Let's talk mucous plugs

[CrunchyChristianMama]

When is the earliest anyone has lost theirs?

I didn't lose mine with DD until I was laboring in the tub and at least 6 cm.

Lately though almost every time I go to the bathroom there is a little pile of mucous waiting for me in the panties. Gross, I know. Could that possible be mucous plug? It's extremely sticky (the grossness gets worse, sorry) and I can just pick it up with a piece of toilet paper. Very odd.

I am a little dilated and partially effaced already if that makes any difference.

[AmyKT]

I'm mucousy much of the time, and sometimes I can actually pick up a bit off my underwear, but I don't consider it a plug until it's brown or red, only because that's how it was for me last time. I lost my reddish/brown plug the day before real labor started. I was contracting regularly that day, but things didn't really get going for another 12 hours or so. It varies for a lot of people, though. From what I hear, labor generally happens within a couple of days.

[MammaB21]

I've been losing what could be bits of plug for a while now. I'm also a bit dilated and effaced so it wouldn't necessarily surprise me. You're plug can regenerate itself, so what I've heard is that it's not necessarily a sign that labor is around the corner. I'd say bloody show would be a pretty good sign labor is on it's way, but if it's strictly mucous, well......that could go on for weeks. I don't remember bleeding much with DD during early labor. I can't say I ever experienced any bloody show or blood in my mucous plug, although I distinctly remember losing the mucous plug. It came out gradually with one big glob that was undeniably the mucous plug. It was basically a ball and not runny or stringy at all. It's not really snot like, it's quite thick. That's what I've had recently as well but in much smaller amounts.

Okay, enough with the TMI (sorry ). End point is, I'm sure this is quite normal and just means that your cervix is starting to open a bit and get ready for labor. That's not to mean labor will happen tomorrow. Your body can prep like that for weeks.

[limette]

I've never seen my mucous plug and this will hopefully be my third full term pregnancy.

[matey]

I lost mine in two big globs with the blood for the during the two days before labor began with ds.

[MaerynPearl]

DDCC (though I could be an August mommy!) - I lost mine for the first time 2 weeks ago... with a bit of spotting. Was put on bed rest through my wedding (was not even 27 weeks along at the time)

I'm dilating a little but docs not worried. Its my third baby so being dilated can be totally normal.

With DD I started losing it about 32 weeks (and was also dilated from around then through her birth just before 40w) and with DS I lost it about 38 weeks (he was forced out at 40w4d)

[MJB]

I get globs of mucous from about 30 weeks on, and have never seen a big plug. My boys were both born at 39 weeks and change.

[MyFillingQuiver]

I've had increasing muscousy discharge, but this is my 6th pregnancy that's made it to 3rd trimester, and I've never lost my plug in a single solitary event. I also don't dilate/efface much AT ALL before labor begins..once it begins, it's very fast, so I'm sure I've just missed it somewhere in the mix when dilation is going quickly.

[amyrobynne]

I lost my mucus plug (at least a large amount of it) the night before active labor started in the morning with pregnancy #1 (I'd been having prodromal labor for 4 days and was 42 weeks by then). With pregnancy #2, I lost it Saturday morning and went into labor Sunday morning. So for me, mucus plug = baby within 36 hours. It was a LOT of mucus, though.

[jorona]

I've been losing pieces of mine for over a month now. It began when I had my first round of very intense BH. On a day with lots of BH or activity, I will pass mucous in very large pieces - some about half the size of my palm.

I know it's plug because it looks exactly like what I lost with my last pregnancy. With DS I began losing it about 5 weeks before my due date, that's around the same time I began to dilate. Mine wasn't bloody at all until my OB stripped my membranes (that's a whole separate story ), and even then I think it was just bleeding from the exam - I went on to have "bloody show" for 3 weeks until delivery. For me it's not an indicator of labor at all.

[onemomma]

I had a brutal brutal cold for 5 solid weeks in the last little bit, and with all of the coughing, I was loosing chunks daily. The difference between worrisome early plug loss and not is colour. Unless there's some blood content it's not a problem.

[lunarlady]

I lost mine about a week (maybe 10 days) before I went into labor with DD. I'd had some gooey discharge before, but this was a large (over a tablespoon) rather solid gooey ball of blood flecked stuff that came out all at once. I remember being rather shocked, and holding it in my hand thinking "what the H?" My midwife assured me all was well. Must remember to carry spare panties in my purse in case it happens this time around.