TMI Question: What's it like when you lose your mucus plug?

J

Jengerbread88

New member
I think I might have lost my mucus plug this morning, but I'm really not sure. I woke up and I went to the restroom, and I had a lot of this really sticky substance. It was a little pink, but not bloody or anything, just tinged with pink. I had to wipe several times to get it all, and like I said, it was sticky. It kind of looked like jelly a little bit...

So... did I lose my mucus plug? What was it like when you lost yours? Does this mean I'm going into labor soon, or...?

Sorry. I just want to know if it's something I should be worried about or not... if it's NOT the mucus plug I want to know what it is, and if it IS, I want to know what I should do. Lol.
 
Sounds like you did, but the good news is that it can grow back :) You don't necessarily lose it right before you go into labor, and there are folks who might lose it - or parts of it - all along the way.

If you're concerned, call your OB.
 
I never lost mine with the first two before I went into labor, and I can't actually recall seeing it or noticing it. I did notice it with my last one, but it was during early labor. It sounded just like that, but yes, apparently they can grow back! I'd give your OB a call if you are concerned.
 
I started losing "chunks" of mine a few weeks before DS was born...they were greyish gooey stuff but never tinged pink or red. The night I went into labor I had a lot of the same but it was tinged pink...it's called "bloody show" when that happens. My water broke an hour later and he was born 2 hrs after that.

So to be safe I'd call your doc.
 
Okay. I left a message with the OB. I'm at school taking some final exams, and waiting for a call back. I figure tonight I'll pack for the hospital just in case-- I have to pack eventually anyway, right? :P
 
I had that for about three days before I went into real labor with my last. Since I was overdue, I assumed it meant I would be going into labor soon, and I was right. But, yeah, since you're trying to keep your baby in for a while longer, you should probably talk to your OB - which you are already in the process of doing.
 
I wish my OB's office would call me back already... I know they're busy and I left a non-urgent message, but seriously. Lol.
 
Sounds like you lost it. It doesn't really matter. With my kids, I lost mine before labor. The earliest was with my oldest and that was about six weeks before he was born.
 
I wasn't super concerned until my pants were wet from the moisture of it. After my class I had to come home and change pants because it had leaked that much.

I talked to a midwife and she said it was fine- that I could deliver anywhere from tonight to a month from now, and that the mucus plug wasn't too big of a concern. She also went over other things I might be experiencing- like the baby getting lower (he has), pressure on my bladder (yes), and then what it's like to have my water break or feel contractions. So... that makes me feel better.
 
Okay, did you ladies who lost yours have a LOT of mucus? Because I got home from class an hour and a half ago and changed my pants because they were soaked through, and I just had to change them again because they were wet again. I *know* I'm not peeing!
 
Hmm I remember losing mine with all three kiddos a few weeks prior to giving birth but I don't remember there being enough to make my pants all that wet. Are you sure you're not leaking amniotic fluid? You can have a tiny hole that leaks like that, I think sometimes the hole can close up on it's own or sometimes your water fully breaks. Maybe call your OB back, they can do a test of some sort to make sure it's not amniotic fluid.
 
I lost mine a few weeks before Eli was born. I was on bedrest with preeclampsia and had constant (round the clock) contractions for the last month, so it was a problem for me. I had 2 - 3 appointments a week the last month. It can definitely regrow and not be a cause for concern, but in a high risk pregnancy it could be a sign that things are progressing.
 
Well, now it's really thin... not water thin, but thinner than how my discharge usually is. It smells sort of sweet, and it's not sticky anymore. There's quite a lot of it-- I soaked through a thin pantyliner in just over an hour, hour and a half...
 
I left a message and I'm waiting to hear back. I'll probably hear back tomorrow, but if it gets any worse or I have any other issues, I'll call the emergency line.

Right now we're in that weird mixed-signals phase. The woman I spoke to earlier was a bit rude and upset I was calling, just saying "It's your mucus plug. Not a bit deal. Yes, most people have it pink tinged. No, you don't need to come in. Unless you're dying from pain, then you're fine." I think she's the on-call tonight, too, so I'm not sure I want to get her, but like I said, if it gets any worse, I'll call the emergency line and see if I can get straight through to the OB unit at the hospital, and bypass the nurse on call.
 
Honestly - call the emergency line. You could be leaking fluid, and it definitely isn't safe - and if you're a high risk patient, it could be a sign something's up. Be proactive..and don't wait for some lady who isn't really paying attention to you.
 
Darcy Baldwin said:
Honestly - call the emergency line. You could be leaking fluid, and it definitely isn't safe - and if you're a high risk patient, it could be a sign something's up. Be proactive..and don't wait for some lady who isn't really paying attention to you.
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Okay, I'll do this. I tried googling it, and got so many mixed answers that it just got my mind all in a tizzy. I don't want to panic myself over nothing, but at the same time, I don't want to ignore it thinking it's nothing, and it be something... kwim?
 
When it comes to babies, you'd rather be safe than sorry, even if they just tell you, 'go home, you're fine'. All your out is a trip to the Dr/hosp/OB & you get some peace of mind.
 
Never assume it's nothing. If you're leaking fluid, it really MIGHT be pee....don't think you know for sure, I think most of us have gone in thinking we were leaking fluid but were peeing LOL. They can do a super quick test to see.

But it might be fluid and THAT is something to get checked. I leaked fluid without my water actually breaking with my first. It was just a dribble. But I was a week overdue, so it was fine. They will want to keep an eye on your for infection and fluid levels, and they'll probably need to deliver in 24 hours.

