Pregnancy Symptoms and Solutions

Bloody Show During Pregnancy

It's show time! What causes the bloody show during pregnancy and what passing your mucous plug really means.

bloody show
What is the "bloody show?"
"Bloody show," a pink- or brown-tinged stringy mucus discharge, is a sign that your cervix is dilating and/or effacing. This is a definite signal that you're well on your way toward labor and delivery.

What causes it?
This "passage" means the blood vessels in the cervix are rupturing as the cervix begins to open up. (This is a good, normal thing.)

What you need to know about it:
If you've experienced the bloody show, you can usually expect to go into labor within the next several days — unless you're a fast starter, in which case you could be going into labor within the next several hours. (Nice and predictable, right?) In general, though, bloody show means you can hurry up and wait. And you won't know for sure that labor has arrived until you feel those first real labor contractions. So when you see that bloody show, get ready — but don't head out the door just yet.

What you can do about it:
  • Keep an eye on the discharge. If it seems heavy (more than two tablespoons) or turns bright red, contact your practitioner ASAP. Bleeding could be a sign of placenta previa or placenta abruption, both of which require immediate medical attention. 
  • Otherwise, just get ready for show time, Mom!

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