How long after mucus plug is labor

As the cervix dilates, the mucus is pushed out into the vagina. Seeing the mucus plug is a sign you are approaching labor, or it can be an early sign of labor itself.

Read up on some of the other commons signs of labor , including your water breaking. If your pregnancy is already full term if you are 38 to 42 weeks pregnant , then losing the mucus plug is a sign that labor is approaching. If your labor is not yet full term, then contact your healthcare provider right away, as it may be a sign of preterm labor. The mucus plug can come loose several days or one or two weeks before labor starts, or even at the very onset of labor.

If your pregnancy goes to full term, you will lose your mucus plug in the 9th month of pregnancy. If you notice what looks like the mucus plug before 37 weeks of pregnancy, contact your healthcare provider, because this may be a sign you are going into pre-term labor.

Read up on the other signs of pre-term labor. Usually, sometime after you lose the mucus plug, contractions will start. You might want to track them using this handy, printable contraction tracking chart.

If your doctor tells you to come in, a quick vaginal exam will determine how dilated you are and how close you are to being in active labor. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations.

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This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. Registry Builder New. Medically Reviewed by Jennifer Wu, M. Medical Review Policy All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Losing your mucus plug could mean labor is imminent — or that it's still weeks away.

Back to Top. In This Article. Continue Reading Below. Read This Next. Signs of Labor. What Is Cord Blood Banking? How to Tell if You're in Labor. Brown discharge during pregnancy. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals.

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. What does it mean to lose your mucus plug? American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. American Pregnancy Association. Mucus Plug. What is bloody show? Labor and birth. Office on Women's Health. Join now to personalize. As your body prepares for labor, your cervix may release a protective clump of transparent or slightly bloody mucus called a mucus plug.

This is often accompanied by a darker, bloody discharge called the "bloody show. Stay alert for other first signs of labor. Call your provider if you have worrisome symptoms, such as severe pain or a decrease in your baby's movements. Also call your provider if your water breaks. Photo credit: iStock. What is a mucus plug? What does a mucus plug look like? When will I lose my mucus plug? What should I do after losing my mucus plug? How long after losing my mucus plug does labor start? What is "bloody show"?

Does bloody show mean labor will start soon?