Bleeding in prelabor

[DevaMajka]

Last night I had either false labor or prelabor (let's go with prelabor ).
After a bunch of hours of it, once contractions were getting semi-regular and more uncomfortable, I started bleeding. It wasn't what I thought bloody show would be at all. There was no mucous, and there was a lot more than I thought. I wiped several times, and each time there was pink/red blood on the tp. When I stood up, there were a few drips down my leg. I ended up putting on a pad, but didn't get very much blood on the pad.

I did call my midwife (at 3am- sorry midwife!!) who said it sounded normal, and like my cervix was dilating and labor would start in the next day or so. (no contractions yet...)

But every book that dp and I looked at last night said stuff like "if there's more blood than mucous, call your caregiver" and "if it drips, call your caregiver." And from all my reading on here, I never knew that this type of bleeding was normal.

Is this a normal part of prelabor? Does it happen so often that no one mentions it, and I'm just a doofus who didn't know it was normal? lol
Or does it not typically happen, but can be "normal" for certain labors?

[dawncayden]

I think blood would make me nervous too. I'd have called the MW as well. Maybe call her again and ask her how much blood there needs to be to worry?

I'm so excited that things are progressing for you Becky!
I keep stalking your posts ...so don't mind me


ya Becky!

[Kidzaplenty]

I have birthed eight fullterm babies, and I have never had bleeding before the actual birth.

I always though pre-labor bleeding had to do with placental issues.

[CrunchyMamaToBe]

I had bleeding like a light period along with sporadic contractions for two full days before I went into labor properly. There would always be blood when I wiped and there was enough to get on a pad, though not soak it. On the day I was really in labor, the MW who gave me my only vaginal exam said it was normal and showed the cervix was dilating - stretching and breaking some blood vessels.

Do you know where your placenta is in relation to your cervix? At my 20ish week ultrasound, we saw that mine was well up behind the baby, so we knew that we weren't dealing with placental abruption or previa or anything so serious.

[MissRubyandKen]

I can't remember bleeding at all, and only remember having some mucous/bloody show after I was in labor with my first. Everyone is different, but please do no hesitate to insist on being checked out!