation of amniotic fluid;
provides skin elasticity, preventing the development of stretch marks;
participates in maintaining the health of joints and ligaments;
normalizes stool and prevents constipation;
takes part in cleansing the body and removing toxins.

Often pregnant women forget about the importance of this substance. As a rule, expectant mothers focus their attention on the use of sufficient amounts and minerals, forgetting about water.

Lack of fluid can cause serious malformations of the child during pregnancy.

However, excessive water consumption is also undesirable. Large volume drinking liquids can cause edema and kidney dysfunction.

Norms of fluid intake during pregnancy

In the first 12 weeks of the perinatal period, there are no restrictions on the amount of water consumed. However, you should follow the recommendations of nutrition experts and drink at least 8-9 glasses of clean water per day (about 2 liters).

With the correct development of pregnancy in the 2nd trimester, you can not reduce the amount of fluid consumed.

If the expectant mother has pathologies of the excretory system or edema begins to appear, the use should be limited.

Starting from the 28th week of the perinatal period, it is not recommended to drink a lot of water. This is due to the fact that even with a healthy pregnancy, the growing fetus compresses the internal organs.

The volume of blood that needs to be filtered by the kidneys increases significantly. Consequently, the additional volume of fluid only increases the load on the kidneys and edema often occurs in women.

Features of fluid intake

Having heard recommendations from a doctor on fluid restriction, expectant mothers often ask the question “Why can’t you drink a lot of water during pregnancy?”. There is a main reason - diseases and disorders in the functioning of the organs of the excretory system, which entail the appearance of edema.

It is important for expectant mothers to be registered and monitored in the antenatal clinic. The doctor leading the pregnancy can detect the problem in a timely manner and adjust the methods to eliminate it.

Kidney pathologies and edema require a reduction in the daily intake of water and other fluids. For diagnosable diseases, the volume of water after the 20th week of the gestational period should not exceed 1.5 liters per day.

Women with pathologies of the kidneys and urinary system, as well as with cardiovascular diseases, are recommended to be regularly examined and tested.

In the acute course of the disease or very severe edema, the expectant mother is recommended to undergo treatment in a hospital.

Diary for a pregnant woman in case of edema

Edema is a very disturbing symptom. Often they signal the development (late toxicosis). In this condition, the kidneys of a pregnant woman cannot cope with the increased load. This condition is fraught with negative consequences for the woman and the child.

If edema is suspected, pregnant women are advised to keep a special diary. It is necessary to record the amount of water that was drunk per day.

In addition, a woman should be weighed daily and. This will help to timely notice serious violations in the excretory system.

Keeping a pregnancy diary will allow you to control your health all the time, and, consequently, the health of the child.

How to drink fluids during pregnancy

To prevent edema, it is necessary to drink water according to the recommendations of doctors and nutritionists.

Rules for drinking water in the perinatal period:

the entire volume of liquid should be evenly distributed throughout the day;
the interval between drinking water should be 1.5-2 hours;
you need to drink water in small sips;
It is recommended that you always carry a small bottle of pure non-carbonated water with you.

The daily norm of water for expectant mothers is approximately 2 liters. You can not drink 1.5 of them in the morning, and distribute the rest of the volume for the day.

The recommended daily amount should be divided into equal volumes and drunk at regular intervals.

Future mothers should always have water with them. This will prevent the possibility of drinking too much water in case of extreme thirst.

Small sips and a slow pace of swallowing give time for the signal about the intake of water to reach the brain, which signals that the water balance in the body is adequately replenished.

Not all drinks are good for women who are expecting a baby. All doctors and nutritionists are unanimous in their opinion about what pregnant women should drink;

drinking water must be clean, without additional impurities in the form of flavors and flavors;
categorically it is impossible to drink water from the tap;
it is undesirable to drink soda, the presence of carbon dioxide in such water negatively affects the well-being of the mother and child.

Water should be the main drink for a pregnant woman. In addition to it, you can include the following drinks in your diet:

compotes from fresh and dry fruits without added sugar;
juices (no more than 1 glass per day);
fruit infusions;
decoctions of herbs;
decoction of rose hips;
fruit drinks.

What should be limited and why

Future mothers need to be attentive not only to nutrition, but also to fluid intake. Not all drinks are good for a developing baby. Reduce or avoid the following beverages altogether:

alcoholic and alcohol-containing drinks (including non-alcoholic beer);
coffee;
green tea;
Black tea;
sweet soda and artificial lemonades;
canned compotes.

Coffee and tea contain caffeine in large quantities. He excites nervous system and can cause premature birth or miscarriage. Doctors recommend completely abandoning these drinks during the period of bearing a child.

Sweet carbonated drinks do not bring any benefit to the body of a pregnant woman. This is a source of extra calories.

Water during pregnancy plays an important role in the development of the baby. Without it, no biological process takes place. But even drinking water should be done with caution.

The phrase of a woman “drink a lot of water” during pregnancy is an alarm signal. This can signal problems in the functioning of the kidneys and excretory system.

Interesting video: features of fluid intake during pregnancy

Water is a life force. An adult is more than 75% water, a newborn is 90%, and an embryo in early pregnancy is 97%. A pregnant woman needs proper fluid intake to ensure the life of two organisms.

