Bleeding before labor at 40 weeks

Pregnancy is a complex process, thought out to the smallest detail, each individual phenomenon of which occurs at its own time. Any extraneous interventions or abnormal events can cause premature resolution of the burden and other pathologies. Therefore, a young woman preparing to become a mother for the first time in her life needs to get acquainted with many things that she previously did not even suspect existed.

One of the alarming and significant events that every pregnant woman has to experience is spotting before childbirth. Ideally, they are considered a harbinger of impending delivery, but there are other options for the development of events, which will be discussed in this publication.

Pink discharge

The last months of pregnancy are a crucial period for the female body, which is now actively preparing for the final moment - the birth of the baby. During such processes, a large hormonal reserve, muscle activity and secretory function are involved. It is the last component that is responsible for the body’s signals that something is not going as expected.

For example, during inflammation, abundant white or brownish discharge is observed; during infections, green or yellow discharge is considered characteristic. What do pinkish secretions of different consistency, volume and color additives mean in the period before childbirth? Is such a feature deadly for a baby who is ready to appear in the near future, and is it possible to cure dangerous diseases in the later stages?

Is it dangerous

The risk of pink discharge is not in the color itself, but in the reasons that led to this color. The pink tint is bloody cells, red blood cells, which to a lesser extent stain the main mucous secretions. For what reasons is red blood cell fluid released, and why can it be dangerous? Determining the danger of secretions depends on the reasons, which may be different.

Bloody discharge before labor is a sign of its onset

One of the most reliable signs of the onset of labor is the release of the mucous plug, which is always accompanied by discharge. The plug may come off during childbirth (then the woman will not notice it) or come out all at once as a whole clot, for example, while taking a shower, which may also go unnoticed.

But also often the mucus plug comes off in parts, gradually, and at the same time the woman notices a white-yellow mucous discharge on the underwear, which may contain streaks of blood - pinkish, brown or brown. This is a sure sign that there is very little time left before meeting the most desirable creature. From the moment the mucus plug begins to come off, the mother should stop any activities that could lead to infection entering the womb (sexual relations, taking a bath and swimming in stagnant bodies of water).

Erosion

Erosion is inflammation of the vaginal tissue in its upper part (most often), or on the cervix. The inflammatory process in pathogenesis differs into bacterial and specific types. This disease does not pose a danger to the child, but can provoke pregnancy complications, premature birth, and the addition of a secondary infection.

The bacterial variant of the development of erosion becomes possible as a result of the presence in the vaginal flora of pathological microorganisms that irritate the mucous membrane and do not allow the tissues to heal. The constant destruction of healthy cells is accompanied by inflammation and bleeding in a small amount.

Specific is the result of the development of the disease against the background of mechanical damage. Mechanical options include:

development of microcracks after using tampons (both during pregnancy and before its onset);
incorrect sudden movements of the sexual partner during the period of contact (even a small microcrack turns and develops into a big problem in the form of erosion, the degree of spread of the disease is determined by the immune system at the time of injury);
improper handling of medical instruments during the period of taking smears from the cervical canal (a deep scraping taken by a gynecologist can also provoke the development of the disease in the form of destruction of the tissue of the mucous membrane of the reproductive organs).

Important
If erosion develops during pregnancy, cauterization or cryotherapy is not used until after birth. After labor, the doctor sprays the birth canal, then the most objective and currently possible treatment option is applied.

Causes of bleeding from the vagina

Brown or dark red blood may result from:

A careless gynecological examination that resulted in damage to the mucous membranes of the birth canal. In the penultimate or last week of pregnancy, the doctor examines the condition of the cervical canal of the uterine cervix by palpating it. If the tissues form a specific lumen and do not exhibit characteristic resistance, then the baby will be born in the coming days;
Too active sex or the use of sexual toys that are incompatible with the period of gestation. In view of the same looseness of the uterine tissues, after sexual intercourse with very deep penetration, which occurred in the last weeks/days of pregnancy, the possibility of bleeding becomes quite logical and safe. Again, despite this, it is better to avoid active sex with elements of violence or sadomasochism;
The process of separating the mucous plug that closes the entrance to the uterus begins. During fetal development, the uterine cervix is an oblong-shaped reproductive organ that is completely closed to physical examination. As the fetus grows and the date of birth approaches, the cervix gradually shortens, its tissues become less elastic, and a gap appears for the baby to emerge.

All this leads to microtraumas in the form of ruptures of capillaries located in the walls of the uterus and to bleeding. Remember that the plug comes off at different times: for some women it leaves its place several weeks before the decisive event, while for others it leaves its place a couple of hours before giving birth.

Placental abruption

Placental abruption is a dangerous condition regardless of gestation period. The child runs the risk of oxygen starvation, and the mother risks losing her baby due to a strong peeling process. The placenta, regardless of the gestation period, is supplied with a huge number of blood vessels, thereby providing the baby with the necessary nutrition, temperature and hormonal balance.

