The main symptom of the mucus plug falling out is the sudden appearance of blood-tinged mucus. Some people experience labor symptoms, such as contractions, when this happens.
What are some signs that I lost my mucus plug? The most noticeable sign is seeing mucus in your underwear or on toilet paper. Not all people know when they lose their mucus plug. This is because it comes out slowly over time instead of all at once.
It's not usually painful, either, although it is possible to experience some lower abdominal pain similar to cramping felt during menstruation. If you do notice the mucus plug, you'll see that it is a sticky, gelatinous glob of mucus that's thicker than regular vaginal discharge.
As long as your cervix dilates, you will lose your mucus plug. However, every mucus plug is different, just like every person is different. You may not always realize it has come out. Sometimes women lose their mucus plug more gradually, rather than in one or several clumps.
Losing your mucus plug can make vaginal discharge appear brown or pinkish in color (as opposed to the colorless and odorless pregnancy discharge you've likely been experiencing throughout your pregnancy), and may come out in small bits, large clumps or streaks of mucus.
The mucus plug is usually thick, stringy, sticky, and/or jelly-like, and may appear clear, off-white, or slightly bloody with a pink, red, or brown hue. Your mucus plug is not the same as regular vaginal discharge, which tends to be thinner and yellow in color.
The cervix generally needs to be dilated to 10 centimeters before it's ready for the baby to pass through. Your cervix can be dilated to a couple of centimeters for a few weeks before delivery. This softening can cause the mucus plug to be dislodged and come out.
What Does the Mucus Plug Look Like? Color: It can be clear, white, green, yellow, slightly pink, or brown. (Kinda like the mucus that expels from your nose and throat.) Normally though, they are off-white with streaks of pink.
Your mucus plug will usually come out before your water breaks, though you can leak amniotic fluid through a tear — which doesn't necessarily mean you've lost your mucus plug yet, as it prevents bacteria from traveling up to baby, not water from leaking out.
Yes, losing your mucus plug does signal labor, but not right that second. "The loss of the mucus plug, especially when there's a little bit of blood, is usually a good indicator that labor is coming within one to three days," explains Mallon.
Medical interventions can speed up labor, but there are other ways to encourage dilation. They include moving around, rocking on an exercise ball, using relaxation techniques, and laughing. Dilation is a term that describes the widening of the cervical opening.
One woman may go from having a closed cervix to giving birth in a matter of hours, while another is 1–2 cm dilated for days or weeks. Some women do not experience any dilation until they go into active labor.
You might notice an increase in vaginal discharge that's clear, pink or slightly bloody. This might happen several days before labor begins or at the start of labor. However, if you have vaginal bleeding that is as heavy as a typical menstrual period, contact your health care provider immediately.
8 Symptoms Before Labor Starts
While there is no way to know when labor is 24 to 48 hours away, labor signs include a bloody show, Braxton Hicks contractions, labor contractions, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, lower back pain, rupture of the amniotic sac (“water breaking”), and nesting instinct.
Discharge during pregnancy is usually normal if its thick, sticky, and looks a lot like mucus. The vagina is working overtime, making liquid to keep the cervix moist, sealed, and healthy. But if your discharge is a weird color, smells bad, or makes your vagina itchy or irritated, see your doctor or midwife.
Bloody show and losing your mucus plug are slightly different, but closely related. Mucus plug discharge is a collection of mucus. It looks jelly-like and stringy. Bloody show results from the rupturing of blood vessels in your cervix.
Generally, it can mean that your cervix is beginning to dilate, causing the mucus plug to dislodge. But, this doesn't necessarily mean you are actually in labor. Once you begin to see signs that you are losing your mucus plug, it can be anywhere between a few hours to a few weeks before labor starts.
Call your healthcare provider or obstetric provider if you notice the mucus plug has been passed along with other symptoms like cramping, bleeding, or leaking fluid, as it could be a sign of complications. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Check for dilation.
Try to insert the tips of your fingers into your cervix. If one fingertip fits through your cervix, you're considered one centimeter dilated. If two fit, you're two centimeters dilated. If there's additional space in the opening, try to estimate how many fingertips would fit to determine dilation.
"Lying on your side, standing, sitting, walking, rocking—anything that keeps you active can help decrease pain and speed up labor," says Dawley. Other benefits of upright labor positions include: Reduced need for medication. Help in dilating your cervix and widening your pelvic opening.
Early dilation often feels like menstrual cramps as the cervical changes cause pain and cramping noticed in the lower part of the uterus. It is the same sensation and location as menstrual cramps. Active labor tends to be felt in a larger area but can be a similar sensation as cramping (with more intensity of course).
When you arrive, we will evaluate you and your baby to check for labor progression. If you're less than 4 cm dilated: You might be sent home because your labor isn't active enough for hospital admission.
Typically, when we sit on the toilet, we are using the bathroom; so, naturally, we are accustomed to relaxing our pelvic floor while sitting on the toilet. A relaxed pelvic floor in combination with a supported squat can really help put that needed pressure on your cervix to help encourage dilation.