How much water should pregnant women drink is a common question that doctors for some reason answer differently.

Thus, today we will discuss one of the most frequently asked questions of pregnant women - about the amount of water needed. Let's talk about what needs of the body water should go to and what will happen if there is a shortage of it, how the need for water of a pregnant woman changes with an increase in the gestational age, with the appearance of edema, how important the quality of the water consumed is for pregnant women, what is better for pregnant women to drink.

How much water do pregnant women need?

It is impossible to say categorically, for example, like this: "all pregnant women should drink more than two liters of water." The approach in this matter should be individual. First, a lot depends on the gestational age. Secondly, the individual characteristics of a woman play a role. Thirdly, there are features depending on the comorbidity, the level physical activity, climatic conditions. In the end, the necessary and sufficient amount of water also depends on the woman's body weight.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends an average of 2,000 ml of water per day for all women. During pregnancy, they advise increasing this average rate by 300 ml, and during breastfeeding - by 700 ml.

Water intake in the first trimester

In the first trimester of pregnancy, a large amount of fluid should enter the body. This is important, since at this time a large volume of water goes to the formation of amniotic fluid, to increase the volume of the woman's circulating blood. It is also known that all metabolic processes in the body take place in the aquatic environment. Most experts believe that at this time a pregnant woman should drink 2500-2800 ml of fluid per day.

Water is used in biochemical processes associated with the formation of organs and systems of the fetus, is spent on the removal of toxins and metabolic products from the body of a woman, including the fetus, naturally formed during pregnancy.

Drinking the right amount of water also helps to reduce the manifestation of toxicosis - actual problem in early pregnancy.

Second trimester: the rate of water consumption

In the second trimester, the fetus develops intensively, the metabolic rate reaches its maximum for the entire period of pregnancy. Amniotic fluid is updated quite often (about every three hours). Therefore, you still need a lot of liquid.

But from about the 20th week of pregnancy, a woman may face such a problem as swelling. The fact is that such an intensive metabolism and growth of the fetus cannot but affect the work of the main cleansing organs of the future mother, like the liver and kidneys.

Especially often the kidneys do not withstand the load. This can happen even in cases where the kidneys worked normally before pregnancy and, as they say, "nothing foreshadowed." In the event that edema has appeared, we are talking about a violation in the work of the kidneys, that is, they cannot cope.

The cause of edema and their severity should be established by the doctor leading the pregnancy. There are a lot of possible reasons. It can be both a kidney disease, and as one of the manifestations of preeclampsia. Perhaps there is an excess of fluid intake or, on the contrary, difficulty in its removal.

If the identified cause of edema requires limiting water intake, the doctor will definitely tell you about it. Gynecologists usually advise not to drink so much liquid during this period compared to the first trimester, even with a normal pregnancy.

But an insufficient amount of water during this period is no less dangerous than its excess.

It is important to note that at this time in a pregnant woman, due to an increase in the size of the uterus, the position of the organs of the urinary system changes. In turn, this leads to a violation of the excretion of urine. The overall resistance of the body during pregnancy is reduced. As a result, pregnant women are already prone to infectious diseases of the genitourinary system, and with a lack of water, the risk of the disease increases significantly.

Also, with pre-existing concomitant diseases during pregnancy (urolithiasis, diabetes, varicose veins) reducing water consumption is simply dangerous for a woman and can lead to an exacerbation or aggravation of the clinic of this pathology.

third trimester

In the third trimester, fluid is also in demand by the body of both the fetus and the mother. But during this period, daily water intake should be slightly reduced. Usually, with a normal pregnancy, a woman needs to drink water in the third trimester from 1.2 to 1.5 liters.

On later dates When a woman's body prepares for childbirth, the process of renewal of amniotic fluid is not so intensive, the volume of circulating blood in a woman decreases, that is, the blood thickens. So nature took care of reducing the risk of heavy blood loss during childbirth.

During this period of pregnancy, as a rule, swelling or pastosity of the legs is always observed. This may be due to excess fluid in the body, but is not always directly related to this. When approaching childbirth, a woman changes hormonal background so that fluid is deposited in the body for guaranteed recovery after childbirth and successful lactation in the future.

So, by the end of pregnancy and during childbirth, the concentration of oxytocin in the blood increases. This hormone, in addition to the well-known effect of stimulating uterine muscle contraction, also has an antidiuretic effect (causes fluid retention in the body). As a result, edema in pregnant women in the later stages can also occur with a lack of fluid, when the body itself tries to compensate for the lack of water by storing fluid in the tissues.

To assess the cause of swelling, your doctor may suggest keeping a special “drink-out” diary. To do this, a woman writes in one column of the table how much liquid she drank in milliliters, and in the other - how much the body excreted liquid (urine). So it will be easy for the doctor to assess the excretory function of the kidneys and determine the cause of the edema of the pregnant woman.

And it is important that the need for such control makes a woman more disciplined in terms of consuming the right amount of water and food. This is true for both insufficient and excessive consumption of the latter.

If an excess of incoming fluid is established, the doctor will recommend that the woman reduce her water intake so as not to overload the kidneys and safely deliver and give birth to a healthy baby. But you may also need the opposite recommendation - increase the amount of water you drink.

