HELP-is this a "show" or am i bleeding?

[yum]

Hello, hoping someone out there can put my mind at rest. I'm 40weeks today (2nd preg), had a show yesterday & think irregular contractions started last night. but have had what i hope is just another 'show' this am.
first preg had emerg c/s & exper'd nothing of labour etc so completely clueless. hesitant to call hosp. as hoping for vbac & just know they will tell me 2 come in ,keep me in & wire me up.

CAN ANYONE HELP?

I would have thought that as long as you are careful about avoiding infections (don't take any baths, now), you are ok to just hang and see what happens. The mucus plug was protecting the entry to uterus, which is why I thought of infection.

Not an professional, though. Mears should be able to advise. I don't think they'd induce you just on a show, just would give you guidelines about infection. I'll be interested to hear what Mears says, though.

Certainly sounds like the start of labour to me! Good luck, get as much sleep and rest now as you can. Sometimes the irregular CTX can go on for a week, so don't get too excited.

you can usually call the labour ward for advice this may put your mind at rest. Or try ringing NHS Direct. Sometimes the labour ward will arrange for a community midwife to check on you just to make sure everything is okay. It most probably is just the leftovers from your show though.

Thanks for quick response, am feeling calmer already. albeit dissapointed that these irreg ctx may last a WEEK... how much mucus plug is there? with my first it was just a 'smearing' followed by waters breaking 3 days later. def not as much as this - hence the panic
Also, can someone tell me how u time ctx?
Unfortunately, sad to say, have lost faith my GP (or rather the many locums) & midwifery unit due to inconsistency in antenatal care, ie: seeing the same person twice before a new face. More faith in mumsnet!
Thanx again

typing with one hand so excuse typos!

With first babe I had one 'smear' type show 3 weeks before labour started, this second time round holy cow! Show began 24 hours before labour, there was so much I thought I had given birth to a family of jellyfish. And there was alot of blood amongst the mucus.

I told the m/w this after the birth he said that was perfectly normal, some women ( esp those with any asian heritage, but not only asian women) have very bloody shows.

I remember Bron asking on mumnset if she could go swimming after a show and mears told her it would be fine, so I wouldn't worry about infection!!!

It just means that your cervix is softening and ripening.

As to timing contractions...I always thought it was timing from the start of one to the start of the other as well as timing how long they actually last.

HTH...we should see a birth announcement soon then?

yum if it is bright red blood you should get it checked out asap. hopefully it is nothing to worry about. good luck!

BK, thats a point..yum you didn't say whether there was just blood (no mucus), the colour or how much.

Just about to say the same BK.

Yum - you don't elaborate on what you class as a 'show'.

Mine was a pale pink jelly-like blob (sorry folks).

If it's bright red.... it should be checked out though.

Good luck. Looking forward to the birth announcement!

Why is it important to seek medical care if the blood is "bright red" -- if there's only a little of it? I understand why to see a doc. if it's more than a few blobs or spots.

Timing CTX wasn't reliable for me. I would go with "persistent" and "can't ignore them" rather than "increasing" as a sign.

One thing, Yum, if you get to the point of feeling bearing down pressure, do go in immediately? If you never felt labour the first time around you may not realise what that means; that's how it was for me and friends who had medicated first labours and never felt the bearing down pressure first time, so didn't recognise it for what it was 2nd time.

Ooh! I'm so excited for you!

Zebra - that means the blood is fresh.... which means that something is bleeding. I think thats why its very important to get it checked. It can signify other problems... erosion of the cervix for example.

My mum 'spotted' at full term with my brother (11yrs old) and she had to go to the hospital. Where they induced her immediately. Thankfully he was fine, but they were obviously concerned at the fact that it was fresh blood.

