![]() ![]() The mucus plug is just what it sounds like: a sticky, gelatinous glob of mucus. Labor Contractions: What Do Contractions Feel Like? What does a mucus plug look like? “It serves as a barrier, so that the bacteria that naturally live in the vagina don’t cause infections in the uterus during pregnancy,” adds Rebecca Amaru, M.D., a board-certified OB/GYN in private practice in New York City and a member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board. The mucus plug helps protect your baby from the outside world while you're pregnant until you’re ready to deliver. “The cervix is lined by mucus-producing glands, and normally produces a lot of clear mucus during the ovulatory phase, to help convey sperm to the awaiting egg,” explains Christina Adberg, M.D., a Healthtap OB/GYN at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. “During pregnancy, the ovulatory function is on hold, and progesterone levels are high, so the mucus thickens and forms a bit of a barrier between the vagina and the amniotic sac”. Trusted Source Cleveland Clinic Mucus Plug See All Sources 3rd ed.The mucus plug is a barrier that seals your cervix, the opening to your uterus, during pregnancy. The labor progress handbook: early interventions to prevent and treat dystocia. Physiology and care during the first stage of labour. Association between women's self-diagnosis of labor and labor duration after admission. Does the way that women experience the onset of labour influence the duration of labour? BJOG 2006 113:289–294 Acta Obstet et Gynecol Scand 89(8):1034-9 Identification of latent phase factors associated with active labour duration in low-risk nulliparous women with spontaneous contractions. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 88(5):502-513ĭencker A, Berg M, Bergqvist L, et al. The cervical mucus plug: structured review of the literature. References This article was written using the following sources:īecher N, Adams Waldorf K, Hein M, et al. Watch our videos to find out what to wear during early labour, and whether you should shave or wax your bikini area.See what the mucus plug looks like - but be warned, the photo's aren't pretty!.Learn what happens when your waters break.If you can balance keeping mobile with rest, and eat and drink when you're hungry or thirsty, you'll be well prepared for when labour really does start. Using relaxation techniques will help your body to produce the labour hormone oxytocin. Subtle pre-labour changes need to happen in your body before labour can really get under way. Keep in mind that the build-up to labour is usually slow. It's only natural in late pregnancy to be impatient for the signs that your baby is ready to arrive. Try to stay calm while you wait for things to progress. If you have fresh, bright red blood loss at any point in your pregnancy, see your midwife or contact your maternity unit straight away, so you can be checked over. If labour doesn’t start, you should mention it at your next appointment or assessment. If you're full term when the mucus plug comes out, wait until you’re getting regular and frequent contractions before calling your midwife. You won't necessarily go into labour early, but it's important to seek advice, just to be on the safe side. If you think the mucus plug has come out before you're 37 weeks pregnant, call your midwife. However, you may spot it in your pants, or when you wipe after you've had a wee. The jelly-like plug is often blood-tinged or streaked with old, brownish blood when it comes away.īecause it’s mucus, it can look like a stretchy blob of blood-streaked pale, creamy-pink snot! You may miss it completely if it comes out while you are on the loo. When the mucus plug dislodges from your cervix it's called the show, or a bloody show. Early labour, when your cervix starts to open, is when you may feel mild contractions, tummy aches, cramps or backache. Your labour may not start for hours or even days after you lose the mucus plug. This causes the mucus plug that has sealed the entrance to your womb (uterus) during your pregnancy to slip away. Ripening means that your cervix softens and shortens in readiness for labour. When your baby is engaged, your body will respond by producing hormones (prostaglandins) that stimulate your cervix to ripen. This is often called “lightening”, because you'll feel some relief from the pressure on your stomach and lungs as your baby moves down. It's a sign that things are moving in the right direction, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you're in labour.Īt some point in late pregnancy, your baby should settle down into your pelvis ( engage). The "bloody show" is when the mucus plug dislodges from your cervix. Slideshow The mucus plug Check out this slideshow to find out what a mucus plug looks like! ![]()
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