To assess the body's water balance, there is another simpler test. The test is not very accurate, as it is designed for the subjective assessment of the woman herself. It is necessary to assess the intensity of staining of the urine of the expectant mother. If the color of urine is light yellow, then you are drinking enough fluids. If the color of the urine is saturated, dark, this indicates that the urine is concentrated, the body does not have enough fluid. Normal urine color should be straw or straw yellow.

Can water be replaced with drinks or liquids found in fruits and vegetables?

It is worth starting with the fact that nothing can replace water. All drinks or fruits can be considered by a pregnant woman only as a supplement to pure water. But many people are not accustomed to drink plain water, and during pregnancy it is difficult for them to switch to another drinking regimen.

Here are some data that will give women some incentive to reconsider their drinking habits.

Coffee- an invigorating drink that many find it difficult to refuse even during pregnancy. But it should be excluded or strictly limited, as there are a number of negative effects of this drink on the body of the mother and fetus.
Coffee is a diuretic drink. There is evidence that for one cup of coffee a day you need to drink an extra glass, or even two glasses of water. Since the body of a pregnant woman is very susceptible to a lack of fluid and this threatens him with rapid dehydration, it is understandable why coffee should be limited, or even better, completely excluded.
The main effect of coffee on cardiovascular system is to increase blood pressure and stimulate the contractility of the heart. In this regard, at high blood pressure you can't drink coffee. An increase in heart rate invariably leads to a parallel increase in breathing, which, in turn, leads to even greater fluid losses.
Coffee promotes calcium leaching from bone tissue. Calcium deficiency during pregnancy is a weighty argument in favor of giving up this drink. The tannins contained in coffee also interfere with the absorption of iron from foods and medicines, which is important for women with low hemoglobin.
Also, coffee excites the nervous system and stimulates the cardiovascular system of not only women, but also the fetus, which can adversely affect the development of the baby.
Tea also contains tannins, which further exacerbates the situation with iron absorption. Moreover, due to great content tannins in green tea may interfere with the absorption of such a necessary vitamin in the first half of pregnancy as folic acid.
Green tea also has a diuretic effect, but to a lesser extent than coffee. Green tea is also high in caffeine, which increases blood pressure. For hypertensive women or even with a transient increase in blood pressure only during pregnancy, such a drink is contraindicated.
Fruit drinks and compotes. This is what you can diversify your drinking diet. Acidified water (with lemon, sour berries) is better absorbed by the body and quenches thirst well. Such drinks minimize the risk of edema.
Sweet carbonated drinks. The sugar content in them is very high, so the use of soda leads to a rapid increase in blood glucose. In this case, the body tries to compensatory dilute this "syrup in the vessels", attracting fluid into the bloodstream. So the opposite effect is obtained, the need for water increases. You have probably noticed that when you drink soda, your thirst increases, you want to drink more and more.
Fruits and vegetables. Usually fruits and vegetables are not counted as fluid intake. Only watermelon and cucumber are more than 90% water. Therefore, to say that water can be replaced equally with fruits and vegetables is by no means impossible.
Vegetables and fruits are a great alternative if the doctor recommended limiting water due to any pathology, but you still have thirst. Juicy fruit will help to cope with it. Fruits and vegetables should be included in the maximum amount in your diet also because it is a source of fiber, which will help to cope with such a symptom that often accompanies the third trimester of pregnancy, such as constipation.

What water is better to choose for pregnant women?

I'll start with the most important thing - you can not drink water from the tap.

Everyone seems to know about this. But it has been repeatedly verified in practice that, no matter how much it is said about this, there are always those who have not heard, do not know. More precisely, those who do not want to hear or know.

Tap water is not safe. Just recently I read another case of confirmed legionellosis infection. through tap water.

Considering that the period of pregnancy is not the time when a woman has the right to make a mistake, I repeat once again - a pregnant woman should not drink tap water.

Boiled water

The main arguments for the harm of such water are the conclusions about the presence of chlorine compounds in it. At modern large centralized treatment plants, chlorination is practically not used as a treatment method. This method was replaced by ozonation, ultraviolet irradiation, ultrasound and other modern methods of disinfection.

But because of the cheapness of raw materials for such cleaning, chlorine is still used in some places. Quite often, combined methods of water purification and disinfection are used, for example, chlorination and ultraviolet radiation treatment.

Chlorine is a volatile substance that volatilizes when standing water. Therefore, it is important to defend tap water before using it, if such an urgent need still exists.

Boiling water does not always kill the dangerous bacteria in it. For some types of bacteria and viruses, they are harmful high temperatures only with prolonged exposure. But none of us boil water for 15 minutes before making tea...

Purified tap water

As a rule, water is purified using various filters. These can be filter jugs, faucet nozzles, installations connected to pipes that purify water before supplying it directly to the faucet.

Pitcher filters are common, as they are "cheap and cheerful" at first glance. You just need to know that such jugs are not able to protect against bacteria. And also, due to the poor quality of our tap water, the cartridges of such filters cannot adequately purify water for the full calculated service life. So it turns out that the service life has not passed, and there is no more water purification.

Filtration plants differ in degree (number of stages of purification) and methods of purification, in the ability of the subsequent mineralization of water. Therefore, it is unequivocal to say that this is the best or far from best method cleaning, without taking into account a certain model of the filter installation, is impossible.

