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The mucus plug is seen as one of the first symptoms of labor. This topic raises a lot of emotions among pregnant women, because women do not know what a mucus plug looks like and are afraid to miss it. It is also difficult for them to assess on their own whether the outgoing plug has the correct consistency and color, that is, those that indicate that the end of pregnancy is going well.
A mucus plug is a compact piece of mucus that is much thicker than normal vaginal discharge. It appears in pregnant women right after conception. It tightly closes the cervix, so it is sometimes called the mucus plug.
It is colorless or slightly colored in white, yellow, brown or pink and acts as a protective barrier preventing pathogenic microorganisms from reaching the fetus.
Any doubts that arise over time should be consulted with a gynecologist. Remember that you can have a consultation in the form of a convenient online consultation, without leaving your home via the halodoctor.pl portal.
As the mucus plug leaves, the pregnant woman may notice an odorless, jelly-like ball the size of a bottle cap on her underwear. The discharge is firm and jelly-like. The expelled mucus plug may be blood-stained, i.e. have a brown, pink or red sheath. A brown halo of the mucus plug indicates the expulsion with mucus of slightly older blood, pink or red – testifies to the presence of fresh blood in the mucus.
Neither of these cases should be alarming, because the cervix, which is heavily supplied with blood during pregnancy, opens up before delivery, which may cause small vessels to burst – hence the presence of blood in the plug. You should be concerned about having a lot of blood in the mucus plug or a bloody plugwho passed away before the 36th week of pregnancy – in both cases, the doctor in charge of your pregnancy should be consulted immediately.
In many cases, women do not notice the gelatinous ball, believing that the plug has yet to come off. Meanwhile very often the mucus plug does not come off completely but is expelled piece by piece. Then it takes the form of thick mucus and may be missed by the pregnant woman – especially since the amount of vaginal discharge increases in the last trimester of pregnancy.
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The mucus plug protects the baby from infections throughout almost the entire pregnancy. It is formed in the first weeks after conception, but falls out shortly before birth. When exactly? It is an individual matter. In some women, it takes several hours from the departure of the mucus plug to the proper birthing process, in others – even several weeks. The departure of the mucus plug indicates that the body’s preparation for childbirth has already begun.
The plug comes off as the cervix softens and shortens. If the plug is slightly stained with blood, the chance of an imminent birth is higher. In some women, the mucus plug leaves only in the labor ward, during the actual labor. If a woman notices a protruding mucus plug, she should not panic. It is normal in the late stages of pregnancy and the pregnant woman does not need to be admitted to the hospital, unless other symptoms of labor, such as increasing contractions, are accompanying the plug. Pregnant women are advised to refrain from intercourse after the plug comes off, as the baby is then more likely to get infections.
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