During your pregnancy, your baby is floating in a sac filled with amniotic fluid.
The fluid helps cushion and nourish the baby growing inside.
When you go into labor, the sac will at some point rupture, and the fluid come out.
Ninety percent of the time, this will happen in the hospital, but about one in ten women will have it rupture before they get there.
Even if this occurs in the privacy of your home, there will probably be some shock, as it is usually unexpected.
In public, you can add embarrassment to the issue, as there is quite a bit of fluid stored up in there and it will make a mess.
Having an advance plan for this could be useful.
Here are a few things to consider: Absorbent Pads: You may want to consider carrying maxipads with you when you go out.
For safety reasons, use the kind that are sealed in separate packages so they are as sterile as possible.
This could help prevent staining of your clothing or the seat of the vehicle you head for the hospital in.
Calls to Make: If you hadn't been in active labor before this event, you will be after.
Call your doctor and the people who need to be informed.
Your labor coach will need to know when to meet you at the hospital and there may be family members who want to be informed.
Don't Panic: If this is your first child, it will probably be several hours before Baby makes his or her entrance to the world.
If you've already had a child, it could be sooner, but getting panicky will be bad for both you and your child.
Go to the Hospital: You see it on the news on a somewhat regular basis.
Mom waited too long to head to the hospital and Baby is born in the car, etc.
I've known women who decided that they had to get one last chore done before leaving, and one of them almost had her child in the hospital elevator.
While panic is not in order, going to the ER (or wherever you, your doctor and your coach have chosen) is absolutely necessary.
One last suggestion.
Each person and each pregnancy are different.
Mention these tips to your doctor and make sure they will be right for you and your child.
The most important thing is that the two (or more) of you have a successful delivery.