But if you are the owner of a new model of a stationary filter (a membrane filter with a mineralizer), which provides water purification from heavy metals, bacterial and viral agents and additional enrichment with useful minerals, then it is easier for you to solve the problem of clean water during pregnancy. Today it is believed that such water does not cause any concern. In any case, it is much cleaner and safer than home-cleaned by other methods.

bottled water

Pay attention to the information on the packaging of bottled water, as most home-delivered water is regular tap water, which has been cleaned. Many trust only children's bottled water, but its composition (the amount of mineral salts) is adapted directly to the needs of a small organism. It certainly won't do any harm, but it won't do much good either.

Mineral waters (medicinal, medical-table) can be prescribed to pregnant women only by a doctor. The content of mineral salts in them is high, which can adversely affect the work of the kidneys, which are experiencing a double load.

It is better not to use carbonated water for a woman carrying a child. Such water can provoke flatulence, heartburn, and even exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Now oxygenated water is becoming more and more popular. Water enriched with oxygen is positioned as very useful for pregnant women. This is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

Oxygen is a gas, so 15-20 minutes after opening such a bottle, it will evaporate. You can drink it during this time, but is it worth it. After all, everyone recommends that pregnant women drink in small sips, slowly, so that the feeling of thirst is gone, and the future mother does not have time to drink too much. As with food: the feeling of satiety is delayed, so eat slowly so as not to overeat.

During pregnancy, a woman needs to listen to herself, to her feelings and needs. Thirsty - drink water. You don’t want to drink a lot - and you don’t have to force yourself. A normally functioning body is able to regulate the water balance itself and tell you in time with a feeling of thirst that it's time to drink.

And if there are any prerequisites for the violation of metabolic processes in the body of a future mother, then the doctor who leads your pregnancy will be the main adviser for you. After all, he knows all the nuances of the course of your pregnancy, analyzes the state of health of a woman before pregnancy and directly at the moment.

Health to you and your children!

18.08.2017 / Heading: / Mari no comments

Water is essential for all life on earth. Amniotic fluid is also vital for a baby in the womb. The more complex and perfect the process, the more severe the consequences of deviations from the norm. It turns out that the number of pregnancies that were accompanied by such complications is growing every year. For mothers, questions remain open:

how to see or how to determine the leakage of amniotic fluid?
how to behave?
Is it possible to prevent complications and save the baby?

How not to miss symptoms

POPV refers to the leakage of amniotic fluid as a result of damage to the fetal membrane. In a standard situation, the outpouring of amniotic fluid occurs before childbirth. Up to this point, the liquid provides:

metabolism between the fetus and the mother's body;
sterility of the environment for the growth and development of the fetus;
protection from shock, noise, squeezing by the uterine muscles;
cushioning of sudden movements when mom moves.

For a normal pregnancy, the volume of amniotic water should be 1.5-2 liters. Fluid levels are monitored by ultrasound. Pregnant women are often faced with the concept of low water - lack of amniotic water. Its cause can be both the physiological characteristics of the mother's body, and microcracks in the shell around the child. In a neglected form, leakage provokes premature birth, and in the early stages - miscarriages. For a child, complications of this kind are fraught with oxygen starvation. Without liquid, the baby can do from 12 hours to a day.

Important! Amniotic fluid leakage can occur at any stage of pregnancy.

There is a classification of ruptures according to the time and location of the damage.

By location:

cervical rupture - the membrane is damaged in the cervical region, as a result of which a significant amount of fluid is lost;
high lateral or upper tear of the bubble - the liquid comes out in small portions, drop by drop.

Abundant discharge and urinary incontinence are common in the later stages. This greatly complicates the diagnosis of pathology.

Exceptional attentiveness makes it possible to recognize the leakage of amniotic fluid. First calls:

the nature of the discharge has changed: frequent, abundant, watery with less mucus;
sudden movements, coughing, even hiccups and laughter, are accompanied by secretions;
due to the loss of some volume of water, the tummy decreases in size and may drop slightly;
after emptying Bladder, fluid from the vagina still continues to stand out.

Do not ignore even minor signs. The sooner action is taken, the easier the mother and child will bear the effects of POPV.

Common Causes

The outflow of amniotic fluid in the early stages goes unnoticed by the pregnant woman, since the doses are very small. A few drops are easy to confuse with the usual discharge during pregnancy. The causes of leakage lie both in deviations in the bearing of a baby, and in the structural features of the mother's body, the state of health at the planning stage.

The main provoking factors include:

bacterial infections and inflammatory processes;
"Female" inflammation;
incorrect position of the child;
narrow pelvis of the expectant mother;
abnormal structure of the uterus;
insufficiency of the cervix;
detachment of the placenta;
amnicentesis, chorion biopsy;
pregnancy with two or more children;
lacerations as a result of a fall.

Important! alcohol abuse and drugs, smoking automatically ranks a pregnant woman at risk.

How infections damage the amniotic sac

Infections are the most insidious phenomena, because they can harm the body of the mother and child imperceptibly. Hormonal restructuring, a large load on the body, general weakness create a favorable climate for harmful bacteria that are present in a woman's body in small quantities and previously did not pose a danger. Even vaginal dysbacteriosis can lead to serious consequences.

