question about early/pre-labour (somewhat graphic)

"Nancy" wrote in message
Three days ago, at just over 37 weeks, my OB discovered that I was 2
cm dilated and effaced to within 1 cm, and that the baby was engaged
(not just dropped, as I had already suspected). She was able to feel
the baby's head with her fingertips during the internal exam! The
spotting and then brownish discharge resulting from the exam tapered
off to nothing by late afternoon.

On Thursday, first on-and-off and then all evening and night, I had
menstrual-like cramps. Yesterday (Friday) I had clear/whitish
discharge, more than usual. Lots of uncomortable Braxton-Hicks, as
has been happening for some time now.

Last evening I noticed that the discharge was quite brownish,
occasionally tinged reddish - I guess that could be from the internal
exam, but why would it reappear after so long? More cramping, too.
That brownish discharge was still around this morning but has since
turned back to whitish.

Is this all just a result of the internal (which ironically didn't
hurt at all), or is it my cervix continuing to dilate and efface?
What meaning, if any, can I take from the on-again, off-again brownish
discharge?

I am waiting for my baby as well (my first), so take this FWIW :-) I have
been losing bits of mucous plug for the past two *weeks*--usually slightly
brownish, sometimes just whitish, sometimes more reddish. I have also been
having menstrual like cramps for at least a month. I had lots of them prior
to 20 weeks pregnant also, but then they subsided and were replaced with BH
contractions. Now, I have both!

Anyway, just sharing that, for me, these possible labor symptoms haven't
meant that labor is imminent. I've been thinking of this as my pre-labor
warm up (of indefinite length). For you, it may be different! (Sounds like
your baby is more engaged than mine is). Best wishes :-)

--
Em
edd 9/23/03
(37w6d)