One sure sign that labor is on the way is when you
lose the mucus plug. Tinged with blood or clear in
color, the mucus on your underpants in the last weeks
describes this mucus plug. The thick mucus has been
blocking the opening to the cervix for a while now.
As your due date approaches, the mucus plug dislodges
and breaks up and passes out of your body. When this
happens it is clear your body is preparing for labor.
Labor can however commence within hours but most likely,
within days.
The mucus plug facts
• Your cervix is the mucus-producing part of
your reproductive system.
• In the pregnancy months a thick plug of mucus
collects at the cervix and seals it; the protection
offered by this glob of mucus is vital
• The mucus plug functions as a barrier throughout
your pregnancy against outside infections.
• Not every woman experiences the expulsion
of this gelatinous discharge
• This glob of mucus cannot be counted upon
as a reliable sign of labor
• Towards the end of pregnancy the mucus plug
lessens in importance because its tendency to free
itself from the cervix increases with vaginal exams
or with the natural thinning and dilation of the cervix
• When the mucus plug dislodges labor can be
1 day to 3 weeks away. So don't panic and assume you
are going into labor at the sight of this clear or
blood stained discharge on your underpants.
• When the mucus plug dislocates, it is simply
telling you that your cervix is effacing and or dilating
and that the labor process is not far behind.
• This wad of sticky, thick mucus dislocates
from the cervix when it begins to dilate or open wider
and is pushed into the vagina
• Dislodgement doesn't necessarily imply that
labor is imminent; it could simply mean that the cervix
is going through normal changes
• If you are not sure about what you see, contact
your doctor to rule out serious possibilities
When to call your doctor..
• Don't confuse this discharge with the amniotic
fluid which is watery in consistency as opposed to
the gelatinous texture of the mucus plug.
• Amniotic leakage should be reported ASAP
• If the discharge is bright red in color and
quite a bit in quantity, contact your care provider
ASAP.
• You could be bleeding which is indicative
of premature separation of the placenta or placenta
previa, both of which require immediate medical attention.