Chronic diseases and forgotten "women's" problems remind of themselves with renewed vigor.

According to statistics, 10% of women in whom childbirth ended with a premature outpouring of amniotic fluid are diagnosed with various inflammations of the respiratory or gastrointestinal tract. Inflammation of the genital organs leads to similar complications in 25% of cases. The danger of such a situation is that bacteria penetrate through the holes in the shell, bypassing all defense mechanisms.

Important! Even a slight suspicion should serve as a guide to action. There are several ways to determine the leakage of amniotic fluid at home, as well as a laboratory method.

When to Be Careful

Erosion or other diseases of the cervix, abortions and operations in this area lead to damage to the amniotic sac in 50% of cases. Anomalies in the structure of the cervix are also dangerous. Insufficiency of the neck, when the walls do not close, leading to a protrusion of the bladder. Small physical exertion is enough to damage the bladder.

The incorrect location of the fetus creates an additional load on the membranes. In late pregnancy, when the belly drops and the baby is inserted into the birth canal, a belt of contact forms around the baby's head. Thus, the amniotic fluid is divided into anterior and posterior waters. This mechanism allows you to distribute the load on the walls of the shell. When the fetus is located across or head up, then all the liquid rushes down, presses on the lower wall with double force and the risk of damage to the shell increases.

The functionally narrow pelvis of the expectant mother for the same reasons can lead to rupture of the bladder. The head cannot be inserted into the birth canal, since it is larger in diameter and the entire volume of fluid is in the lower part of the bladder.

Perinatal diagnosis is aimed at identifying malformations, chromosomal disorders, hereditary diseases and, in rare cases, can cause fluid to leak from the amniotic sac. A biopsy of the chorionic villi is performed at a period of 11-13 weeks by cutting a fragment of the placenta. Amniocentesis is the study of amniotic fluid.

The sampling of material for analysis is carried out using a puncture. A long needle is inserted into the uterus by piercing the abdomen in a place that is safe for the fetus. The optimal period is the second trimester. If necessary, amniocentesis is carried out in the third trimester. After such analyzes, a course of anti-inflammatory therapy is prescribed and the condition of the expectant mother is carefully monitored.

Important! The presence of the above features during pregnancy should not plunge expectant mothers into panic. The information above only emphasizes the importance of being attentive to your condition.

Diagnostics

The determination of leakage can be carried out both in the laboratory and independently.

If there are indications, swabs are taken from the pregnant woman and examined for the presence of amniotic fluid proteins.

There is another method that is not very accurate, but is used quite often. The so-called fern symptom. The smear is applied to a glass slide, after drying, the result is evaluated visually. Mucus crystallizes on drying. If the smear contains amniotic water, then a pattern resembling fern leaves is formed. A similar effect may have an admixture of urine or semen in a smear.

Amniotest is distinguished by absolute accuracy, high price, painful procedure and the risk of provoking additional problems: infection, bleeding. With the help of a long needle, a special dye is introduced into the amniotic fluid. The dye is not dangerous for the baby, since the amniotic fluid is completely renewed every 2-3 hours, which means that the dye is removed from the mother's body. 30 minutes after the procedure, a tampon is placed in the patient's vagina. The coloration of the tampon indicates the presence of holes in the shell. For every 300 such manipulations, there is 1 case of severe complications.

If the indicators according to ultrasound are below normal, doctors must confirm or refute the leakage of amniotic fluid with additional studies, since the damage to the membrane itself is not visible on the monitor.

A very dubious diagnostic method, which is also practiced, is an examination by a gynecologist. The expectant mother is asked to cough. At this time, the doctor carefully observes whether fluid has appeared.

time-tested diagnostics

Laboratory tests and examinations are an inconvenient, often lengthy and exhausting way to detect amniotic fluid leakage. How to determine damage to the shell yourself, they knew long before the advent of modern tests.

For a homemade test, a clean cotton cloth is enough, you can use a white sheet. A woman should thoroughly wash herself and dry herself. You need to lie on a sheet without underwear. You should relax as much as possible. After 20 minutes, you need to evaluate the result. If the tissue is wet, then there is a reason for more accurate analyzes.

According to another method, the white fabric is folded several times and "worn" for 1.5-2 hours like a pad. You need to lie down several times to change the position of the body: lie for 10 minutes on the right side, then on the left and on the back. Gently stand up and sit down, lean slightly to both sides. Movements are performed carefully without much enthusiasm. After the lining fabric is inspected. Amniotic fluid leakage looks like a wet spot when the fluid is completely absorbed into the tissue. When dry, the edges of the stain will be uneven with a brownish tint. If there are few secretions and they are not absorbed, but remain on the surface in the form of mucus, everything is fine.

Modern Tests: Test Pad

The pad test is a simple and popular way to test for the presence of amniotic fluid in the discharge. Relatively affordable.

It works due to the fact that the acid-base balance in the human body is different. And the pH of the vagina has an acidic environment and is 3.8-4.5. Acidity inhibits the development of "unfriendly" bacteria and helps maintain women's health.

Amniotic waters are the habitat of a new organism, saturated nutrients and biologically active components. Amniotic fluid color early stages pregnancy yellowish, then becomes more transparent, similar to ordinary water. By the end of pregnancy becomes cloudy. Greenish or Brown color talking about infections. pH of amniotic waters 6.98-7.23.

