You may wonder what the mucus plug discharge is and what it means for your pregnancy.
It can be a little scary the first time you see the mucus plug. You may wonder if something is wrong with your body or if you are experiencing some kind of complication in your pregnancy.
But there’s no need to worry—the mucus plug is a natural part of labour and delivery, and its presence at various stages of your pregnancy can indicate how far along you are in the process.
What Is a Mucus Plug
Your body produces mucus throughout pregnancy, but during the last few months of gestation, this fluid becomes thicker, sticky and more gelatinous than normal. This substance forms a seal around the cervix to help keep bacteria out of the uterus and lower birth canal during childbirth; it also prevents vaginal infections during labour.
When Does a Mucus Plug Form
The mucus plug is the first sign that you’re having contractions, and it typically forms between 16 and 24 weeks of pregnancy.
When Do You Lose Your Mucus Plug
The most obvious sign is that you’ll experience a change in vaginal discharge. For many women, this means an increase in volume and a change in colour from light brown to clear or white. Other women will not notice any change at all.
Other symptoms of losing the mucus plug include:
- Cramping (though not always)
- Darker or redder blood when wiping yourself after urinating
- Increased vaginal discharge and/or bleeding (again, not always)
Does Losing the Mucus Plug Mean Labour Is Coming
We know you’ve heard the talk. Losing your mucus plug means labour is coming, but what does it mean?
The mucus plug is the last layer of protection between the baby and mum’s body. When it comes out, that means there’s nothing left to keep anything in—so labour could be around the corner!
How Long After Losing Mucus Plug Does Labour Start
The average time between losing your mucus plug and going into labour is three to four days. However, some women will lose their mucus plug and go into labour the next day, while others can wait up to two weeks before going into labour.
It’s important to remember that losing your mucus plug doesn’t mean you’ll be going into labour any time soon; it just means that your cervix is starting to thin out and get ready for the baby.
The best thing you can do is keep an eye on your body—if you start having contractions or experiencing pain in your lower back, call your doctor immediately.
How to Speed up Labour After Losing Mucus Plug
If you’re a pregnant woman who’s lost your mucus plug, you may wonder if there are any ways to speed up labour. While it’s generally considered safe to go into labour naturally, some methods can help you if you’re ready. Here are some of our favourites!
The hormone oxytocin is released during sex and helps the cervix dilate or open up. This can cause contractions, which will bring on labour quicker than normal.
Eating hot peppers or other spicy foods can help stimulate the uterus and cause contractions, which will help bring on labour. Be sure to drink plenty of water when eating spicy foods because they can also irritate your throat and cause heartburn!
Taking a warm shower can help stimulate contractions and make labour come on faster than normal, just like having sex! Make sure not to get too hot, though—it’s easy for pregnant women’s bodies to overheat; if this happens to you, stop taking baths immediately and move into an air-conditioned room instead until your temperature returns to normal levels again.
Pregnant woman exercising | Image Source: iStock
Exercise helps stimulate contractions by increasing circulation and helping your body produce endorphins—the hormones that make you feel good! Try walking around the house or yard or doing squats or lunges while holding on to something sturdy like the back of a chair or countertop (make sure it’s stable enough!).
Try going on a long walk with your partner—the fresh air will help clear your head and get those endorphins flowing!
Does Water Break After Mucus Plug
The mucus plug will usually come out when your water breaks—but it’s not always that simple. Your water could break with or without the mucus plug coming out first, and some women don’t even have a mucus plug at all!
When Should You Call Your Doctor After Losing Your Mucus Plug
If you’re pregnant and have lost your mucus plug, it’s important to know when to call your doctor.
The mucus plug is a natural barrier that protects the cervix from bacteria and germs. As your pregnancy progresses, the plug will begin to come out in small amounts—and sometimes, it can be quite gory (we’re talking bright red).
Many women don’t even notice losing their mucus plug until they’re in labour. But if you’re noticing a lot of discharge before or during labour, you might want to call your doctor.
If you’ve noticed an unusual amount of discharge or bleeding and are concerned about what’s going on with your body, contact your OB-GYN for advice on how to proceed.
You may want to schedule an appointment just to get checked out—they’ll be able to tell if anything is wrong based on what’s happening with your body and how far along you are in your pregnancy.
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Types of Discharge Before Labour
Aside from the mucus plug, there are several different types of discharging before labour:
Bloody Show
This clear discharge can be associated with an increase in cervical mucus. It can range from light pink to dark red and even brown. A bloody show is usually associated with the cervix’s opening, which means there is no longer any space for the baby’s head to fit through!
Spotting
This is the most common type of discharge before labour, and it’s normal. It can be red or brown, but it’s just blood from your uterus. Most women don’t even notice this kind of discharge, but if you’re worried about spotting, let your doctor know!
Water Breaking
This refers to when your water breaks or ruptures—you’ll feel a gush of fluid coming from your vagina. You’ll also notice some blood clots in the fluid as well. If this happens before labour begins, it’s called preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).
Blood-stained Show
This refers to any discharge with blood in it, but not much—it may look more like a brownish-red colour and not too runny or watery (like a bloody show). A blood-stained show can mean that you’re going into labour soon or that something else is wrong with your pregnancy—it could be an infection or placental abruption.
Mucus Plug vs Bloody Show
Many people use these terms interchangeably, but they’re very different. The mucus plug is a thin, gelatinous substance that seals the cervical opening to your uterus. It’s made up of tissue from your cervix and blood vessels, breaking down about three weeks before you go into labour. It doesn’t come out in chunks, or strings like a bloody show does—it just kind of slides out over time.
The bloody show signifies that your body is getting ready for birth by releasing blood from the lower part of your uterus through your vagina. This can happen any time between 37 weeks and delivery day (and sometimes even earlier), so don’t freak out if you see some red spotting before you’ve reached your due date!
Pregnant woman touching her belly | Image from Pexels
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