Yum - if it is 'show' then you have no cause to worry. Show is sticky and can be clear or blood streaked. It can also be bright red but mucousy. Fresh red bleeding on it's own should be investigated because it can be a sign of haemorrhage.
Women can have 'show' on more than one occasion - there is loads of it in there. It is OK to have a bath (used to be advised against) because there isn't an increased risk of infection. Sometimes women have a show after an internal, even a few days later.
As long as the baby is moving around and you are happy to stay at home, that is where you should be. Once you have regular, painful contractions that stop you in your tracks, then you should go in. Depends how far away the hospital is when you want to go in. Usually regular contractions every 5 mins is time enough unless you live miles away. Good luck.

no, it's not bright red blood, more of a bright sunset orange & consistency is more discharge like than jelly. now am getting smearings of darker shade, like wen u r finishing u're period (if i remember rightly - its been that bloody long).
Sorry 4 grossness.
Ctx started at 1:45am as waves of cramp like pain over whole tum, now more intense at bottom of tum & lower back pain. but only like 2 'pangs' an hour. general feelin of heaviness now a standard feature....

hmmm wondering how it's all going.... could be quite quick!
Good luck

IS YUM A MUM?????????????????????

hello, quick update, ctx went from 20-15mins apart to 5-7mins apart between 9pm & midnite. but very mild. thought it was too good to be true. called the labour ward who basically dont want me till i either want drugs, am 5 mins REGULAR or waters break.

shortly after that convo i got some REAL ctx
slowed down to every 15-30mins apart and eventually fizzled out by 7am. so i finally got some sleep.

woke up highly emotional, dissapointed & yes, still pregnant

am happy to report am now having painful ctx every 5-6 mins for the past half hour. am pacing the flat like a junkie & hangin onto the doorframes wen necess.

& here comes another one.......................

how painful/intense b4 i shld consider goin in?
how long is 'regular' ctx of 5mins? ie: go on like this for an hour or 2?
why wont my waters break?
anyway of sussing if i am actually dialating? if i go in & they tell me i am a measly 2cm i will perform my own c/s rite there & then.

How exciting Yum!! If the contractions are making you stop and cathc your breath.... I'd phone the hospital again. Your waters might not break until you're ready to deliver!
GOOD LUCK
HAPPY PACING!!

And remember..... brreeeeeaaatthhhe

feel a maniac warrior woman.

think i will roast some chicken & veg for dinner till pain is severe.

yum, that's very exciting! I would say if you are contemplating roasting chicken, don't go in yet!!
I went in when I really felt I needed to - like, I really wanted some pain relief!! - and was still only 2-3 cms, though progressed rapidly thereafter. Waters can break at any time. I don't really recall timing contractions at all.

GOOD LUCK!!

yum you need long cx... if you've not had your baby yet
long like at least 60 secs... and every 5 mins or less.

Still here. Still pregnant. Went into hospital last nite for the sake of family paranoia & as i thought this party has only just started.
had the 'real' show last night - the jelly finally dropped out so what was that stuff before?
ctx were stronger last night, ctx in my back are killing me softly. any advice for relief from the backache?
also anything else i can do to get this moving faster? am planning to walk the park, hope i dont scare the children with my primal sounds thou.
need to get this baby out.

Yum - show comes out in bits and pieces if you like. There may still be more You are having pre labour contractions just now (which are pretty painful). Tyr not to exhaust yourself by trying to get into labour or you will be too tired for the real thing. Warm baths and hot water bottles can help backache. Sitting facing backwards on an upright dining chair can help. Kneeling and rocking on hands and knees can also help. This may go on for a few days yet. Paracetamol may help the backache too.
You will know when you are having real contractions - they are quite different. Stay at home as long as you can. Good luck.

Yum - that's exactly how my labour started, with the lower back pain. Mears has hit the nail on the head with what helps.

I started out with a heat pad on my back and then as they got more intense I moved onto all fours.... growling!

Not wanting to give false hope..... but.......
When my ctx got bad enough to stop me in my tracks....... labour progressed fairly quickly....... ds was born 5 hours later.

Oooooooooo how exciting!

Tx for all the support & advice.
Took heed & kept myself indoors, taking it easy. realised how ridiculously impatient i am being.
ctx are approx. 10mins apart lastin only 20-30secs. looks like i am in for a long weekend.
using birthball to lean on & is relieving back pain but cannot seem to find any position to sleep in.
yes, baby posterior - does it stay that way throughout?

Not necessarily if it is a 2md baby... and it is. It usually turns during labour but this may be why the pain is in your back.
Try all fours.... lye on your left too.

20-30 secs are too short....
But it will get much more exciting soon....