Important
If the process of providing the placenta is disrupted, its detachment is initially observed, followed by an increase in temperature. Dangerous symptoms are bleeding. If the baby is viable, a decision is made to perform a caesarean section and place the baby in an incubator to open the lungs.

Hazards

What kind of blood discharge cannot be considered a logical harbinger of labor and a completely normal phenomenon? Initially, they should not be regular, cannot be abundant or accompanied by pain.

Pathological discharge that should force a woman to see a doctor is:

An unpleasant, rotten, “fishy” or other atypical odor that is a sign of a developing infection. The latter can harm both the mother and the child inside her womb;
Brown coloration, indicating detachment of the placental organ and other abnormal processes;
Intense, when the discharge does not stop for several hours in a row, abundant or accompanied by unpleasant/painful sensations;
Pain in the lumbar back;
An indirect symptom in the form of the baby stopping moving in the uterus or excessive bleeding after the mucus plug comes out;

What to do after your water breaks?

So your water breaks. The first thing you need to do is calm down. Panic in this case can only do harm, and you still have to give birth.

Carefully inspect the spilled liquid and urgently call an ambulance if:

Its color is suspicious, as is its smell.
Blood is clearly visible.
The waters resemble swamp slurry.

Are you satisfied with the appearance and consistency of the amniotic fluid? Then you can call the doctor and go to the hospital yourself. Just don’t put everything off until the morning or until your relatives arrive. After all, in this case it is better to be under supervision.

Amniotic fluid: what does it look like?

Normally, waters are colorless or have a yellowish tint. That is, they are quite easy to confuse with urine. The only thing is that they have no smell and are not associated with the urge to go to the toilet.
If the outpouring was quite abundant, then it is likely that before this the woman felt a slight popping or cracking sound in the lower abdomen. The situation is clear to her, including the color of the liquid. After all, if it had a greenish or marshy tint and an unpleasant odor, then a visit to the maternity hospital should be immediate. Most likely, hypoxia has begun, and the baby’s life is in danger.

With the gradual rupture of water, a slightly different behavior of doctors and the mother in labor is observed, especially if events develop in the pregnancy pathology department. The expectant mother and medical staff monitor the condition of the waters using white fabric inserts. Their purpose is the same as that of the gaskets, but on the former the shade of the absorbed liquid is clearly visible.

How can you tell when your water is breaking?

The one who comes out in one stream will have no doubts. Since there will be a lot of liquid and it will most likely pour out suddenly: in a dream, when rising from a lying position and any other muscle tension. In such cases, they say that a hole has formed in the fetal bladder from below, which is why most of the water (about 1 liter) came out.

The birth itself will most likely occur in 8-12 hours.

However, there are also cases when the rupture of water is not entirely clear and can easily be confused with urinary incontinence (and this often happens in the third trimester). Most likely, the amniotic sac has burst at the top or in the middle, the baby is slowly moving towards the exit, thereby pushing the amniotic fluid in portions

But no matter how this happens, even if you are not at all sure that water is leaking, contact your doctor. A test will be taken from you and a further algorithm of actions will be drawn up. This is especially true for those who are too early to give birth.

Reviews from women in labor

Veronica : “The water broke at 32 weeks. She remained pregnant for some period in the pathology department, after which she gave birth to a healthy baby, although premature.”

Svetlana : “The water broke during childbirth. And that’s thanks to the fact that the bubble was broken.”

Victoria : “I carried my pregnancy to term until my green water broke. An emergency caesarean section was performed. My son was saved."

Lyudmila : “The waters receded throughout the day. There was low placentation, which provoked a protracted labor.”

Dangerous secretions

important Bloody discharge before childbirth is a dangerous diagnostic sign. The development of bleeding during this period may be a symptom of premature abruption of a normally located placenta, which threatens the life of the mother and fetus. Therefore, even minor bloody discharge before childbirth should be a reason to immediately seek medical help.

Leakage of green or brown water with an unpleasant odor indicates infection and fetal hypoxia. There is a need for constant monitoring of the child's condition and, possibly, an early delivery. Before childbirth, inflammatory processes in the vagina (candidiasis or bacterial vaginosis) may worsen. Then the discharge acquires characteristic signs: with candidiasis (thrush), it becomes cheesy, white, with a sour odor and is accompanied by itching; with bacterial vaginosis, it becomes gray with the smell of rotten fish. There may be a thick yellow or green discharge, indicating an infection in the woman's genital tract. All this is not the norm. This inflammation requires emergency treatment.

What is the norm?

Coming from the description of pathological phenomena, the norm is everything that is not associated with green, red or brown color, unpleasant odor and premature discharge.

If nothing alarms you, and your doctor does not have any questions/complaints, then there is nothing to worry about. It is better to spend these emotions preparing for the meeting with your long-awaited happiness.

But the main thing to remember is that time passes, and in medicine there is such a thing as an anhydrous period . If it lasts about a day, you will have to inject an antibiotic to prevent infection from developing.

