Ruling on water and blood that comes before giving birth
Question

                What is the ruling on the liquid that comes out of a pregnant woman two or three days before giving birth, which is a thin liquid that looks like water [amniotic fluid]? Does this mean that she cannot pray or fast?.
Praise be to Allah.
    With regard to what comes out of the pregnant woman before 
    giving birth: 

    1.If it is blood and it comes out 
    two or three days before the birth, accompanied by signs such as pain or 
    cramps, then this is blood of nifaas; otherwise it is irregular bleeding 
    which does not mean that she should stop fasting or praying.

    It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa’ (1/219): If she sees 
    blood three days or less before the child is born, accompanied by signs such 
    as pain, then this is nifaas, like that which comes out at the time of 
    birth. That which comes before the birth is not regarded as part of the 
    period of nifaas. End quote. 

    2.If it is water like that which 
    you have mentioned, then it comes under the same ruling as other vaginal 
    secretions. It is taahir (pure) because it comes from the womb, and it 
    invalidates wudoo', but it does not mean that she cannot pray or fast, 
    because it is not regarded as nifaas.

    Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was 
    asked: Three days before giving birth some water came out of her accompanied 
    by a little pain. Is that nifaas? 

    He replied: This is not nifaas, because nifaas is blood and 
    not water. Moreover, if it was nifaas it would be accompanied by labour 
    pains two or three days before giving birth. But if this occurs a long time 
    before giving birth, then it is not nifaas, because nifaas is the blood that 
    comes out at the time of birth or two or three days before it, accompanied 
    by labour pains. As for water, that is not nifaas. End quote from Fataawa 
    Noor ‘ala al-Darb. 

    For the ruling on secretions, see the answer to question no.
    37752 

    And Allah knows best.