new to forum...lost my mucus plug

[benes]

I am 34 weeks 5 days gestation and I lost my mucus plug / bloody show at 33 weeks 3 days. Had vaginal exam, ultra sound, not contracting regularly, not dilated....
has this happened with anyone else? besides taking it easy, any suggestions? I have a 5 year old and a 2 1/2 year old as well....

[benes]

j

[OMama]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm not an expert on this, but as far as I know loosing the mucous plug and having bloody show are two different things. I think you can loose your plug weeks before you actually go into labor. I remember asking my M/W about this last time at one of my appointments in the final weeks and she said "oh you probably lost it a long time ago" -- like it was no big deal. I've heard that there can be a little tinge of blood with it, but not normally and not too much. Loosing the plug is NOT a sign of impending labor. Bloody show on the other hand means you are in labor or REALLY about to be in labor. I had bloody show last time after I'd been in labor for several hours -- in fact it was what told me that I was definitely in labor and that they weren't just BH contractions I was having. There wasn't tons of blood but there was definitely blood there when I wiped and then I put a pad on and continued to bleed.

As for your situation, maybe it was just a "slightly" bloody mucuous plug and not really "bloody show" since you don't seem to have other signs of labor? Is this what they told you? Were you effaced and dilated at all? Wish I had more answers for you! Good luck, and especially when it comes to taking it easy with two older children.

[benes]

the discharge was like a large bloody (bright red initially) blob of snot. It was there on and off in amount for about 3 days, then it changed to the brownish stuff typical at the end of a period. I wasn't dilated at all, but I didn't ask and the dr didn't mention effacement.
Now, I have the usual end of pregnancy aches and bh stuff more so at night then in the am. Last night while typing on the computer, i had the typicial mucusy white discharge that I had with both of my babies prior to birth.

sure wish there was a sure way of knowing if I'll go early, on time, or late....my midwife/doula and the doctor both said to focus on the baby and know that the baby will come when the baby is ready.....