Sorta off topic, but it sounds like your nurses/hospital are a bunch of morons to me. Mine always told me if I worried at all, to come in.
 
newfiemountiewife said:
Sorta off topic, but it sounds like your nurses/hospital are a bunch of morons to me. Mine always told me if I worried at all, to come in.
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Lol, the hospital is fine, but the on-call nurse is always hit or miss. My doctor wasn't great, so I switched to the other doctor in the same practice (the only practice my insurance covers). Half of the nurses are great, half of them are TERRIBLE. The OB Coordinator is amazing, but of course, she wasn't working today, when I actually needed her :P Isn't that how it always is?

The hospital told me to lay down for an hour or two, and if, after that hour, I stood up and felt a gush of fluid, to call back. If I didn't feel any sort of gush, that I could call my dr. tomorrow and see what she wanted me to do.
 
Jengerbread88 said:
The hospital told me to lay down for an hour or two, and if, after that hour, I stood up and felt a gush of fluid, to call back. If I didn't feel any sort of gush, that I could call my dr. tomorrow and see what she wanted me to do.
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This seems like odd advice to me. If I were you(I'm due the day after you :) ), I would either call the emergency line or just go to the hospital. I am a little bit of a worrier, but, having had problems in my first pregnancy with blood pressure and low fluid levels, I wouldn't risk it. It may be nothing, but there is a good possibility that it is something that needs medical attention. Better safe than sorry in my opinion, especially when it comes to babies. :)
 
I'm a HUGE worrier, and I feel like I call or ask about every little thing. Sometimes I worry the doctor had made a note saying "God, this girl panics!" in my chart or something. I'm with you, I don't want to ignore it if there IS something wrong...

In the past hour or two, it has gotten thicker and stringier again, and pink-tinged, so I think now it really IS the mucus plug, but that excessive dampness really does scare me. It was sweet smelling, and (I swear my family is going to take away my google privileges) that is supposed to be a worry sign, but at the same time, it's hard to really define it... I don't know. I feel like I have so many conflicting opinions. I may just go so I at least have an answer, even if they DO just send me home.
 
I would just go. Like I said, I am due the day after you, and I know that if that were happening to be right now(or at anytime for that matter), I would call the emergency line to get a straight answer about what to do, or I would just go in. I too sometimes feel like I worry about every little thing, but the way I look at it is: I'm not a doctor. I pay for insurance so that the doctor can take care of me and my baby, and if I'm not 100% sure that something going on is normal, I'm going to have it checked out. I don't really care if they think I'm crazy or paranoid, lol, because it's their job to answer my questions. If someone gets an attitude with you, just tell them "Hey, I'm not a nurse/doctor. I was told to call/come in if I think something is wrong." They can't fault you for being safe rather than sorry. I'm sorry they're not treating you the best :(, but don't let that stop you from taking care of you and your babe.
 
I agree with Fairon 100%. You pay for insurance, so use it! You're a first time pregnant lady, all of this stuff is new to you. I promise the next time you get pregnant, it won't be so worrysome :)

Hope you've gone in by now!
 
Okay, everything is supposed to be okay according to the doctor. I'm no longer having any sort of leaking or discharge except for what I *know* is mucus plug, not amniotic fluid.

Ever since yesterday, I've had some really intense pain that comes and goes, on the sides of my abdomen, but it follows the ligament lines so they're just thinking it's round ligament pain, and I agree- for the most part it's strongest when I move, and otherwise, like I said, it just kind of comes and goes.

The doctor said I'm reaching the "uncomfortable" part of pregnancy, and that I'll probably have occasional pain, but if any pain is different than the normal pain, then I should call in and she'll see me before my next appointment.
 
Hooray for no more leakage! lol :thumbup: That's great. I'm glad you got some answers!

I too am having quite a bit of pain in the low sides of my stomach lately, and my dr agreed that it is ligament pain as well. It stinks!!
 
Okay, so I got some tests back and I guess the pain WAS more than ligament pain-- I have Bacterial Vaginosis, which is related to my Group B Strep. Totally treatable with antibiotics, and nothing major. Just causes a lot of back pain and abdominal pain, but the baby sounds good, and everything seems fine.
While I was with the doctor, I forgot to add he did check and no ruptured membranes, but he went ahead and did a fetal fibernectin, which is supposed to tell me if I'm going to go into labor in the next week or two... that TOTALLY sets my mind at ease! The results for that should be in tomorrow.

The doctor was SUPER nice today, and really listened and took care of me. He said that the discharge was probably related to the bacterial vaginosis, since it can be thin and watery, too. He said he DOES think I lost my mucus plug yesterday, definitely, but that my water isn't broken or anything.

He also said that a lot of my other issues (the dizziness, arm numbness, etc, that I mentioned in another thread) was probably caused by typical pregnancy related issues, but that pregnancy is just harder on some women than others, and that he would be happy to refer me to a cardiologist if it really concerned me, but if it came and went, he thought we should just make the bacterial vaginosis the main concern.

I feel REALLY reassured today. He went ahead and checked for UTI, Amniotic Fluid, and checked to see how effaced I was and if I was dialating at all. He REALLY took a lot of time, especially since they worked me in... and I feel SO much better.

Thanks for all the advice!!!
 
WalkersMommy said:
I too am having quite a bit of pain in the low sides of my stomach lately, and my dr agreed that it is ligament pain as well. It stinks!!
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Isn't that ligament pain a pain in the butt? Or... abs, I guess? I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with it, too... Keep me updated on your pregnancy, btw, since we're almost due date buddies! :)
 
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