# Day 273: The show

> 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.

- Series: Your ninth month of pregnancy, day by day (https://chorevia.com/learn/pregnancy-month-9), day 273 of 280, 39 weeks
- Your baby this week: about the size of a watermelon; around 50.7 cm from head to heel
- Canonical URL: https://chorevia.com/learn/pregnancy-month-9/day-273
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-22
- Publisher: Chorevia (https://chorevia.com)
- Cite as: Chorevia. "Day 273: The show." Last reviewed October 22, 2026. https://chorevia.com/learn/pregnancy-month-9/day-273

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.

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

Around now your baby is around 50.7cm long from head to heel, about the size of a watermelon ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-39/)). A tougher new layer of skin has formed, which protects the internal organs and helps control temperature ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-39/)).

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](https://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/youre-pregnant-now-what/stages-pregnancy)). 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](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-39/)). A "show" is different: yellow or bloody mucus that can be an early sign of labour, though labour may still be days away ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-39/)). 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](https://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-and-beyond/labor-and-birth)).

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](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000627.htm)). Some people never notice a show at all.

## Try today

### 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](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-39/)).
2. Under it, write: "Bleeding, not just streaks: call now." Late in pregnancy, MedlinePlus says to always report bleeding right away ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000627.htm)).
3. Add the emergency line: heavy bleeding, a stiff and painful belly, or strong, frequent contractions may need 911 ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000627.htm)).
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](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000508.htm)).

## Watch for

- **Normal:** more discharge, thin, white, and mild-smelling ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-39/)). **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](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000583.htm)).
- **Normal:** a bloody or brownish streak of mucus. **Call your provider** right away for vaginal bleeding beyond light spotting ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000508.htm)).
- **Normal:** painless tightenings that come and go. **Call 911** for heavy bleeding with a stiff, painful belly ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000627.htm)).

## 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](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-39/)).

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

- NHS. "Week 39." Week-by-week guide to pregnancy, Best Start in Life. https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-39/
- Office on Women's Health. "Stages of pregnancy." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/youre-pregnant-now-what/stages-pregnancy
- Office on Women's Health. "Labor and birth." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-and-beyond/labor-and-birth
- MedlinePlus. "Vaginal bleeding in late pregnancy." National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000627.htm
- MedlinePlus. "Am I in labor?" National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000508.htm
- MedlinePlus. "Common symptoms during pregnancy." National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000583.htm