Amniotic fluid and plug... with blood

Remember! Neither the amniotic fluid nor the mucus plug should be mixed with scarlet blood! This is the most serious pathology that threatens the lives of both mother and baby. After all, one of them started bleeding. In this case, minutes are counted and all hope falls on the shoulders of the ambulance team .

By the way, don't try to get to the hospital on your own. In this case it is very dangerous. Stay horizontal and try to move less. The only thing you can do at the moment is to breathe properly, providing the baby with a good flow of oxygen.

What kind of discharge may bother you at 40 weeks of pregnancy?

How to distinguish physiological secretions from secretions during pathological processes?

Brown discharge at 40 weeks of pregnancy

Normally, labor can begin at any time after the 38th week of pregnancy. That is why the appearance of brown discharge on the eve of PDP often indicates the approach of labor. Discharge may appear several hours or several days before birth. The appearance of a bloody brown “smudge” most often indicates the maturity of the cervix and its readiness to open. Often, discharge of a similar color accompanies the release of a mucus plug. Some time after examining the pregnant woman in the gynecological chair, it is also possible that a brown “smudge” may appear from the genital tract. It is important to monitor the general condition and the presence of accompanying symptoms. The brown secretion should not have an unpleasant odor.

40 weeks pregnant: pink discharge

The appearance of pink (not to be confused with scarlet!) discharge after the 38th week of gestation is more often the norm than a pathology. A secretion of this color often accompanies the release of a cervical plug. The mucus may be completely pink or have pink streaks. The amount of discharge can be moderate or quite heavy. The pale pink color of the secretion is normal if it does not contain an admixture of scarlet blood. An increase in the intensity of the red tint of the discharge indicates the need to urgently contact a medical facility.

Bloody discharge at 40 weeks of pregnancy

As the due date approaches, a woman’s body is actively preparing for the birth of a new life. Brown discharge, as well as the presence of bloody streaks in the clear secretion, is most often a normal variant. At the same time, the discharge of scarlet blood from a woman’s genital tract, even on the eve of PDR, is a dangerous symptom that requires immediate attention to a medical facility. The appearance of bleeding may indicate placental abruption. This condition primarily threatens the life of the child - placental rejection leads to fetal hypoxia; if the area of detachment is large, the baby’s death can occur within a matter of minutes. The appearance of bloody discharge in the 40th week also threatens the woman herself. Opening bleeding threatens the expectant mother with a large loss of blood. In this case, the location of the placenta (normal or low) does not matter. The appearance of red blood in any quantity is a direct indication for going to the hospital.

40 weeks pregnant: white discharge

A white liquid secretion is normal if the pregnant woman’s smears are clean and the woman herself does not experience discomfort. Shortly before birth, the amount of such discharge may increase. The main reason is hormonal changes occurring in the body of the expectant mother. At the 40th week, abundant white discharge of a very thin, almost watery consistency indicates the imminent onset of labor (up to several hours).

Yellow discharge at 40 weeks of pregnancy

It is normal for natural discharge to turn yellow if the woman does not have any complaints. The appearance of yellow mucus may be a cervical plug. If the yellow discharge is excessively thin and watery, it may be a rupture of the membranes and leakage of water (especially if the liquid has a sweetish odor). In this case, the woman is strongly recommended to visit a gynecologist as soon as possible.

40 weeks pregnant: mucus discharge

Discharge in the form of mucus occurs quite often on the eve of childbirth. This is how the body tells the woman that the cervix is ripening and preparing to open during childbirth. Most often, such discharge is transparent or has a whitish-yellowish tint. The mucus has a viscous, slightly viscous consistency. Most often, a pregnant woman can observe such discharge after urge, when the body moves from a horizontal to a vertical position. If after a few hours the mucus begins to darken, acquiring a brown tint, there are only a few hours left before labor begins.

Clear discharge at 40 weeks of pregnancy

Amniotic fluid reliably protected the little one from the possible negative effects of external factors throughout the entire 9 months of pregnancy. The ideal picture of childbirth involves the rupture of the membranes during labor, thereby facilitating the movement of the baby through the birth canal. In practice, quite often the outpouring of water occurs even before contractions begin. In this case, the amniotic sac may rupture completely or be partially torn. In the latter case, leakage of amniotic fluid will occur, which not every pregnant woman is able to immediately recognize. A distinctive feature of waters from other secretions is their consistency. If thin, watery discharge appears at the 40th week, in the vast majority of cases we are talking about amniotic fluid.

In any case, the outpouring of water indicates the beginning of the birth process. It is important to evaluate the water visually:

The liquid must be clean and transparent.
The smell is absent or weak (light sweetish aroma).
A yellowish-green or brown tint of the liquid is a dangerous sign that may indicate infection of the water, meconium entering the liquid and, as a result, hypoxia of the child.

The water may break even if the cervical plug has not yet left. In this case, the mucus comes out along with the amniotic fluid. Leakage or rupture of amniotic fluid is a reason to go to the hospital.