Bloody show is the passage of a small amount of
blood
Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the cir ...
or blood-tinged
mucus
Mucus ( ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It ...
through the
vagina
In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...
near the end of
pregnancy
Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestation, gestates) inside a woman, woman's uterus (womb). A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.
Pregnancy usually occur ...
. It is caused by the detachment of the
cervical mucus plug A cervical mucus plug (operculum) is a plug that fills and seals the cervical canal during pregnancy. It is formed by a small amount of cervical mucus.
The mucus plug acts as a protective barrier by deterring the passage of bacteria into the uterus ...
that seals the cervix during pregnancy, and is one of the signs that
labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the la ...
may be imminent. Although the bloody show is a common and harmless cause of bleeding in late pregnancy, there are many other possible causes for vaginal bleeding, some of which may indicate serious medical problems such as
miscarriage or
placental abruption
Placental abruption is when the placenta separates early from the uterus, in other words separates before childbirth. It occurs most commonly around 25 Gestational age (obstetrics), weeks of pregnancy. Symptoms may include vaginal bleeding, lower ...
, and vaginal bleeding should not be ignored as a possible sign of serious complications.
See also
*
Antepartum hemorrhage
*
Obstetrical hemorrhage
Obstetrical bleeding is bleeding in pregnancy that occurs before, during, or after childbirth. Bleeding before childbirth is that which occurs after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Bleeding may be vaginal or less commonly into the abdominal cavity. Bleedi ...
References
Obstetrics
Health issues in pregnancy
Midwifery
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