Women have so many questions about pregnancy. One common question is about ways to determine exactly when active labor may start. One good sign is noticing bloody show that is brownish or bloody discharge experienced after the cervix begins to dilate. You may also be able to see the mucous plug. These are good signs, but you may still ask, "How long after bloody show does labor start?" Keep reading to find your answer.
How Long After Bloody Show Is Labor?
There is a mucus plug on your cervix that helps block the opening leading to the cervical canal to ensure that no bacteria could enter and cause infections. When your body is ready for labor, the mucus plug is released, and the process is called the "bloody show". It is worth mentioning that sometimes the mucus plug comes out at once, but on other occasions, it takes several days to come out, making it difficult for you to realize exactly what is happening.
How long after bloody show is labor? Although it is a sign that active labor is around the corner, it is still hard to say for sure when your labor will start. Many factors will come into play. For instance, your labor may not start for another week even after losing the mucus plug if this is your first pregnancy. This usually means you are in early labor and may experience mild contracts, cramps, and tummy aches with backache that may last for hours in most cases. However, your baby may start within a few hours of losing the mucus plug if this is not your first pregnancy.
What it means is that you do not need to call your healthcare provider immediately after noticing a bloody show. You should wait for some time until you experience regular and more frequent contractions, about 5-20 minutes apart. You may want to talk to them immediately though if you notice fresh, bright red blood.
What Other Moms Have Experienced
How long after bloody show is labor? Here’s the time other moms have experienced:
I started experiencing early labor contraction on Thursday followed by bloody how on Friday 4:30pm. It continued for the next 24 hours until Monday 8:30pmwhen active labor started. My baby came into the world on Tuesday 8:24am. Early labor lasted a long time for me and it was quite frustrating. The good thing was that active labor did not take that long.
With my DS, I started experienced a bloody show late on the Friday night. Then, I started experiencing irregular contractions that continued through the night. It all stopped at 6am Saturday and nothing happened for the next two days. Contractions started again late on Sunday night and continued irregularly through the night. I went into labor at 3:30pm Monday and I gave birth to DS a few minutes before midnight. It means that I had to wait 75 hours after the bloody show to have DS in my arms.
I did not experience any bloody show with my first baby but I noticed pink show that began soon after active labor started. It means the bloody show is not always a reliable indicator that labor will begin in some time.
How Does the Bloody Show Happen?
It is important to understand that though you would be anxious to know how long after bloody show is labor, things usually move quite slow in the late pregnancy. You will experience lightening first, which refers to a stage when your baby settles down into your pelvis and takes pressure off your lungs and stomach. Once your baby is engaged, your body will respond to this change and produce certain hormones that will help your cervix become soft and short. This in turn makes the mucus plug to slip away and you notice some bloody show as a result.
Bloody Show as a Sign of Early Labor
Your cervix begins to dilate during early labor and this often makes you feel mild contractions. The contractions usually last between 30 and 90 seconds. These contractions will also become more regular and there will be only five minutes break between contractions once you reach the end of early labor. It is a good idea to see your doctor if your contractions have increased in frequency.
How to Get Relief
While early labor is not always uncomfortable, some women may experience some discomfort. You can take a number of steps to feel more comfortable during early labor. For starters, take a shower, have a gentle massage and listen to relaxing music. You may also try slow, deep breathing techniques, drink plenty of fluids, and change your positions. Be sure to eat light snacks and apply heat or ice packs to your lower back for pain relief.
Then It’s the Start of Active Labor
Once you have some understand about your question, "How long after bloody show is labor?" you may want to learn more about active labor. Your active labor starts after the end of early labor. During this phase, your cervix dilates to 8cm and you notice your contractions become longer, stronger, and close together. Some women might feel nauseous and experience cramps in the legs. Some might as well feel severe pressure in the back with a feeling that your water has broken. This is the time to visit delivery facility.
Keep in mind that active labor may last for eight hours or so. You may not have to wait this long though if you have had a previous vaginal delivery.
Then Comes the Baby!
After this, it is time to actually hold your baby in your arms. For some women, the process of childbirth takes up to a few minutes, while others have to push for a few hours or so. It is usually more painful and longer for first-time moms. It may also take longer if you have had an epidural.
