Bloody show/ mucous plug

[Adaline'sMama]

DD was early, and my water broke first thing in labor so I never noticed a bloody show or losing my mucous plug. I do remember having way more discharge during the last couple of weeks of pregnancy, but it was never tinged pink or anything. Do women almost always have bloody show before going into labor? Since I never had to look for signs of labor with my last birth, Im just wondering if there is a possibility that I wouldn't have anything like a bloody show or lost mucous plug. I have had two nights now (space out over four nights) of contractions that lasted 1-2 hours. I'm pretty sure it is just my body getting ready for labor, and both times I have been able to assure myself that it wasn't true labor because I have had no bloody show and I haven't really had any more discharge than normal.

Also, is it more likely that my water will break first this time since it did last time? Has anyone had two pregnancies where their water broke before they went into labor? Anyone who went into labor with no bloody show/ sign of lost mucous plug?
Thanks!

[azhie]

At the end of my pregnancy, I checked daily for the mucus plug, lol! Nothing at all, not even discharge. I was in active labor for a few hours and lost the plug about 30 minutes before dd was born. It was a gooey bloody thing.

[Jessimaca]

I am a birth worker and from my experience every labor can be different.  Not everyone loses their mucus plug (or may not notice because they are in active labor) and not everyone has lots of bloody show early on either.  Same with your water breaking-- it may or may not before active labor starts (for most women in doesn't break).  It sounds like your body could be gearing up!  You'll know its true labor when the contractions don't let up and get stronger and closer together

[Adaline'sMama]

Just as an update, Im pretty sure that I lost my plug yesterday. I had a huge amount of mucous come out, but it wasnt blood tinged at all and I have had no bloody show of any sort. I have an appointment tomorrow, and if she does an exam, Ill ask her if its still there.

[domermommy]

I know the "everyone is different" refrain applies here, too, but just my experience -- I had some increased mucus the week or so prior to giving birth, but the morning I went into full blown labor I did have bloody show.  The name makes it sound so scary, but it just looks like you're having moderate flow day of your period.  What I wasn't expecting, though, was to continue to have show (much like a lighter flow day) throughout the rest of my labor.  I had thought it was a one-time deal, but apparently not.  I noticed my show around 10am and had DS around 11:30 that night :)

[Adaline'sMama]

Originally Posted by domermommy 

I know the "everyone is different" refrain applies here, too, but just my experience -- I had some increased mucus the week or so prior to giving birth, but the morning I went into full blown labor I did have bloody show.  The name makes it sound so scary, but it just looks like you're having moderate flow day of your period.  What I wasn't expecting, though, was to continue to have show (much like a lighter flow day) throughout the rest of my labor.  I had thought it was a one-time deal, but apparently not.  I noticed my show around 10am and had DS around 11:30 that night :)

Me either. In fact, I started a thread about this because no one else I know had this and I got a lot of worried replies. http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1335268/how-much-blood-was-present-during-your-labor

Now Im wondering if it was in fact just bloody show, since I never had that before my water broke.

[justKate]

Hmm, I would think not.  I replied late to your other thread.....

But basically, I lost my mucous plug (or at least part of it) a day or so before labor really began.  It was like a glob of blood-tinged mucous.  Then once in labor, immediately after my water broke, there was a watery bloody explosion.  Literally.  Like horror movie type.  I can elaborate if you want, but neither the L&D nurses nor my midwife were concerned.  It freaked me out though--no one mentioned that part of labor to me!