Thus, if leakage occurs, the acidity of the vagina will decrease and the pH will increase accordingly. The gasket is equipped with an indicator that turns turquoise upon contact with a neutral environment - pH 5.5 and above.

Important! During the test, it is important that moisture does not get on the gasket. Hands and perineum must be absolutely dry.

The test pad can be worn for 12 hours or until the woman feels wet. Then the pad is removed from the laundry, the test strip is removed and placed in a special case (included in the kit). If after 30 minutes the strip has not changed color, everything is fine.

The disadvantage is that the acidity of the vagina can decrease for other reasons. The most common is thrush or other infections. Which also during pregnancy requires prompt and adequate treatment. In any case, thanks to the test, a woman can timely identify a particular problem.

Amniotic water protein test

Science does not stand still. More accurate tests have also been developed. The marker in this case is placental α1 microglobulin. The protein is found in large quantities in the amniotic fluid and is absent from the vagina, urine, and blood. Thus, the test accurately determines the leakage of water.

In addition to high accuracy, there are a number of other advantages:

does not require special skills or tools;
carried out at home;
quick result;
the package contains everything you need.

The procedure is simple. Before starting the test, you must remove the container with a special solution from the package and shake it so that the contents sink to the bottom.

The set includes a sterile swab. With it, you need to take a sample of vaginal discharge. The tampon is inserted inside for 5-7 cm no more. It is recommended to hold the tampon in the vagina for about 1 minute.

Important! The tampon should not come into contact with other liquids or substances other than vaginal discharge. Hands must be dry.

The resulting sample is lowered into a test tube with a solution for one minute. During the whole time it is necessary to stir the solution with a swab.

The swab is removed from the tube. The box also contains a sealed test strip that resembles a rapid pregnancy test. Further actions are the same: lower the strip into the test tube with the reagent with the end indicated by the arrows to the level indicated by the line.

The result will not be long in coming. After 30 seconds, if the amniotic sac is damaged, two strips will appear. One line is good. To be sure of this, you should finally wait 10 minutes. A small amount of amniotic fluid will appear later, and one line may be paler. The accuracy of the test with two strips is 100%. The error of a negative result is 1%. In other words, in exceptional cases, the test may not detect a protein:

if the outpouring of water occurred 12 hours before the test;
amniotic fluid enters the vagina in very small doses.

The price of the amniotic fluid leak test is the only drawback. But when it comes to the well-being of mother and baby, the financial part fades into the background.

What to do next?

POPV is not treatable. Violation of the integrity of the membranes around the child before the 22nd week of pregnancy often leads to fetal fading or miscarriage. In such cases, doctors recommend termination of pregnancy.

With leaks for a period of 36 weeks or more, pregnancy is not preserved. Often within 12 hours, the process of childbirth starts. Depending on the case, labor induction is prescribed or a caesarean section is performed.

For a period of 22 to 36 weeks, doctors take a "wait and see" position. The woman is immediately placed in a hospital under round-the-clock supervision. With the help of ultrasound, the amount of remaining water, heartbeat and general state baby.

Pregnancy is kept as long as possible to give the baby more time. Special drug therapy is prescribed. Drugs are introduced that accelerate the development and maturation of the lungs and other systems. In such situations, childbirth can begin at any time. If the condition of the child or mother worsens, the pregnancy is no longer maintained. After the crumbs are placed in a special box - an incubator. Next is the treatment. The child will stay in the incubator until he gains the necessary weight and gets stronger.

5 / 5 ( 1 vote)

More than half of the human body is made up of water. And all vital processes in it occur with the obligatory participation of water. Therefore, without life-giving moisture, we cannot exist - the slightest deficiency of it does not affect the most in the best way on our health and well-being, and a clear lack of fluid completely disables the body.

It should be said that during pregnancy, the importance of water for a woman not only increases, but also acquires a new meaning, because another one is included in the water circulation system in the body - the child.

At the same time, an excess of fluid in the body becomes much more harmful and dangerous. So this issue is one of the most important during the period of bearing a child and requires constant monitoring.

The benefits of water for the body of pregnant women

Already from the first days of pregnancy, the expectant mother faces many dangers in the form of a deterioration in health and well-being. Often at this time, blood pressure drops significantly, many women begin to suffer from, the risks of developing thrombophlebitis and increase. But not everyone knows that by ensuring a sufficient supply of fluid to the body, these troubles can be avoided or their manifestation can be significantly reduced. In addition, against the background of a lack of water, metabolic processes in the mother’s body are disrupted, the level of toxicity increases (due to insufficient purification from metabolic products), irritability and fatigue increase, immunity decreases, the skin loses elasticity and firmness. Which is completely scary - the risk of mutations and other complications increases.

Even medications, which a woman usually takes during this period (the same vitamins), are better absorbed with an abundance of water.

That's why every pregnant woman should consume enough fluids, which is most important during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Why shouldn't pregnant women drink a lot of water?

At the same time, one should not forget that the human body can adapt only to a lack of fluid, but it cannot fight with an excess. And if usually this does not bother us much, then for a woman in a position, this order of things poses a certain threat. An excess of fluid leads to the appearance, the kidneys of the expectant mother already work for two and cannot cope with the sharply increasing load on them. This is also one of the reasons for the appearance overweight pregnant.

