Because the uterus contracts, the baby\’s head begins to drop into the basin, and the fetal membranes and uterine wall gradually separate and rub against each other, causing blood vessels to rupture and bleed, which is commonly known as redness and swelling. It is usually a pink or brown viscous fluid, or there may be blood in the secretion.
Redness usually occurs 24 hours before labor, but some redness recurs a few days or even a week before delivery. If there is just a light blood streak and the amount is not large, the pregnant mother can observe it at home, and be careful not to exert too much force and avoid strenuous exercise.
If bleeding occurs, the amount of bleeding exceeds the menstrual period, or abdominal pain occurs, you should be admitted to hospital immediately. You can go to the hospital on your own without calling an ambulance.
How long does it usually take for labor pains to start after seeing redness? Generally speaking, labor pains will begin within 24 hours after the redness appears, and labor will begin. But the reality is that many people give birth within a few days or even a week after seeing redness. Individual differences vary greatly, so the key is to observe its shape, color, quantity, etc. when you see red, and then make a judgment.
It\’s normal to see redness, don\’t panic! Cervical Thinning and Redness Bleeding near your due date is normal for most expectant mothers. Redness and swelling are likely to occur near the expected date of delivery, because the cervix will become thinner and softer near the expected date of delivery, producing thick, bloody secretions that are brown or bright red and flow out of the body through the vagina. Usually if the blood volume is low, there is no need to be hospitalized to wait for delivery. Just continue to observe. According to statistics, labor pains will begin within 1 week after the redness appears.
caused by cervix or placenta
Expectant mothers generally won’t give birth right away when they see redness and swelling. If there are no other signs of labor such as labor pains or water breaking, you can take a shower first and then go to the hospital for examination. The doctor will evaluate the opening of the cervix and then recommend that the mother go home to rest or go directly to the hospital to give birth. If the bleeding doesn\’t stop and is heavy, seek medical attention immediately. Generally speaking, prenatal redness is caused by a thinning of the cervix, but if there is a lot of blood flow, it may be a problem with the placenta.
Generally, there is a labor pain every 12 minutes, and each time lasts 4060 seconds. The cervix of 8-10 cm is due to the thinning and softness of the cervix before delivery, and then redness and swelling appear.
Situation 1: If there is only a little redness, the doctor determines that the cause of bleeding is indeed the thinning of the cervix, but the cervix has not yet opened, and the pregnant mother has not experienced labor pains or water rupture. Typically, the doctor will send the mother home to wait for delivery.
Case 2 is red, accompanied by labor pains or water breaking. In most cases, the doctor will ask the expectant mother to go to the hospital to wait for delivery.
Situation 3 is not caused by cervical thinning, but may be abnormal placental bleeding, and must be hospitalized immediately for observation or induction of labor.
Abnormal bleeding, please seek medical attention immediately!
Situation 1: Placenta previa In a normal pregnancy, the placenta is attached to the front, back or top of the uterine wall. If the placenta is attached too low, it will cover the internal os of the cervix and prevent the fetus from presenting, which is called placenta previa. The incidence of placenta previa is approximately 201/0. Clinically, according to the degree of placenta covering the internal cervical os, it can be divided into 4 types: complete, partial, marginal and low. As the uterus grows larger with increasing weeks of pregnancy, the position of the placenta also rises.
Small amounts of bleeding, such as from arrhythmia
A small number of pregnant mothers have bleeding that is so heavy that it can even cause uterine contractions (labor pains). This kind of bleeding will not only cause severe ischemia and hypoxia of the fetus in the abdomen, but also put the pregnant woman in an extremely dangerous state, and may even lead to shock and death.
[Risk factors] Maternal uterus has old scars, previous cesarean section or uterine surgery, uterine fibroids or uterine malformation, history of placenta previa, smoking history, etc.
[Physician\’s Advice] In fact, pregnant mothers with placenta previa will not wait until the expected date of delivery to develop bleeding symptoms, but may begin to experience bleeding symptoms from the second trimester. Experts explain that because the placenta itself is very rich in blood vessels, if a pregnant mother bleeds due to placenta previa, the amount of bleeding will be as much or even more than during menstruation, but most pregnant women with placenta previa can recover after resting in bed. Stop bleeding.
Situation 2: Premature separation of the placenta. Under normal circumstances, the placenta separates after the fetus is delivered. Before the fetus is delivered, the placenta partially or completely detaches from the uterine wall at the implantation site, which is called placental abruption. Placental abruption is a serious complication of late pregnancy. It goes very fast. If left untreated, it may endanger the lives of the mother and fetus.
Placental abruption without bleeding?
Another type of occult placental detachment usually occurs in women with severe pregnancy-induced hypertension. Symptoms are sudden onset of persistent abdominal or back pain that may occur with little or no vaginal bleeding.
Risk factors include preepileptic disorders, advanced maternal age, gestational diabetes, multiple births, short umbilical cord, history of placental abruption, and external influences.
[Physician’s reminder] Generally, placental abruption accompanied by massive bleeding symptoms is called exogenous placental abruption. The main symptom is vaginal bleeding, which is large in amount and dark red in color, and may be accompanied by mild abdominal pain. Usually, when placental abruption occurs, the fetus is already in extreme danger. Cesarean section or termination of pregnancy must be performed as early as possible to ensure the safety of mother and fetus.
Situation 3: Cervical polyps or cervical cancer
If you have polyps or cervical cancer on your cervix, bloodshot streaks and discharge may also occur. Especially for cervical cancer patients, it is difficult to detect the correlation with cervical cancer if they experience spotting bleeding during pregnancy. Cervical cancer bleeding mostly occurs after sexual intercourse, and the patient feels no pain and is easily ignored.