4/17/2023 0 Comments Mucous plug![]() The office described the mucus plug as "a collection of cervical mucus that seals the opening of the cervix. Some have a thick circular plug and others just a copious amount of mucus.” Lucky.ĭiamond Women's Center in Edina, Minnesota pretty much noted the same. The reality is that not everyone has a true plug. "Yes, you can go into labor without passing a mucus plug. OB-GYN Natasha Chinn, MD, FACOG, of Brescia and Migliaccio in New Jersey, tells Romper you shouldn't fret if you think labor is happening, but haven't seen your mucus plug. Do you always discharge this mess? If you feel contractions, but haven't seen your mucus plug, does that mean labor is happening? For all that it is discussed, there is still a lot of confusion about its role. But can you go into labor without losing your mucus plug? People have elevated it to some sort of timestamp on delivery, in the form of a huge mess in your underwear or the toilet. So it's kinda like the difference between "slime ball" versus "slimy ball." Now you know.There is a lot that happens on the road to childbirth, and one of the most hyped up precursors to the big event is the loss of the mucus plug. "Mucus" is a noun and "mucous" is an adjective. So why is it sometimes spelled "mucus" and sometimes spelled "mucous?" When you are not fertile, the cervical mucus changes to sticky, and its molecural structure changes to something like a brambly blackberry bush, and acts as a barrier to sperm (and everything else). ![]() When you are fertile, cervical mucus becomes slippery, like egg-white, and its molecular structure also changes to form channels to help sperm swim up through the cervix. Its consistency changes throughout your menstrual cycle. Note how different its appearance can be!Ĭlick here for more images of mucus plugs.ĭid you know the mucus plug was there before you got pregnant?įun fact of the day: there is always mucus in the cervix. ![]() Lots of bright red bleeding is never a good sign during pregnancy, and you should get it checked out by your care provider as soon as possible. However, if you are bleeding bright red blood, enough to fill a sanitary pad, call your doctor or midwife or hospital immediately. That's because as the cervix opens (which is what sets this stuff loose), tiny blood vessels may break, and tinge the mucus pink or even blood red. And often, they contain traces of blood, which makes them red or pink. Most often, they are grey to translucent, but can be yellowish to green, like snot, too. Mucous plugs come in a variety of colors (and amounts, too!). Seeing your mucous plug means nothing in terms of when your baby is coming. You may have your baby in your arms in a few hours. This is why it's impossible to predict exactly how much time will pass between certain early labor signs and the birth of the baby. Sometimes it'll speed up, sometimes it'll slow down. And once you decide you really are in labor, there will be ebbs and flows. Your body is doing the work of labor days, or even weeks before you decide you really are in labor. In other words, it's not like seeing bloody show is like throwing a the switch "labor ON" and from there it's a straight line to the baby coming out. But labor (contrary to what they show on television) doesn't usually start with a bang, and it also doesn't usually progress in a linear fashion. Encountering the blob of jelly just means your body is already doing some work, getting the cervix a bit looser, a bit wider. It is very possible to keep losing your mucous plug several times. The thing is, your body is constantly regenerating the plug, so just because you see it once in the toilet bowl or shower or smeared on your underwear doesn't mean you won't see it again. Women at the end of pregnancy get excited about this because this may be one of the early signs of labor, and so may signal the light at the end of the tunnel for someone who is just hugely pregnant and tired of it. As it opens and becomes wider, the snot-like, jelly-like stuff inside starts falling out. As you can see from the picture above, the baby's head presses down on the cervix, causing it both to shorten and widen. What does it mean to lose the mucus plug?Īt the end of pregnancy, as labor approaches, the cervix may begin opening a little bit. There are several layers of protection to keep bacteria and other harmful substances from reaching the baby. Look at the picture to get a clearer idea of where exactly it is located. Its function is to act as a barrier to bacteria and other pathogens from entering your womb through the vaginal canal. It is sometimes spelled mucous plug and sometimes called bloody show. Your mucus plug is a snot-like, jelly-like substance that plugs your cervix.
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