Mucus Plug- Birth forum

During pregnancy, secretions will accumulate and form a mucus plug at the opening of your cervix. The mucus plug helps to prevent infection from occuring in your uterus and developing baby. The mucus plug will remain at the top of the cervix until just before labor begins.

As labor begins, the cervix will begin to thin out and dilate. As this happens, your body may expel the mucus plug. Many women find a gooey blob on their underpants or toilet tissue after using the restroom. The mucus plug may be stringy mucus or a sticky discharge. The mucus plug may come out all at once or it may come out over a period of time, so you might not realize that you are losing it. Sometimes the mucus has brown, pink or red streaks of blood mixed within it. This is normal and should not be a cause for conern unless there is a significant amount of blood. There is not a set to lose the mucus plug. Some women may lose the plug early in their third trimester, towards the middle of the third trimester or immediately prior to labor starting.

While it is true that labor will begin after your mucus plug has come out, there is no set time for labor to actually begin. Sometimes labor begins within a few hours and sometimes it can take weeks. You can tell your doctor that you think your mucus plug has come out, but there is no reason to pack your bags up and rush to the maternity ward! Sit back, relax and get some rest until other signs of labor begin. However, if your discharge is bright red or is more than a few tablespoons, you should call your caregiver promptly.

Comments: Mucus Plug

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cgmom2b - 11 hours ago.
My mom told me yesterday she thought I was in labor (I am having the same symptoms she had in early labor-she never had ANY of the normal symptoms including the whole stomach getting hard during contractions) They checked my cervix and said i wasn't dialated at all and sent me home. I got home and had BRIGHT red bleeding so I called again and they said it was just iritation from being checked but I just lost my mucus plug & am having really sharp pains in my pelvis. I'm only 35 weeks so idk what to do at this point??

mamacakes - 21 hours ago.
I am 31 weeks and i was just wondering if i should start looking for my plug. I dont typically look when i wipe so i was curious if i should start doing so....lol...or is it a bit soon yet?

amber325 - 2 days ago.
Eww thats pretty nasty looking...lol at least I looked to see what it looks like lol

ams8663 - 3 days ago.
bdecker, it all depends...I lost mine with my first while I was at my last doctors appt. at around 38w4d...but with my second i didn't lose it until I was at the hospital being induced.

bdecker - 3 days ago.
I am 38 weeks today. Should I have already lost my plug???

bamamaof4 - 3 days ago.
I DID have a pic of MY plug up!!! I mean the one that they show, looks different and they can vary in sizes and shapes. I put MINE up cause girls in the chat room wanted to know what one looked like.. BESDIES the one that is on here... It wasnt gross.. I even have comments sayin that is was educational.. This one here, just looks like someone sneezed.. LOL.. It can be bloody, thick, yellow, brown. U can loose a lot at a time or a lil at a time. It dont all have to come out at once. U can loose your plug 2 or 3 wks b4 u go into labor. I lost a lil of mine in May BUT it does grow back. Just because u loose your plug, dont mean u will go into labor within 24 hrs.. I lost mine 3 wks ago and still loosing it... AND im still prego!! Well,, will be till Thursday @ 5 A.M. Whoo hoo.. Any way, I DO have a pic of my plug, IF anyone is interested in seein another one besides this one.. LOL..

Mercer - 4 days ago.
all of the mucusy stuff leading up to the big plug has been clearish. When my actual whole plug came out it had a lot of brownish/reddish to it. ick!

thencamebaby - 4 days ago.
When I lost my plug it had no color to it, it was just a big gross sticky clear glob....my water broke a week later and 8 days later I had a baby!

Mercer - 4 days ago.
well... nothing yet. Thanks for the good luck vibes though : )

marion - 4 days ago.
I lost part of my mucus plug a few days ago. I even made my poor husband look at it! 'm pretty sure it is because my doctor was pretty rough when he checked my cerivix (it didn't hurt but I did bleed a lot). I am 2 days past due & have had no other signs of labor.

tmmaxwell06 - 5 days ago.
i lost my plug 7/10 and i am STILL pregnant! i dont get it!

