Bloody Show...Now what.....

[HockeyWife86]

Had an internal today and a sweep. Found to be 2cm dilated. Booked in for induction on Tuesday 18th.
About an hour after the sweep i went to the bathroom for the toilet and (TMI) freaked out with a big glob of blood (like a very large period clot) which midwife told me was my plug (or part thereof) spotting turned brown after that.
My question is really.....what now....haha
I was having constant period cramping and contractions every 5-10min which have slowed down over the day to almost non existant.

Will my plug now grow back again, or if its a bloody one does it not grow back? Should i (hopefully) expect labor to start in the next day or so?
Can i bath or have sex?

Really hoping this baby comes over the weekend so we dont need the induction so hoping that this means i should start soon??

 

[brownlieB]

Not sure about the bath or sex question, my plug went and nothing happened for a couple of days, but it is the start of things progressing.

The contractions are a good sign too, though labour can be stop start to begin with, unless your waters leak, you're ok to wait it out at home, a lot of people recommend walking up and down the stairs to get things going again.

Keep hydrated and well fed, give your body the energy it needs to keep going, and good luck xx

 

[Aurora_xox]

Personally I wouldn't have a bath just in case. But you could probably shower to keep infection at bay. Not sure about sex, because I know semen can help soften the cervix to help kick start labour. With my DD I lost my mucus plug about 3 times about a month before she was born.

And then my waters broke 3 days before she was born. So it's just a waiting game really! Hope it all goes okay for you! Good luck! x

 

[alex_22]

When I was in labour with my son my waters went first and the midwife at the hospital told me I was fine to have a bath at home I just wasn't allowed to use the hospital bath, I think it's only once your waters go that your open to infection. I would just give it a clean and use it if you really want one or if your still unsure just phone your midwife up and ask her that will probably be your best bet x

 

[xdxxtx]

I was told that I could do everything until my water breaks, including baths and sex. Once my water has broken, they have wanted me to only take a shower and to leave that area alone to prevent infection so I could go as long as possible before risking infection. Also, when I REALLY lost plug (with both babies), it was lots of blood and lots of mucus, and it was unmistakeable. A chunk of plug that turns into brown spotting COULD have just been irritation from the sweep instead and might grow back. Walking, bouncing on birthing ball, stairs *** (especially the stairs - works every time for me) and anything that puts pressure on the area will help to loosen up more of the plug and help progress that dilation.

Labor dust!!!!!

 

[brenn09]

Had an internal today and a sweep. Found to be 2cm dilated. Booked in for induction on Tuesday 18th.
About an hour after the sweep i went to the bathroom for the toilet and (TMI) freaked out with a big glob of blood (like a very large period clot) which midwife told me was my plug (or part thereof) spotting turned brown after that.
My question is really.....what now....haha
I was having constant period cramping and contractions every 5-10min which have slowed down over the day to almost non existant.

Will my plug now grow back again, or if its a bloody one does it not grow back? Should i (hopefully) expect labor to start in the next day or so?
Can i bath or have sex?

Really hoping this baby comes over the weekend so we dont need the induction so hoping that this means i should start soon??

My understanding, from what my doc told me, was that my mucus plug was different from a bloody show. Bloody show is when your cervix is dilating and pink or red blood/spotting results from that, which means you're in labor. Mucus plug doesn't mean you're in labor, or even that you could go into labor anytime soon. I've lost my plug over the last three days and just went in because I was contracting every 5 mins- false labor, though. Anyway, she said a bloody show was something to watch for and a good indicator of time to go to the hospital but was not at all concerned I lost my plug. Is this how everyone else understands it?

What I know is that my doc's office said labor could start anytime now or be weeks away, losing my plug didn't indicate imminent labor but it could be! They told me to take a bath when my contractions get close together, so knowing my plug is lost they still told me to take a warm bath as a way of managing the pain and ruling out false labor. I guess that means a bath is fine, although idk about sex? Maybe a quick call to the office would answer that question, but I believe you can have sex as often as you want until your water breaks, then the risk of infection goes up so go to the hospital! At least, that is what I have been told by my doc- if water breaks, straight to the hospital.

I hope this is it for you, though! Friend lost her plug at 3pm, had baby at 5pm next day.. another friend lost her plug and didn't have baby for 8 days, though so anecdotal tales aren't much help. FXed you don't have to be induced, though! Good luck!!

 

[HockeyWife86]

Contraction died down over the day to almost non-existant today. Keep loosing more brown...goop haha Just keep walking, bouncing etc today. Have a feeling that this baby will only come out when forced at the induction oh well will keep trying!
Thanks ladies!