Preterm Labor Symptoms?
QUESTION
Dear Midwife,
I am about 20 weeks along and so far everything had been normal until this weekend. On Friday morning I woke up with a lot of back pain and just didn't feel well. The back pain went away as the day went on, although I have continued to just feel a little "off."
On Saturday morning the back pain came back, and I had a little bit of cramping similar to menstrual cramps. Then early Saturday afternoon I had a little spotting followed by a pinkish discharge, then later in the day on Saturday it turned to a brownish discharge. Saturday night and Sunday morning I had no discharge whatsoever.
Then on Sunday afternoon I had some moderate to severe abdominal cramping, a little back pain, and felt kind of a gush of warm liquid. I was terrified I might be bleeding so I ran to the bathroom. I wasn't bleeding, but there was a lot of clear, thin discharge, which has slowed down a little but continued.
Is this something normal or should I be concerned?
ANSWER
Yes, if you haven't done so already, you should phone your provider and let them know about all of this. -- Cynthia, CNM. PhD. Send Page To a Friend
Printer-friendly versionCynthia Flynn
Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, teaches in the College of Nursing at Seattle University and is President of the American Association of Birth Centers. She also practices midwifery at Valley Medical Center where she cares for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.
Cynthia hosts a monthly "Ask the midwife" chat as well as answers questions via our expert section.
Listen to Cynthia live on Pregnancy.org Live: Before, During and After.
