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
