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You hear about this little guy as you approach birth, and depending on how squeamish you are, you’re either relieved to see it or grossed out.
It gets a bad rap, but your mucus plug is a critical part of pregnancy, and knowing about it is a must.
So… you’re probably wondering what exactly the mucus plug is and what its purpose is.
The answer isn’t that complicated: it’s a thick, gelatinous plug made of mucus. Here are a few photos of mucus plugs that Mama Natural readers shared with me.
The mucus plug forms in the cervix to protect your uterus from bacteria that could enter during pregnancy and harm you or baby. So while we might think it’s gross, the mucus plug actually serves a very important role in keeping us (and baby) safe.
You’re probably wondering if it’s so important, why do we lose it, right?
As your body prepares for labor and the baby drops, your cervix starts to gradually open in preparation for birth. As your cervix softens, the mucus plug is no longer secured and will fall out, usually after 37 weeks. You may see a bit of a pink tinge to it as it does, but this is totally normal. The softening of your cervix can cause capillaries to burst, resulting in the pink coloration.
Knowing if you’ve lost your mucus plug or not isn’t always easy.
You’ll usually discover its loss in the bathroom or shower, but it’s not always so obvious. Since there’s a lot of discharge happening already down there, you might just think it’s part of the party.
Some women (usually those who’ve had a baby before) may lose their mucus plug all at once, while others may lose it gradually. Some even lose it over a few weeks!
Losing your mucus plug is an indicator that your body is preparing for labor, but don’t go running to the hospital or calling your midwife over yet. It just means that your cervix is thinning out.
Active labor might be a few hours, days, or even weeks away. It varies woman to woman, though first-time moms are likely to go days or weeks before birth. If you’ve already had a baby, you’re more likely to have labor in a few hours. Or, if you’re like me, with my 3rd child I lost the mucus plug while I was pushing the baby out. Yes!
When you lose your mucus plug, it’s an exciting time. Finally, the time to meet your baby is in sight. As long as you’re at least 37 weeks, there’s no cause for concern. If it’s sooner than that or you notice a large amount of blood (1 tbsp or more), contact your doctor or midwife immediately. If you experience contractions that increase in intensity and duration, then it’s time to contact your birth team.
While it can be alarming to lose it earlier than 37 weeks and you should call your doctor, typically there’s nothing to worry about as long as contractions haven’t started and there’s not a lot of bright red blood. Your mucus plug can actually regenerate to an extent, but your doctor needs to know since it can indicate premature labor.
Your doctor may recommend you abstain from sexual activity or swimming if you’ve lost your mucus plug because as we discussed earlier, your mucus plug is your first line of defense against bacteria like a body guard.
Pregnancy can be a wacky time with all sorts of fluids and discharges, but your mucus plug is just another player in the game. So don’t despise this weird little plug your body creates… it’s a just another marvel of this wild ride called pregnancy.
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