What does mucus plug discharge look like? The look, size and texture will vary. The mucus plug is usually: Clear, off-white or slightly bloody (red, brown or pink) in color.
The mucus plug is usually thick, like jelly, and sticky. Vaginal discharge is usually thinner and more slippery than sticky. If the mucus comes out all at once in a big clump, it's your mucus plug (though again, it can come out over the course of days). Vaginal discharge is usually ongoing.
You might notice an increase in vaginal discharge that's clear, pink or slightly bloody. This might happen several days before labor begins or at the start of labor.
The mucus plug creates a barrier to help protect your developing baby from any bacteria or infection, so it's only natural to lose it as you near labor. And although it could come out in one go, many people don't even notice the mucus plug or mistake it for light vaginal discharge.
The plug can also come out in pieces over time, so the individual might see a small and periodic discharge of mucus and blood, or perhaps not even notice the change at all. While losing the mucus plug typically means that labor is coming soon, there is no way to predict exactly when it will happen.
What does the mucus plug look like? You'll see it as a jelly-like substance, which might be clear or slightly pink or streaked with a small amount of blood. When you are losing the mucus plug, You'll notice it on your underwear or on toilet paper after going to the loo.
As long as your cervix dilates, you will lose your mucus plug. However, every mucus plug is different, just like every person is different. You may not always realize it has come out. Sometimes women lose their mucus plug more gradually, rather than in one or several clumps.
Clear and stretchy — This is “fertile” mucous and means you're ovulating. Clear and watery — This occurs at different times of your cycle and can be particularly heavy after exercising. Yellow or green — May indicate an infection, especially if it's thick or clumpy like cottage cheese or has a foul odor.
You may notice a glob of mucus in your underwear or when you wipe. Some pregnant people will not notice losing their mucus plug, especially if it happens slowly and in bits, which looks similar to normal vaginal discharge. The mucus plug may also simply get washed away during a shower.
Discharging a brown or pink-tinged mucus is an early sign of cervix dilation. Effacement of the cervix causes small blood vessels to break. This causes the mucus to appear as pink or brown.
Jelly-like clear discharge is common in most women when they are ovulating. It can also happen at other specific times, such as during sexual arousal or when exercising. It can also be a sign of pregnancy.
Because of shifting hormones, pregnant women experience more vaginal discharge than normal. As a result, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the mucus plug and discharge. The mucus plug usually looks like long, thick, stringy strands of mucus.
Some women lose a large portion of their mucus plug at once.
If this isn't your first time around the block, your cervix is more elastic making it much more likely for the plug to come out in one piece, with little to no blood.
You might notice a change in the discharge from your vagina or a few cramps in your abdomen. You may have a low, dull ache in your back that can come and go. You may also feel pressure in your vagina or back passage. As the big day gets nearer, you may experience more definite early signs of labour.
Texture: It's normal to have vaginal discharge that ranges from watery and sticky to gooey, thick and pasty. Your body's hormones cause this change to happen, but factors like infection can also change the consistency of your vaginal discharge.
As long as the mucus plug discharges after 37 weeks of pregnancy or later and you and your doctor have no concerns, there is nothing specific you need to do after losing the mucus plug. Even if you lose your mucus plug several weeks before delivery, don't worry. Your baby is still protected.
Most effacement usually happens during the first stage of labor, when your cervix is dilating to 6 cm. This process can take several hour or days, and will likely be accompanied by early signs of labor such as Braxton Hicks contractions and losing your mucus plug.
Medical interventions can speed up labor, but there are other ways to encourage dilation. They include moving around, rocking on an exercise ball, using relaxation techniques, and laughing. Dilation is a term that describes the widening of the cervical opening.
8 Symptoms Before Labor Starts
While there is no way to know when labor is 24 to 48 hours away, labor signs include a bloody show, Braxton Hicks contractions, labor contractions, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, lower back pain, rupture of the amniotic sac (“water breaking”), and nesting instinct.
Mucus plug is the name for the build-up of mucus that seals the cervix, while a 'show' describes what happens when it comes free and leaves your body as a gooey discharge. This discharge may be clear, but sometimes it's tinged pink or brown with a little blood – this is what's called a 'bloody show'.
Clear, stringy, mucusy vaginal discharge
During late pregnancy, this discharge is likely part of the mucus plug. This may come out all at once (think: a tablespoon of a jelly-like substance) or may come out in bits and pieces during the last weeks of pregnancy.