It means that certain hormone levels are rising, your cervix is changing either in size or in thickness, and your body is preparing itself for labor. Losing your mucus plug is a preliminary sign of labor-emphasis on the preliminary part. It’s the million-dollar question that every pregnant person wants the answer to: when will my labor start? The mucus plug can definitely provide some clues, but it’s not quite the sure thing it’s sometimes made out to be. How Long After Losing Your Mucus Plug Will Labor Start? It doesn’t always indicate a risk for preterm labor, but it may, and it’s definitely worth a call and possibly a checkup just in case. Since losing your mucus plug is generally a sign that your cervix is changing in preparation for labor and delivery, you’ll want to contact your healthcare provider if you notice you’ve lost your mucus plug prior to 38 weeks of pregnancy. All of these scenarios are perfectly fine. Or, it may come out gradually, and won’t look any different to you than normal vaginal discharge-and you may miss it completely. “It will come out painlessly and is usually discovered on your underwear, a pad, or when you are going to the bathroom,” says Long. Short answer here: for some people, it’s pretty obvious, and for others, not at all. How do you know if you lost your mucus plug? For some people, this can mean labor is imminent for others, it may mean it’s still a few days, or even weeks, away. It’s one of the first (and many) preliminary signs of labor. It’s caused by both a rise in estrogen and from the pressure the baby’s head is putting on your cervix. Losing your mucus plug happens toward the end of pregnancy, usually around 37 weeks pregnant to 38 weeks pregnant and onward. If you see something bright red, though, you should call your doctor right away. There’s a wide range of normal when it comes to mucus plug color, and it tends to vary from person to person. The average size of a mucus plug is about one ounce, or two tablespoons. It’s usually pretty sticky, but can be stringy too. Sometimes it can have new, bright red blood mixed in as the cervix is thinning and opening,” says Long. “It can vary but usually it is clumpy and brown because of the old blood. So what does it look like? A mucus plug looks much like you’d imagine it would based on its name. Things got pretty literal when the term “mucus plug” was coined. It’s a thick, jelly-like substance, and by the time it’s finished forming by around 12 weeks pregnant, it’s about the size of a quarter. If you’re familiar with cervical mucus-the fluid secreted by the cervix that also plays a big role in conception-then you already have a pretty good idea of what makes up the mucus plug. It begins to form in the cervix during implantation and is in place to block bacteria and viruses from entering the uterus. What Is a Mucus Plug?Ī mucus plug is a thick, jelly-like barrier between your cervix and your uterus. And losing your mucus plug ranks fairly high on the list when it comes to some of the strange things you might experience before the end of those 40 weeks.īut what exactly is a mucus plug, anyway? What does a mucus plug look like, and what happens after you lose it? Evaly Long, a licensed midwife with Hummingbird Midwifery 1 , says that although the mucus plug doesn’t have the most flattering name, it turns out that something so tiny actually plays a pretty big role in pregnancy and birth. Pregnancy, labor and delivery all involve some pretty weird stuff.
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