Vaginal Birth Series - #2

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Body Changes Before Labor 2

Your body makes some amazing changes in the days and hours leading up to your baby's birth.

A day or two before labor begins, the mucus plug that sealed off your uterus detaches from the cervix and passes through your vagina. This discharge is sometimes called "bloody show" because it's tinged with blood.

Before labor begins or in the early stages of labor, your amniotic sac may rupture and you may feel fluid trickle or gush out of your vagina. If your "bag of waters" doesn't break on its own, your doctor may rupture it manually.


Review Date: June 29, 2001
Reviewed By: Peter Chen, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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Giving birth YOUR way

Roberto_Adriana_EstebanAdriana García and Roberto Jimenez were overjoyed when they discovered they were going to become first-time parents. They wanted to do everything right, which included signing up for Kaiser Permanente’s Preparation for Birth Class and checking out the Family Birth Center at Southwest Washington Medical Center. They even created an online blog so friends and family in Mexico could track the pregnancy and share their good wishes with the couple.

After taking the prenatal class, Adriana and Roberto created their birthing plan; making important decisions about how they wanted to deliver their baby. When the due date neared, they were going to stay at home as long as possible before going to the hospital … listening to music, talking to baby and enjoying the experience. Read the full story >

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