Chorevia

Day 273 of 280 · 39 weeks

The show

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 6 sources · Plain-text version

Thirty-nine weeks. A "show" of mucus can come days before labour, or not at all. Today you write down what's normal and what kind of bleeding means call.

Size this week
about the size of a watermelon
Length this week
around 50.7 cm from head to heel
A Black woman with a full bump in a loose striped shirt sits at a kitchen table writing on an index card, her teenage daughter reading over her shoulder, warm evening light.

Thirty-nine weeks. From here, every trip to the bathroom can feel like a test. Today's note is about one thing you might see there, the "show", and how to tell it from bleeding that needs a call.

Your baby

A single small watermelon on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Around now your baby is around 50.7cm long from head to heel, about the size of a watermelon (NHS). A tougher new layer of skin has formed, which protects the internal organs and helps control temperature (NHS).

At 39 weeks a baby is considered full-term. Babies typically weigh 6 pounds 2 ounces to 9 pounds 2 ounces and measure 19 to 21 inches at birth (OWH). That's a wide range, and all of it is ordinary.

Your body

Discharge increases now; it's normally thin, white, and mild-smelling (NHS). A "show" is different: yellow or bloody mucus that can be an early sign of labour, though labour may still be days away (NHS). The Office on Women's Health describes it as bloody or brownish mucus, usually the mucus plug, and says labour could start right away or still be days away (OWH).

It happens because the cervix is starting to thin and open. MedlinePlus says a small amount of blood mixed into mucus can occur as the cervix dilates (MedlinePlus). Some people never notice a show at all.

Try today

  1. The show explainer

    Time: 5 minutes

    1. On your card of hospital numbers, write: "Show: mucus, yellow, brownish, or streaked with blood. Normal. Labour may still be days away" (NHS).

    2. Under it, write: "Bleeding, not just streaks: call now." Late in pregnancy, MedlinePlus says to always report bleeding right away (MedlinePlus).

    3. Add the emergency line: heavy bleeding, a stiff and painful belly, or strong, frequent contractions may need 911 (MedlinePlus).

    4. Read the three lines aloud to whoever will be with you, so you both mean the same thing by "show".

    Make it work:

    Not sure which one you're looking at? Call. MedlinePlus says to make contact for any other reason if you're unsure what to do (MedlinePlus).

Watch for

  • Normal

    more discharge, thin, white, and mild-smelling (NHS).

    Call your provider

    if discharge has a foul odor or a greenish color, or comes with itching or pain, since vaginal infections matter in pregnancy (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    a bloody or brownish streak of mucus.

    Call your provider

    right away for vaginal bleeding beyond light spotting (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    painless tightenings that come and go.

    Call 911

    for heavy bleeding with a stiff, painful belly (MedlinePlus).

For you

A show tells you the cervix has started its work. It doesn't tell you when. Checking every hour is tiring, and nothing about the next step depends on catching it: what you're waiting for is regular contractions or your waters, and you'll know those (NHS).

If you're the partner: you don't need to inspect anything. You need to know the card, and to pick up the phone when she says "call".

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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