This condition is especially dangerous in the third trimester, and most of all - before the birth itself (this can affect, among other things, the development of malformations in the fetus and). The body is preparing to store water in double the amount, because the volumes of amniotic fluid and blood are constantly increasing, and the time of birth (when fluid loss is potentially especially large) is approaching. Therefore, in the last months of the term, the mother should limit the flow of fluid into the body.

Fluid intake during pregnancy

Since the value of life-giving moisture is especially high in the early stages of pregnancy during the period of active cell division and growth, laying and development of all organs and systems of the baby, the mother's water intake during this period should be sufficient. With a weight of 50 kg, you should drink an average of 2 liters of water per day, at 60 kg - 2.3 liters, 70 kg - 2.55 liters, 80 kg - an average of about 3 liters of water per day.

It should be borne in mind that in the hot season, at elevated body temperature or, during the period, the needs of a pregnant woman for water increase.

But already from the second trimester, you should not be zealous with some water. Drink enough to not feel thirsty, but do not overdose. If, according to indications, the volumes of fluid entering the body will need to be limited, the doctor will individually will establish for you an acceptable drinking regimen.

But from the third trimester, the amount of water you drink will need to be strictly controlled. In the recommendations for nutrition during pregnancy, you may find an indication of limiting drinking in the last stages, however, such a formulation of the question is somewhat incorrect - limiting fluid intake without limiting salt intake does not prevent edema and, in principle, is not easy for a woman.

The thing is that you should mainly limit and then completely abandon the consumption of salt, since it is she who leads to fluid retention in the body of a pregnant woman with all the ensuing consequences. Therefore, from the 20th week, begin to gradually reduce the addition of salt to dishes. If you completely stop adding salt to food, then a significant restriction of drinking will not be required, if this is not necessary for medical reasons (for example, with kidney pathology, late toxicosis and edema).

By the way, if everything is fine with your health and your condition is normal, limiting your drinking in the third trimester can even be dangerous. After all, the amniotic fluid in recent months is updated 8 times a day! And for this you need a decent water reserve. But still, gynecologists recommend that in the prenatal period, if possible, replace an extra glass of liquid with a whole vegetable or fruit.

It should also be noted that in some conditions it is impossible to limit fluid intake at all: for example, with pyelonephritis or urolithiasis. Therefore, the most right decision will coordinate his drinking regimen with his doctor. But before you get to the doctor, do a home dehydration test. Collect a portion of your urine and evaluate its color: almost transparent or very light urine indicates a sufficient intake of fluid into the body, and saturated or dark indicates a clear deficiency.

What is best to drink during pregnancy is a separate issue. But, of course, the best and healthy drink There has always been and always will be living clean water.

Especially for- Elena Kichak

Everything in the body of a pregnant woman is arranged in order to safely endure and give birth to a child. For example, amniotic fluid is an amazing environment in which the baby lives all nine months of pregnancy and which helps him to be born softly and comfortably.

Where does amniotic fluid come from?

Let's start with the fact that a child swims in the uterus for a reason: around him, like around an astronaut, there is a kind of spacesuit - special membranes, they are called so: fetal membranes. Together with the placenta, they form the fetal bladder, which is filled with amniotic fluid..

At the very beginning of pregnancy, it is the cells that produce amniotic fluid. In the later stages, amniotic fluid is additionally produced by the baby's kidneys. Baby swallows water first gastrointestinal tract they are absorbed and then exit the body with urine back into the fetal bladder. About every three hours, the fluid in the amniotic sac completely updated. That is, the "waste" waters come out, and their place is taken by new ones - completely renewed. And this water cycle continues for 40 weeks.

Why amniotic fluid is needed for a child and mother

It would seem that a person is a land creature, and cannot be under water for a long time. So why is the baby in the water during pregnancy? Everything is very simple: for the development of a child at any stage of life, a harmonious environment is needed. And water is great for that. It softens the effect of the law of universal gravitation, too loud noises of our world do not reach through the water. And the amniotic fluid is always the same temperature, which means that the child will not overheat or become cold, even if the mother suffers from heat or, conversely, freezes from the cold.

Together with the walls of the uterus and the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall, the water reliably protects the child from blows, pushes or excessive pressure, which are always present in our everyday life. Naturally, this does not mean that during pregnancy you can fall off a bicycle or go skiing - it is still dangerous. But there is no need to be afraid that, once again tilting or turning the body, the woman will pinch something there and pass it on to the child.

But what about breathing, the baby will not choke in the water? Of course, the child in the mother's stomach breathes, but not yet with lungs - oxygen enters it through the placenta. And only after birth, the lungs will straighten out, and the baby will take their first real breath with them. In the meantime, he just periodically swallows amniotic fluid, but it cannot get into the lungs.

Incidentally, even in childbirth without water is indispensable- During contractions, the baby's head presses on the cervix and helps it open up. But the waters located in the fetal bladder in front of the baby's head soften this pressure, and the cervix opens more smoothly.

So everything is thought out in the body of a pregnant woman, and water is perfect for the life of a future baby.

