![]() ![]() It’s also a good idea to stock the fridge for when you come back, so you don’t have to think about cooking with a newborn in the house. Make sure you have everything packed for going to hospital – clothes, toiletries and sanitary pads for you, and clothes and nappies for the baby. When the pain becomes more intense and there is less than 3 to 5 minutes between each contraction, it’s time to go. Unless your doctor or midwife has told you otherwise, you should stay at home as long as you can after labour starts. They will monitor you carefully if your baby is in the breech position or to see where the placenta is. But if you have complications, such as gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia, or if you are having multiple babies, your doctor may want to do an ultrasound to check that everything is OK. Most women won’t need any more scans now. It will be delivered after the baby if you have a vaginal birth. The placenta has grown to around 17cm or 18cm across and can weigh as much as 1kg. You may lose a little blood mixed in with the mucus, but if you notice you’re bleeding it’s important to call the doctor or midwife straight away since it could be the sign of something more serious. This is all part of the first stage of labour. ![]() You may have a lot of vaginal discharge and you may get a ‘show’ – when you discharge the plug of mucus that was keeping your cervix closed. It will gradually soften and open until it is 10cm wide. This downloadable chart, together with our information on how to time contractions, should make preparing for labor a bit easier.Your cervix will be growing thinner in preparation for the birth. This will help you collect accurate information about your contractions that you can share with your healthcare provider. You might want to track them using this handy, printable contraction tracking chart. In many cases, contractions will start sometime soon after you lose the mucus plug. If you notice what looks like the mucus plug before 37 weeks of pregnancy, contact your healthcare provider, because this may be a sign of preterm labor. If your pregnancy goes to full term, you’ll most likely lose your mucus plug in the ninth month of pregnancy. Every pregnancy is different, so contact your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns. Or, your mucus plug might want to wait until the last moment and appear at the very onset of labor. The mucus plug can come loose several days or even one or two weeks before labor starts. How Long After Losing the Mucus Plug Does Labor Start?Īlthough losing the mucus plug can be a sign of labor, it doesn’t always mean it’s baby time in the near future. Increased vaginal discharge is common throughout pregnancy, whereas the mucus plug acts like a barrier and typically isn’t expelled until later in your pregnancy. The mucus plug is thick and jelly-like, whereas vaginal discharge tends to be thinner or lighter in texture and consistency. Vaginal discharge, on the other hand, is usually light yellow or white. As you read above, the mucus plug is typically clear or off-white, but might appear red, brown, or pink if it mixes with blood in your cervix. So, if you’re wondering if it’s the mucus plug you see or normal vaginal discharge, here’s how you can tell:Ĭolor. Is It the Mucus Plug or Vaginal Discharge?īecause vaginal discharge is common during pregnancy, it’s easy to mistake this for the mucus plug, especially as you near labor. Thick, jelly-like, and slightly sticky and/or stringyĪnywhere from one to two inches in lengthĪnywhere from one to two tablespoons in volume The overall look and texture of a mucus plug will vary from person to person, but most commonly the plug will be:Ĭlear, off-white, or slightly bloody with a pink, red, or brown hue You might notice it on the toilet paper after you wipe, or you may not see it at all! If you notice bleeding that’s heavy, like a menstrual period, contact your healthcare provider, as this might not be the mucus plug coming out but something else that may require medical attention. ![]() The mucus can come out in one thick string, one big glob, or in smaller segments. The discharge you might see in a mucus plug can be clear, pink, a little bloody, or brownish in color. ![]()
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