What Is the Mucus Plug and What Does It Mean When You Lose It?

Your mucus plug is made of thickened cervical mucus, just like the name implies. It acts as a seal to maintain a sterile environment for your baby throughout pregnancy.

Again, losing your mucus plug at the end of pregnancy is a sure sign that your little one is about to make her debut. In more detail, let’s dive into what your mucus plug is and how long it’ll take to go into labor after you lose it.

A mucus plug is the collection of thick mucus formed in the cervical canal during pregnancy. It’s essentially a protective barrier that seals off your uterus from the outside world and protects your developing baby from bacteria and potential infection. Not long after you conceive, the hormone progesterone causes your cervical mucus to get thicker, denser, and more acidic, forming your mucus plug. 1

What does a mucus plug look like?

The mucus plug is typically thick, sticky, and jelly-like. It can range in color from clear and off-white to yellowish, beige, brown, or pink-tinged due to small blood vessels rupturing as your cervix thins and dilates to prepare for labor. It may come out as a single piece or in smaller bits over several days. 2

What’s the difference between your mucus plug and vaginal discharge?

Due to hormonal changes, vaginal discharge is normal during pregnancy. Regular pregnancy discharge helps keep vaginal tissues healthy and lubricated, while your mucus plug’s sole purpose is to block the cervix and protect the uterus and fetus from bacteria.

It’s easy to mistake your mucus plug for your regular vaginal discharge, but you can tell the difference between them by the:

• Consistency: The mucus plug is typically thicker and more jelly-like than normal discharge—often described as sticky or gelatinous.
• Color: Normal vaginal discharge is usually clear to milky white, while, as mentioned above, the mucus plug can be clear, off-white, yellow, beige, pink, brown, or slightly blood-tinged. 3
• Amount: The mucus plug is usually more substantial than your typical discharge. At the end of pregnancy, it may come out in one large clump or in smaller pieces over several days.

The differences are slight, so it’s normal not to know whether you’re experiencing typical discharge or have lost your mucus plug. Check with your doctor if you’re unsure.

You’ll usually lose your mucus plug after 37 weeks as your cervix begins to open and thin in preparation for labor. 4 However, losing the mucus plug doesn’t always mean labor will start immediately—it could still be days or weeks away. Several factors can contribute to losing your mucus plug: 2

• Cervical dilation: As your cervix begins to open, your mucus plug becomes dislodged and passes into the vagina.
• Cervical effacement: The thinning of your cervix can cause the mucus plug to loosen and detach.
• Sexual intercourse: Sex can sometimes dislodge the mucus plug.
• Pelvic exams: Your doctor performing a pelvic exam can also cause your mucus plug to come out.

Even after you lose your mucus plug, your baby remains protected because your body continues to produce mucus. Unless your water has broken, you can still safely have sex and take baths (but avoid pools and heat so you don’t get an infection). 2

Is it possible to not know that you’ve lost your mucus plug?

Believe it or not, you may not actually notice when you lose your mucus plug. Again, it can come out gradually over several days, and you may even mistake it for normal vaginal discharge. 1

What does it mean when you lose your mucus plug?

Losing your mucus plug generally indicates that your cervix is changing—dilating (opening) and effacing (thinning). 5 These changes are essential to allow your baby to pass through your birth canal during labor.

As mentioned above, losing your mucus plug doesn’t necessarily mean labor will start immediately. Think of losing your mucus plug as a sign that your body is gearing up for labor, but not necessarily that the starting gun has fired. It could be hours, days, or even weeks before labor begins. Every pregnancy is different, and there’s no set timeline.

There’s no crystal ball to predict exactly when labor will begin after you lose your mucus plug. For some women, labor starts within hours or a few days. For others, it could be a week or more.

Various factors affect when, exactly, you’ll go into labor, and it isn’t clear how your body “decides.” If you’re anxious to bring your pregnancy to a close, it’s understandable if you’re hoping the loss of your mucus plug proves that labor is imminent—but unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.

Bloody show vs. mucus plug

You might mistake losing your mucus plug for “bloody show,” though they’re actually different. Both can involve blood-tinged mucus, but a bloody show typically happens much closer to labor and indicates that the cervix is actively dilating. Tell your doctor if you have discharge with bright red blood or more than two teaspoons of blood (like a period). 6

You don’t necessarily have to call your doctor immediately or head to the hospital when you lose your mucus plug, especially if you’re past 37 weeks and not experiencing other signs of labor. However, it may be a good idea to inform your doctor or midwife that you’ve lost your mucus plug so they are aware.

When to call your doctor

While it’s usually not urgent to let your doctor know that you’ve lost your mucus plug, certain situations do warrant a call to your doctor, such as:

• Losing your mucus plug before 37 weeks: Since this can indicate preterm labor, contact your doctor if you believe you’ve lost your mucus plug early. However, this is not an emergency. 1
• Bleeding: Seek medical attention if there is bleeding, especially if it’s more than spotting. Any bleeding during the preterm period warrants a call to your doctor. 7
• Your water breaking: Call your doctor or go to the hospital if the mucus plug is accompanied by water breaking.
• Contractions: If you experience regular contractions or any other labor signs, let your doctor know. 7

After losing your mucus plug, you may not be far off from finally meeting your baby. This may make you wonder if there’s any way you can speed up the process and pry your little one out. There’s no guaranteed method, but some anecdotal evidence suggests the following may be worth trying (if your doctor approves):

• Walking and light exercise: Gentle activity may encourage your baby to descend further into your pelvis. 8
• Sex: Many parents claim that getting frisky can get your baby moving along. 9
• Nipple stimulation: This process can release oxytocin, a hormone that helps stimulate contractions. 10

It’s worth noting that there’s very little science supporting most of these alleged methods of speeding up labor. 9 Still, if you’re curious enough and your doctor gives you the go-ahead, there’s no harm in trying.

If you really want to induce labor, then one effective method is a membrane sweep. With this procedure, your doctor performs to separate the amniotic sac from the uterus. 11 However, your doctor will generally only offer this procedure if you’re well past your due date (39 weeks). 9

Losing your mucus plug means you’re closer than ever before to the big day! But you still might have to wait a few more days or even weeks before you finally go into labor.

In the meantime, be patient, look out for those telltale labor signs, and get on the phone to your doctor if you’re at all concerned (or even just need a little reassurance). All that waiting will be worth it once you gaze your eyes upon your little bundle of joy!