So.... what was that, then?

[Cricket]

This morning I woke from a reasonable sleep (wow!) to a feeling of "trickling" from my vagina. Not fully awake, I thought to myself, hmmm... that's weird... wonder if my water broke. Tried a little cough and it seemed that the trickling increased slightly. Hmmmm.... That's funny.
No contractions.
Bed felt dry under me. Must be my imagination.
But the feeling stayed.
So I decided to get up and go to the bathroom.
And had a heart attack.
My underwear was soaked with bright pinkish red blood. It was still dripping a little, and after I cleaned up and put on a pad, I discovered I had bled on the bed and dripped on the way to the bathroom too.
Bean was quiet. Wiggle, Bean, wiggle!
Called the midwife who was already at the hospital. (full moon - they were packed full! No room available for us.) She said come right in and she'd check what was going on.
Woke DH, and called MIL to watch the girls, and packed the bags very quickly, and were on our way in 15 minutes. Didn't feel too much leaking any more. Bean wiggled. (hurray!)
Midwife found us a corner to stay, since they were full in L&D, and checked baby and cervix, etc. Baby was happy, cervix still undilated and long, no gush of fluid, but a fair bit of bloody mucous. She told us to walk around for 30 min or so, and she'd recheck. So we did. And at second check, same story. No more fluid, small around of bloody mucous. We were told we could go home - nothing happening right now. Might be pre-labour, and things could pick up in the next 24 hours, or it could be a week or two.

So what was that? Has anyone else had that happen? What came next? Labour? More waiting? I've never had this before, though this is my fourth baby. I thought for sure it was my water breaking!

My whole family is supposed to be coming over to stay for the weekend I don't want to be feeling like I could go into labour any second when they're here! (no, they are NOT going to be there for the birth!) And I am planning a homebirth (if that GBS swab comes back negative tomorrow). If something happens, I'll have to kick them out... or just go to the hospital instead.

I just wish I knew what was happening. Any thoughts?

[~Raven~]

Sounds like a bit of a show! It's the mucous plug from the cervix

Could mean that it's starting to soften up It could be a while before it starts though. With my first it was the onset of labour but with the others it was weeks!

[AliBaby]

I had exactly the same thing. It was just before my due date. It was bright red blood and very watery, not globby like I thought a plug was supposed to be.

I called the hospital and they said it was a show. However I still to this day dont think it was.
I didnt go in that nght but had an apppointment 2 days later for my EDD and I was 1cm and a 90% effaced but my baby still didnt budge for another 2 weeks!!!

The main thing is that my baby was healthy and all was okay.

[Cricket]

That's sort of what they said to me this morning - it was a show.
But I've never had a show like that before. With all three girls, I had bloody, mucousy show right as contractions started and baby arrived shortly.
Never this drippy watery bleeding business. And no contractions. It's all stopped now - just some irregular, semi-strong braxton hicks, but nothing remarkable. No bleeding/dripping/leaking/mucous or anything.
I HATE not knowing what's going on. Come out baby, come out!

[rach2281]

I had the same thing with Lilli. Though i had bleeds as such for 2wks prior to labour. Then actually whilst in labour, every time i dilated a bit more more blood would come out. I was in a panick, it never happened when in labour with my son. But midwive kept saying "its all a part of labour".

I hope this means you are about to meet your bubs and hope it doesn't drag on like it did with me. GOODLUCK

[Inertia]

According to the middie I saw, its called (and I have no idea how to spell it properly) Lukarea. Its just another form of CM that I was apparently producing by the gallon.

I had Phe two days later.

[Cricket]

Well, it must have been a pre-labour thing, 'cause baby is here. Born yesterday night, healthy and well, after about 16 hours of "pre-labour" and 5 hours of active labour.
All is well.