Rupture of the bladder

Of the Rupture of the bladder describes the breaking of the amniotic sac and the associated discharge of the amniotic fluid. It is often the first sign that the baby is about to be born.

What is the rupture of the bubble?

The rupture of the bladder occurs when the amniotic sac opens. This surrounds the unborn baby in the uterus like a protective cover, consisting of a thin membrane and the amniotic fluid in it.

During pregnancy, this construct protected the unborn child from pathogens and external influences that could have penetrated the uterus through sexual intercourse, for example.

Since the membrane of the amniotic sac lies over the cervix and thus also over the birth canal, it has to tear in order for the baby to be born.

The actual rupture of the bladder occurs through a combination of hormonal triggers that control the entire birth, or sometimes through the increasing pressure of the uterus that goes through the first labor.

When the bladder ruptures, the thin membrane first tears, then the amniotic fluid inside it goes off. Through this process, the baby's lungs begin to fill with air and prepare to function. Therefore, after a rupture of the bladder, there must not be too much time before pressure contractions start and the baby is born, otherwise he is in danger.

Function & task

The amniotic fluid that escapes when the rupture of the bladder occurs only has a function for mother and child during pregnancy. The unborn baby releases the end products of its metabolism into the amniotic fluid, which cannot be excreted anywhere else. At the same time, the amniotic fluid forms a cushioning cover around the baby. Noises, but also shocks, are at least somewhat cushioned by the amniotic fluid.

When the birth begins and the pregnancy ends, the amniotic fluid has become superfluous and must be eliminated. When the bladder ruptures, this is done in the simplest and fastest way: it empties through the vagina and enables the baby to develop its lung function, which of course does not have to be activated during pregnancy.

At the same time, the rupture of the bladder is the first sign that childbirth will soon begin. The baby's lungs fill up with air immediately after the amniotic fluid has drained when the bladder ruptures, because from now on she has to breathe herself. However, this means that the baby can only stay in the uterus for a short time, otherwise it would not get enough air.

Shortly before or immediately after their rupture of the bladder, many pregnant women feel the first, easy-to-bear contractions. However, since these become stronger very soon, the trip to the hospital should be started if the bladder ruptures. After the rupture of the bladder, it can either take a few days until the birth or it can take place within a few hours in the form of a fall birth. In the case of rupture of the bladder, the pregnant woman must react in any case, in order to have medical staff ready in an emergency when the contractions start.

The rupture of the bubbles also has the purpose of tearing the skin that surrounds the baby. It is very thin and would tear on its own at birth, but that would prevent the amniotic fluid from escaping in time. The egg membrane must be excreted together with the afterbirth at birth, otherwise it will decompose in the uterus and lead to symptoms of poisoning - the rupture caused by the rupture of the bladder makes it ready.

Illnesses & ailments

Usually the rupture of the bladder is the initiation of labor. That doesn't mean the baby will be born in the next hour - unless it's a fall birth. Some women give birth a very short time after the rupture of the bladder. Physically this is unusual, but harmless. The risk is that in the event of a fall birth, the woman will not make it to the hospital on time and have to give birth in an unsterile environment without medical help on the way there.

There is a danger to mother and child if the amniotic fluid is neither clear nor slightly yellowish when it comes off when the bladder ruptures. Depending on the situation, it is not always possible to pay attention to the color of the amniotic fluid, especially since many women do not even have to recognize the ruptured bladder as such.

The woman should therefore watch out for a greenish or brown color and a foul smell. These are absolute warning signals and indicate that something might be wrong with the unborn baby - it must be picked up as soon as possible. In many cases, natural birth is still possible, but sometimes it has to be done by caesarean section.

Depending on how the rupture of the bladder took place, it can happen that not the entire membrane was excreted during birth and afterbirth. This can also happen to remnants of the placenta, although this is more likely to be noticed. Sometimes it doesn't have to end badly, because remnants of the egg membrane can be excreted with the weekly flow long after the rupture of the bladder.

If it is noticed at all, it is just a large amount of discharge, but it is normal during bed. If a remnant of the egg membrane remains in the uterus for too long after the rupture of the bladder, it can become inflamed and cause symptoms of poisoning. Then the woman has to go back to the hospital for scraping and follow-up treatment.