Mucous Plug Question

[medicinemansgirl]

So...this seems so elementary that it's funny....but I continue to wonder about it. How can someone be dilated at all and not have already lost their plug? If the plug is the "cork" and you've already begun to dilate how is it still in place? Right now I'm esitmated at a 4 but have yet to show any signs of labor at all and have definitely not lost my plug. I usually do not dilate at all...not even 1 cm...until regular established contractions have already begun. And in all of my labors I have only very obviously lost my plug once...and that was with my last baby...in which I was in full blown good labor only 48 hrs later.

So, just wondering how you can be dilated at all...especially to a 4.....and still have a plug up there?

[MsBlack]

Well, it's not really a cork...it's soft and squishy, and can come out in little dribs/drabs you never notice. Are you sure you haven't already lost it? Some women never notice, though sometimes we do see it on the toilet paper or whatever.

But I have seen some mucous plugs that didn't emerge til a couple-4cms dilation.

[medicinemansgirl]

Well....there's been some questionable "shreds" of stuff coming out over the last little while...maybe a week or so??....but they're so small and tiny I didn't think much of it. I honestly didn't know what it was but it's nothing like a gelatinous plug. I know that when it emerged with our last baby, the only time it ever has, it was really obvious. Was tinged a little with blood and quite big and kind of like a jello consistency. I felt it come out and then felt it on my pad once it was there. Way TMI, I know. The little "shreds" coming out now are more like when TP gets wet and starts to ball up or shred. Just tiny pieces like that. I never really thought in terms of the plug coming out in tiny pieces and those being some of it. Maybe? If that is what it is, it's just a miniscule amount and I'm definitely not counting on going into labor anytime in the near future!! But...it would make sense. Or maybe I just haven't done enough jumping jacks to dislodge it yet despite my 4 cm. LOL!