KelliMG - 5 days ago.
Good luck Mercer!!!! I lost my mucus plug only with my first boy, early in the day, and then had some pink discharge (told the cervix was starting to thin and stretch), but NEVER went into labor. I even started to leak fluid (small leak) but no labor and had to be induced. I hope all goes well for you!!!!!:) How exciting!!!

Mercer - 5 days ago.
well I lost a good bit of mine last night... but just now when I went to the bathroom, I got up and when I looked down into the toilet there was something sitting in the bottom of the bowl that looked pretty much just like that picture up there.... and I'm still having some stringy mucus come out. In my last pregnancy after I lost my plug, I went into labor like 30 minutes later...I wonder if it'll be different this time around!

lilbabymama - 7 days ago.
does a mucus plug have to have a tint to it or can it just be clear?

1st-time-mommy - 8 days ago.
im sure i lost it this time! just went to the bathroom again and before i flushed i noticed a big glob of goo kinda looks like snot as big as the size of a half dollar! and again it has more pink in it than brown like the pic. now i keep feeling a tinge sensation.. sharp pain for a sec down there every now and then. belly feels very different and baby has definitely dropped! just looked outside my window and i can see the big full moon. baby dust to everyone :D

1st-time-mommy - 8 days ago.
okay, so i just went to the bathroom looked down to wipe and i really thought i lost my mucus plug but it doesn't look like this picture! mine was soo LONG thick and more yellowish looking with tinges of pink. could this be the plug? i was sooo sure earlier because i've never seen anything like it but not so sure anymore =\

newmommyj - 8 days ago.
i lost my mucous plug this afternoon, 2 blobs the size of marbles. i thought that would be it. but this evening, i had 2 more bigger blobs, and it jsut kept coming and coming, everytime i wiped. does this sound like too much for a plug? or does it vary person to person? im 39 weeks, so im definately not worried about early labor.

mrsmurphy06 - 20 days ago.
I am 33 w 3 days & I started losing my mucous plug 2 days ago & I think I lost the rest of it today. I called the first nurse at the hospital & she said I need to contact my dr on Monday & to not have intercourse until I talk to my dr, & to wear loose fitting clothing & cotton panties.

mrsmurphy06 - 20 days ago.
I am 33 w 3 days & I sarted losing my mucous plug 2 days ago & I think I lost the rest of it today. I called the first nurse at the hospital & she said I need to contact my dr on Monday & to not have intercourse until I talk to my dr, & to wear loose fitting clothing & cotton panties.

galeas - 30 days ago.
Hey everyone, I have a question: How do you know when you've lost your plug, does it feel different? Also is it possible to loose it w/out noticing? Could I have flushed it w/out knowing?

Angiepangie - 30 days ago.
kla2200,Green usually isn't good, but if you have no other symptoms of an infection (swelling, fever, nausea, pain), then it might be nothing. Occasionally food colouring in vitamins, drinks, and treats can 'stain' your mucus a different colour...be safe and check with your doctor.

kla2200 - 30 days ago.
Can the mucus plug look green-ish? I have a weird green discharge as of today (im 35 weeks)...is this normal?

1sttimemommy(taylor) - 34 days ago.
does the mucus plug look exactly like this? my doctor said im slowly losing my plug, but its only a dark yellow/ looks like snot or a booger,lol. no blood or anything... should this be a concern???

rvblessed - 34 days ago.
This is my second pregnancy, my son is now six. im 20wks today. I actually went into labor the same day i lost my plug. I was shopping and i thought i peed on myself. lol at 3am i went into labor. i went to the bathroom and wiped. there was slimmy substance with a lot of bright red blood. I went to the hospital and was 4cm dialated. i had my son at around noon

RyleighMae - 35 days ago.
I just lost my mucus plug this morning but I was due the 18th so I am 3 days overdue...does that mean i could have her soon?