The Scariest Symptoms of Labor
The scariest symptoms of labor for me were from a single source - the bloody show. I feel that anytime you see the tiniest drop of blood when pregnant, it really shakes you up. Even though we know that some spotting in pregnancy is normal, it is just scary!
So what is the bloody show? It usually is a product of the cervix stretching and dilating. Maternal blood volume increases during pregnancy and things are a bit swollen in that area as well which can contribute to the spotting. You may also note some spotting after an internal check. This is all completely normal. You may also notice a bit of blood that accompanies the mucus plug.
It is important to note that there should not be a great quantity of blood. It should be no more than spotting even though it may be bright red. But please, please, if you are at all concerned or feel uncomfortable, check with your health care provider.
On a similar note, if you are experiencing regular, rhythmic contractions that last for more than 45 seconds and are about 5 minutes apart when the bloody show begins, this symptom of labor may indicate that your cervix is dilating and effacing fairly quickly and that you will soon be delivering that beautiful baby.
In my case, this is what occurred. I wasn't convinced that I was in labor, although I had many symptoms of labor: my contractions were 3 minutes apart and lasting 60-90 seconds. Even my husband didn't believe I was in labor. When I woke him, he said, "You can't be. You've got two weeks to go!" (We'll discuss more on due dates elsewhere.) When the bloody show started, I turned to him and said "I don't care when I'm due, this is it!" Then we started throwing things pell-mell into the car to leave. Yep, I was not even packed yet. Oops! It turned out that I was already in transition and had my daughter about an hour later!
Giving Birth Naturally: Early Signs of Labor: Symptoms of Labor
