Losing Your Mucus Plug - What does this mean?

Hey girls! This time I'm not making you want to cross your legs, but it's a detailed post. This is all about something that will happen to you, so I want you to be prepared.

Lets discuss your mucus plug. I've answered many calls whilst working in community of women unknowingly describing to me how they've just lost their mucus plug. The conversation usually goes like this;

'I think I've had a show, there was something on the tissue that looks like discharge, but it's kind of yellow, kind of green & slightly pink. I've taken a picture of it, shall I send it to you?'. 

No thank you! Believe it or not, that is a picture you can keep for yourselves 😉. In fact, you don't even need to ring your midwife when you lose your plug (as long as there is no red/brown blood), but a lot of women do because it's naturally something they have never seen before or thought could ever come out of them! Also, if you're not sure it is always better to call us & be reassured. You may have even just had a membrane sweep, which can also be the cause of losing some of your mucus plug, or what your Midwife may refer to as a 'bloody show', which can be blood stained because of the examination.

The reason you're now seeing this strange mucous on your tissue is because your cervix is softening. Yay!!! As you've learnt from my previous post, a soft cervix is just one way your cervix prepares for labour. 

So, this is a good sign, but unfortunately I can't actually tell you when your labour will start.

This is kind of like when I'm asked 'How many hours now until the baby comes?' and I just can't say, because every woman and her labour is different (I wish I had the ability to look into the future as this would make me a lot of money). 

So, some of you may lose your mucus plug after 37 weeks, which is very normal as this is the time your body is preparing for labour. Others might lose it early (before 37 weeks), which will worry you and send you into a panic that you're going to go into pre-term labour. As I said before, losing your plug does not mean labour is about to start tonight, or tomorrow, or even next week. Your body actually continues to make cervical mucus even though some of it has come out, so your baby will still be protected by this and their amniotic fluid.

ps. - I haven't included any pictures, but again, visit the empoweredbirthproject page for labour & birth pictures, or look on google!

Scenario 1 -

Okay, so you're sat at home, eating enough pasta for a family of four (Is it just me that does this?) and you suddenly need a wee. When you wipe, you see this mucus plug on your tissue. Whats the first thing you do? Note the colour.

Is there red or brown blood? Ring your Maternity assessment unit. 

Scenario 2 -

You wipe & see your mucus plug. It's yellow/green/pale pink & resembling snot. (Sorry girls, that probably made your stomach turn) Perfect, your body is getting prepared & that's what we want. You can go back to your pasta!

So now that you know what your mucus plug will look like, here are 3 things you can still do even if you have lost your mucus plug -

1.  Take a bath - your lush bath bombs aren't going to waste just yet
2.  Have sex - probably the last thing on your mind! But if you want to, you can.
3.  Carry on with your day! (Thank God for that, you have another 5 episodes of 'Normal People'* to cry through)

Please note, if you have any bleeding in your pregnancy you should call your maternity assessment unit straight away.

*If you haven't watched this series yet, you're seriously missing out, especially on Connell. (I'm now glad my boyfriend hasn't read my blog). 

Han Xx

@_justkeeppushing