![]() Possibly just an “Old Wives Tale” but some people believe that just prior to going into labour women may become Domestic Goddesses and start cleaning the house top-to-bottom – Getting their ‘nest’ ready. Occasionally “The Waters break” quite a few weeks before baby is due, sometimes they will go a day or two before labour, often once you are in established labour and other times not until you are pushing and we start to see baby’s head! Nesting Syndrome Whether you are definite or unsure if the waters have gone you need to put on a sanitary pad, make a note of the time and the colour of the fluid, and phone Delivery Suite to tell us what is happening. When “The Waters go” there may be a pop, and a gush of fluid from the Vagina which will soak through your underwear and clothing and continue to leak until baby is born sometimes you will just notice the occasional small trickle of fluid and sometimes you may just feel your underwear or sanitary pad is constantly damp although you do not notice any fluid actually leaking out. Green or Brown coloured fluid also means that you will need to go straight to Delivery Suite/Labour Ward for monitoring. Also if the fluid is green or brown (meconium stained) that will indicate that the baby has opened it’s bowels whilst inside which may indicate simply that your baby is now mature and ready to be born, or could be a sign of previous or current distress of the baby. However if the fluid is very pink or red you will need to go to Delivery Suite/Labour Ward straight away for monitoring. Sometimes the fluid will be slightly pinkish in colour where the vascular cervix is starting to open. The fluid should be clear or straw coloured. This is when the sack containing the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby breaks (a hole is created), and releases some of the fluid via the vagina. ![]() A show may appear up to a couple of weeks before labour starts, it may only happen as you go into established labour, or you may not even notice one at all! Having a show does not mean you need to come into hospital, or even inform your midwife, unless you are concerned the vaginal discharge is very bloody. ![]() Sometimes the Show will be clear in colour and other times it will be bloody red or brown or streaked with blood. A showĪ mucous plug of sticky mucus discharged from the Vagina. Make sure your hospital bag is packed, your infant car seat is installed, etc.As labour approaches you may encounter the following. Your body is just preparing for labor at some point in the near future, so don’t get too excited or anxious yet. Rest, eat, take a shower, go for a walk, and do all of your normal activities. Don’t go to the hospital unless you are having strong contractions, vaginal bleeding, decreased fetal movement, broken water, or any red flag symptoms. Relax! If you are not having contractions, fluid leaking, etc., you are not in labor yet. That mucus will also continue to be produced by your body as time goes by - so it’s almost like it can “regenerate” and you can “lose your mucus plug” again at a later time! What should I do when I lose my mucus plug! You might go into labor the same day, or you might not go into labor for another week. It means that your body is naturally doing what it’s supposed to: gradually prepare for the upcoming labor. Unfortunately, there isn’t any particular “rule” about when you will go into labor after losing your mucus plug! Losing your mucus plug simply means that your cervix has softened and opened just a little bit to allow the normal cervical mucus to slip out. How soon after losing my mucus plug will I go into labor? It may be white, clear, and possibly have streaks of blood in it (that is normal). You may find it in your underwear, or on your toilet tissue when you wipe after going to the bathroom. ![]() This is 100% normal and we call it “bloody show”. There are many small blood vessels in the cervix, so as it dilates you could also see a smear of blood in the mucus. When this happens, some of that mucus is able to slip out through your vagina. Toward the end of pregnancy, your cervix becomes soft and stretchy, and may open (dilate) a centimeter or two. ![]() This mucus plug serves to prevent bacteria from entering your uterus, where it could potentially cause infection. What is the mucus plug in pregnancy?ĭuring pregnancy, mucus naturally produced by your body collects in the cervix and forms a protective “plug”. First off, as your doula, we don’t have any TMI topics ) When you lose your mucus plug is actually something that we like to be notified of, so we can answer your questions with quality information and have a heads up that labor could potentially begin soon! Let’s talk about the mucus plug in pregnancy so you’ll know what to expect. ![]()
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