Note the color of the fluid and the time when the water broke and call your physician or midwife. If the fluid is clear and your are having only mild contractions or none at all, your physician or midwife may have you stay home for awhile. If the amniotic fluid is green, brownish-yellow, or anything other than clear in color, notify your physician or midwife and come to the hospital as soon as possible.
Although most physicians and midwives prefer babies to be delivered 24 hours (or less) after the rupture of membranes to prevent infection, some physicians and midwives allow women to labor longer. Check with your physician or midwife regarding the timeframe they follow with ruptured membranes and how they monitor for infection.
There is no such thing as a "dry birth." Approximately one third of the liquid is replaced every hour.