How long can you stay pregnant after your water breaks?

Your baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid — your “water.” It’s contained in a sac inside your uterus. When this sac breaks, it typically happens soon before or during labor. If it breaks before your contractions begin, it’s called premature rupture of membranes (PROM).

Here’s the thing: PROM only happens in 8 to 10 percent of pregnancies. So, in most pregnancies, your water will break after your contractions begin.

That said, here’s what you need to know about how PROM might affect the timing of your labor and delivery.

Survival after your water breaks

Amniotic fluid is made up of hormones, nutrients, and antibodies. It’s a protective cushion for your baby that starts collecting around 12 days after conception. Your baby actually drinks the water-like fluid — and eventually pees into it as well.

The fluid is responsible for keeping your baby warm and for helping develop their lungs, digestive system, and even musculoskeletal system.

But after week 23, your baby doesn’t rely as much on the amniotic fluid for survival. Instead, they receive nutrients and oxygen from your placenta. In later pregnancy, the amniotic sac serves more as protection only. If the sac is broken, your baby is more prone to infection and other risks, like cord prolapse.

How long a baby can live once your water breaks depends on a number of factors, so there’s really no straight answer with all things considered.

In cases where your baby would be premature, they may survive just fine for weeks with proper monitoring and treatment, usually in a hospital setting.
In cases where your baby is at least 37 weeks, current researchTrusted Source suggests that it may be safe to wait 48 hours (and sometimes longer) for labor to start on its own. (But your caregiver may have a different protocol, like 24 hours.)

The key is monitoring. If your water breaks and you don’t get medical attention, your baby could face some serious risks and even die. You, too, are at risk of infection and other complications.

A typical scenario when your water breaks before labor

In later pregnancy, you likely have a lot of discharge and other leaks going on. You may even have trouble telling if your water has broken or if you’ve simply peed yourself. (It happens more than you’d think!)
The basics

Why might your water break before you’re in labor?

Possible risk factors include:

* natural weakening of the sac from contractions
* uterine infection
* chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
* history of preterm birth
* smoking cigarettes
* socioeconomic status (not enough prenatal care)

Signs your water has broken:

* feeling of wetness in your underwear/vagina
* constant leaking of fluid, small or large amounts
* intermittent leaking or gushes of fluid, small or large amounts
* seeing fluid that is either clear or light yellow in color
* observing fluid that is odorless (urine typically has some odor)

If you’re unsure, call your doctor or labor and delivery unit. Your medical team may suggest you get your discharge tested (using special papers that show pH levels) to see if it’s amniotic fluid or something else. You may also have a physical exam, ultrasound, or other tests to assess the situation.