Is it normal to have spotting once in late pregnancy and then stop?

In the late stages of pregnancy, especially when the due date is approaching, delivery is possible at any time. The physical condition of each pregnant woman is different, so the symptoms before delivery are also different. However, most pregnant women have experienced this experience: they have spotting once in the late stages of pregnancy, but then everything returns to normal. After this happens, many pregnant women don’t know what is going on and worry that this is an abnormal phenomenon.

Is it normal to have spotting once in late pregnancy and then stop?

This situation is very normal. It is a symptom before delivery. Keep a good mood and count the fetal movements regularly. Seek medical attention immediately if any abnormality occurs in your body.

What are the signs before childbirth?

1. Feeling of relief in pregnant women’s abdomen

In the one to two weeks before delivery, the baby's head enters the pelvis first and the bottom of the uterus drops, so the pregnant woman will feel more comfortable in the upper abdomen than before, breathe easier, and eat more. As the baby's head descends, it will compress organs such as the pelvis and bladder, so pregnant women will have symptoms such as lower abdominal pain and swelling, frequent urination, and back pain.

2. False contractions

One to two weeks before the birth of a child, a woman's uterus will experience irregular contractions, but compared to the contractions that occur during labor, there are the following differences: the contractions do not last long, the intervals are longer, they are irregular, and the intensity does not increase. Women will feel lower abdominal distension and pain but this symptom only appears in the lower abdomen. The cervix does not expand due to contractions and can be suppressed by a small amount of sedatives.

3. Bloody sight

One to two days before delivery, a sticky fluid mixed with blood will flow out of the pregnant woman's vagina, commonly known as "seeing blood". This situation occurs when the lower part of the uterus and the cervix expand, and the fetal membrane on the uterine wall falls off. The capillaries also rupture and bleed, forming bloody mucus together with the viscous fluid in the cervix. This is a more reliable sign before delivery. If the amount of vaginal bleeding is heavy, even exceeding the amount of menstruation, it cannot be considered a precursor to delivery. You should consider whether you have a bleeding disease in the late pregnancy, such as placental abruption.

4. Regular abdominal cramps

The pain lasts for about thirty seconds, with intervals of ten minutes. The pain duration will gradually increase, and the frequency of pain attacks will increase, becoming a more regular pain.

5. Water breaking

Water breaking refers to the leakage of amniotic fluid from the vagina. Due to the violent contraction of the uterus, the pressure in the uterine cavity becomes greater and greater, the cervical opening will become larger, the baby's head will drop, causing the fetal membrane to tear, and the amniotic fluid to flow out of the vagina. At this time, it is close to the time for the baby to be born.

6. Feeling of oppression in the lower abdomen

After the baby's position drops, the part that would be exposed first when the baby is born drops to the entrance of the pelvis, so the pregnant woman will feel more pain in the lower abdomen and the bladder will be squeezed. Pregnant women will feel severe pain in their waist and legs, have difficulty walking, and frequently need to go to the toilet.