Mucus Plug

What does the mucus plug look like once it is expelled?

Mucus Plug

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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manda-may - 19 days ago.
ms.tosh... ha ha ha!... so true. I can't believe they have that picture on here! I laughed and laughed. But it is just one of the very many 'glamorous' parts of being pregnant. Don't worry mybabyismyheart, it's true that your mucus plug might not be like that... I lost mine over 2 days and it was just like a clear mucus discharge. The good thing is that despite all the nasty stuff... what you get at the end is well worth it. Good luck! :0-)

ms.tosh216 - 19 days ago.
MYBABYISMYHEART~I HAVE LOST MY MUCUS PLUG BEFORE IT DOESNT ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK LIKE THAT . MINE WAS THICK AND LIGHT YELLOW .SO DONT WORRY , PLUS TRUST ME YOUR MUCUS PLUG IS NOT THE NASTIEST THING YOU WILL SEE , TOUCH, SMELL, OR TASTE ON YOUR PREGNANCY JOURNEY.

mybabyismyheart - 19 days ago.
This is absolutely bananas I never even knew a freakin mucus plug existed until I got pregnant...this baby is just going to do some freaky things to my body huh? I swear my Maman was right saying she went through hell to have us. While most things about my pregnancy is certainly cutesy and marvelous...that image they have on this site is just nasty...I do not want that slipping out of me ick.

baby bake oven - 20 days ago.
I've been losing pieces of mine since week 36, I'm almost 39 weeks... I would like it all to come out now immediately followed by this baby :-)

Baby Miqueas - 46 days ago.
Hello, I am 30 weeks tomorrow and yesterday I noticed that I had something coming out I don't know if it was the mucus plug or just discharge. My discharge is white and slipery where this was more snot like and yellowish.. has this happened to anyone else?? I am worried..

dueinnovember - 53 days ago.
Im 31 weeks,and lost part of my MP 2 days ago,and some yesterday. I called the DR the first day,he told me to drink lots of water,stay off my feet,and dont have sex. Well today I have started having a lot of pessure in my pelvic,and Im starting to have cramps in my back. I see my Dr in the moring.

cee-cee20 - 54 days ago.
Hi you guys! to answer dottie26 question, i have never known a piece of mucas plug to be oily. im pregnant with my second child now and mine have never been oily. just snotty and mucous (if that's a word) lol. but anyway i have a lil question of my own. im 29 wks 4 days and i lost my mucas plug last night. i think this is way too early. because with my last son i lost it at 38 wks and had him a week later. so i dont know what to think...what do you guys think?

dottie26 - 61 days ago.
ok i am kinda confused. this past friday nite i went to the bathroom and after i wped myself i noticed blood on the tissue not much of course, then i had to go again like 10 minutes later and i saw fluid on the back of my shorts. i knew it wasnt urine because i didn't have to pee that bad and it didnt smell like urine. i saw on the floor by the toilet clear fluid and i rubbed my finger through it a little bit and it felt oily. i have no clue if it was the mucus plug or not but i am just assuming so. do anyone have any idea what that could've been? thanx 4 the info...

mugs - 76 days ago.
Beuatiful Bre-With my son, I lost it in pieces for about 2 weeks before my water broke and I went into labor! HOw exciting....could see your little one in just a couple weeks! :)

Beautiful Bre - 76 days ago.
hey everyone. i will be 36 weeks on thursday and last night i just lost my mucus plug. was kind of shocked to see it this early! how long has it taken most of you ladies to go into labor after losing yours? with my first kid i lost it once i hit the hospital when i was already dilated to like a six! so just curious.

Eyeheartkendra - 83 days ago.
Snot in a petri dish :)

lillyseed - 93 days ago.
i have a question & not sure where to post it. . . . once real contractions start, do you generally tend to dialate first, or does your water tend to break first ? with my last child, i had VERY strong contractions until my water broke, but not sure if i was dialted then or not since i was at home & not the hospital. please message me with any answers (or suggestions on where to place my question) on my page & not here. thank you !

jennabug - 112 days ago.
DJ's girl: The internal sonogram does not go into the cervix, just the vagina. It can get past the tissue and mucus plug with the waves just like how an external sonogram goes through our skin and muscles. I think I may have lost a little tiny piece of my plug today. I wiped after peeing and it looked like a stringy piece of clearish snot with a little bit of brown in it. I will be 36 weeks in a few days. I hope that means he will be coming soon, I'm sooooo done being pregnant!!

DJs Girl - 115 days ago.
Ok I have a question, maybe a stupid one, but here goes. If a mucus plug starts forming after conception then how is it that we are able to go for internal U/S's? Wouldn't the mucus plug block anything from going up there? I'm gonna feel really stupid if this is like a common sense answer. Please just bare with me as I am new to pregnancy. LOL Thanks

Heidi Boo - 115 days ago.
MelC82 - I have just had the same thing and was wondering if it was my plug. I am 32.5 weeks pregnant... can anyone help us please? Thanks

mountainmama - 125 days ago.
mine came out in two pieces, pinkish, the day i went into labor. so gross.

mugs - 126 days ago.
My mucus plug came out in 'pieces' starting at 33 weeks. The pieces were not solid at all but were actually greenish yellow clumps of discharge....gross, I know, but it looked like snot (sorry if too much info!). My doctor said it was normal for some women too. My son was born at 35 weeks.

Beautiful Bre - 126 days ago.
i think a mucus plug is like the size of a dime. at least with my first one thats what i remember it looking like. i los t mine when i hit the delivery room for my last potty break! i didnt lose it till i was like 5cm dialated. my mom kept asking me if i had she said its one of your first signs. but it was like my last sign. but i dont think they are huge.

MelC82 - 127 days ago.
I know this might be TMI but.... I too have been having alot of clear white slippery discharge when I wipe and in my panties. Is this normal in the 33rd week of pregnancy... could it be the plug about to come out? And that picture of the plug above, how big is it? a pinky nail or alot bigger????

Baby no 2 on the way - 140 days ago.
thats good..thank you...I was really worried....I thought it would maybe mean the baby would be coming early....!! Thank the lord for that ! X

happyforest - 144 days ago.
its ok b/c if you loose it too early it will replace itself :)

Baby no 2 on the way - 144 days ago.
Im 22 weeks and this week I have started to lose my mucus plug? Is this a worry for anyone slse? Im really concerned. Its happened three times when I have gone to the toilet?!!!!!!!!!!! HELP

JAH - 159 days ago.
That photo of the mucus plug creeps me out every time I see it and it almost triggers my gag reflex! Yuck! I'd rather use my imagination, I think!

secondandexcited - 172 days ago.
I think I'm losing parts of my mucus plug as well. I didn't lose it with my firsxt...or at least I never saw it anyways. But today there was a glob of boogery like substance in my underwear...def. not discharge. Then I went to the bathroom and wiped and there was more. OHH BOY (well girl actually!) I'm excited :o)

julz - 175 days ago.
I have a question, I am 30 weeks and I have been having lots mucus today only when I wipe, I think it's part of my mucus plug, it was streaked with a little blood earlier. I heard with my last pregnancy that it can replenish itself, it that true? Should I be concerned that baby is on his way, I was dilated to 1 at my last appt, so I am a little nervous..any advice would be great!