In the first half of pregnancy, the baby feels inside the amniotic sac, like a fish in water, swimming in any direction. Gradually, it becomes more and more difficult for the baby to move freely, and for childbirth, he is already fixed in one position - usually in the head.

Amniotic fluid: quantity and quality

With each ultrasound during pregnancy, the doctor also evaluates the amniotic fluid: their quantity, transparency, the presence of extraneous suspension.

Quantity. If there is less or more water than it should be in a certain period, then perhaps something is wrong in the woman's body. But, fortunately, this rarely happens, but the conclusion "moderate" after ultrasound occurs all the time. This diagnosis always worries a future mother, but usually it means that the amount of amniotic fluid has decreased slightly. If additional examinations (, dopplerography) show that everything is in order with the baby, then there is nothing wrong with moderate oligohydramnios, perhaps this is such a feature of the course of pregnancy.

Quality. Normally, amniotic fluid is clear, like water. By the end of pregnancy, they sometimes become a little cloudy due to the fact that epidermal cells from the baby’s skin get into them, particles of the original lubricant - they give a small suspension in the waters, which can be seen on ultrasound. This is also a variation of the norm.

In Latin, the fetal bladder is called "amnion", hence the fluid surrounding the baby is called amniotic. It is believed that the smell of amniotic fluid is similar to the aroma of mother's milk, so a newly born baby can accurately determine where the mother's breast is.

When and how do the waters break

All expectant mothers have heard about the fact that at some point in childbirth or right in front of them, amniotic fluid is poured out. And of course, pregnant women have the same questions: how and when does this happen? what will i feel? what to do after the water breaks?

When the waters break. Ideally, the waters are shed during the first stage of labor, when the cervix is completely or almost completely open. The fetal bladder becomes thinner and breaks during the contraction. Immediately after this, the contractions intensify significantly, and the birth of a child is just around the corner. But the waters can break even before the start of contractions, so to speak, "out of the blue." This moment is called the premature outpouring of the waters. If there are contractions, but the cervix is not yet ready, then such an outpouring of water is called early.

How the waters go. Amniotic fluid is poured out in different ways. They can, like in feature films - suddenly in public place the expectant mother's legs begin to flow water. Yes, this happens, but still the drama of the situation in the cinema is somewhat exaggerated. Amniotic fluid does not always flow in a strong stream, very often not all waters come out, but only the so-called front, that is, those that are located in front of the baby's head, and they are usually 100-200 ml. The rest of the amniotic fluid rear water - poured out after the birth of a child.

So usually the expectant mother feels that her underwear has suddenly become very wet, or it seems to her that she has experienced involuntary urination. But there may be such an option: the fetal bladder did not burst completely, but only torn somewhere and the water leaves in small portions. Then the woman will only feel that the discharge has become more abundant and watery than before. This is called amniotic fluid leakage.

What to do after the water breaks. It doesn’t matter if there are contractions or not, a lot of water has broken or just a little bit - all this is a reason to immediately go to the hospital. There is nothing to be afraid of here: today it is believed that the safe anhydrous interval is no longer 6 hours as before, but much more. But, nevertheless, if the waters have poured out, the mother must be under the constant supervision of doctors.

Fears during pregnancy about amniotic fluid

Expectant mothers are often worried, and various horror stories from the Internet and stories of good friends only increase anxiety. What usually worries a woman when it comes to amniotic fluid?

The fetal bladder will burst (tear) ahead of time, but I won’t notice it. Usually this fear appears at the end of pregnancy, when the amount of vaginal discharge increases under the influence of hormones. Often there are so many of them and they are so plentiful that it seems to the woman that her water is leaking.

In fact, water and discharge can be distinguished: the discharge is mucous, denser or thicker, leaving a characteristic white color or a dried spot on the linen. Amniotic fluid is still water, it is not viscous, does not stretch like discharge, and dries up on linen without a characteristic trace.

But if doubts remain, is it water or just liquid vaginal discharge, you should not sit at home and be afraid. It is better to go to the doctor for a consultation - he will certainly see what it is. If the situation repeats, then you can buy a special test at the pharmacy that shows whether there is water leakage or not (it can be in the form of a regular strip, similar to a pregnancy test, or even in the form of a special pad).

In childbirth, all women pierce the fetal bladder, and what if they do it to me? The opening of the fetal bladder is very actively discussed and condemned on the Internet, and this is understandable: many women do not understand why they had it done. Yes, this manipulation is indeed carried out often, but the rumors that the fetal bladder is opened in maternity hospitals for everyone in a row are somewhat exaggerated. So why are they opening it anyway? Here are the most common cases.

If the contractions are weakened, then opening the fetal bladder can intensify them and then you will not have to prescribe stimulation with.
Sometimes the fetal bladder does not have anterior waters, such a bladder is called flat. As a result, its membranes are pulled over the child's head, and the bubble not only does not help normal labor activity, but also delays it.
Rarely, but it happens that the fetal membranes are so dense that even when the cervix is fully opened, the bladder itself does not open. If it is not opened, then the straining period is delayed, since such a fetal bladder interferes with the advancement of the baby's head. Previously, if the bubble was not opened, the child could be born in the fetal membranes in a state of asphyxia. They said about such children: "Born in a shirt, he will be happy!" And happiness here is in one thing - they managed to get him out of this “shirt” alive.