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This downloadable chart, together with our information on how to time contractions, should make preparing for labor a bit easier.
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This will help you collect accurate information about your contractions that you can share with your healthcare provider. You might want to track them using this handy, printable contraction tracking chart. Brown discharge can be caused by a number of factors, including regular menstrual activity, perimenopause, and the use of birth control, all of which are normal. In many cases, contractions will start sometime soon after you lose the mucus plug. Passing the mucus plug is a sign that your cervix is softening and labor is comingeventually. If you notice what looks like the mucus plug before 37 weeks of pregnancy, contact your healthcare provider, because this may be a sign of preterm labor. It can slip out in one big clump, or bit by bit.
#MUCUS PLUG PREGNANCY BROWN FULL#
If your pregnancy goes to full term, you’ll most likely lose your mucus plug in the ninth month of pregnancy. Every pregnancy is different, so contact your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns. Or, your mucus plug might want to wait until the last moment and appear at the very onset of labor. The mucus plug can come loose several days or even one or two weeks before labor starts. How Long After Losing the Mucus Plug Does Labor Start?Īlthough losing the mucus plug can be a sign of labor, it doesn’t always mean it’s baby time in the near future. Increased vaginal discharge is common throughout pregnancy, whereas the mucus plug acts like a barrier and typically isn’t expelled until later in your pregnancy. The mucus plug is thick and jelly-like, whereas vaginal discharge tends to be thinner or lighter in texture and consistency. It differs from regular vaginal discharge, which tends to be thinner and yellow in colour, and may also occur throughout your pregnancy, not just at the end. Vaginal discharge, on the other hand, is usually light yellow or white. The mucus plug is typically thick, stringy, gooey, and/or jelly-like and may be translucent, off-white, or slightly bloody with a pink, red, or brown hue if it mixes with blood in your cervix. As you read above, the mucus plug is typically clear or off-white, but might appear red, brown, or pink if it mixes with blood in your cervix. So, if you’re wondering if it’s the mucus plug you see or normal vaginal discharge, here’s how you can tell:Ĭolor. Is It the Mucus Plug or Vaginal Discharge?īecause vaginal discharge is common during pregnancy, it’s easy to mistake this for the mucus plug, especially as you near labor. Thick, jelly-like, and slightly sticky and/or stringyĪnywhere from one to two inches in lengthĪnywhere from one to two tablespoons in volume The overall look and texture of a mucus plug will vary from person to person, but most commonly the plug will be:Ĭlear, off-white, or slightly bloody with a pink, red, or brown hue You might notice it on the toilet paper after you wipe, or you may not see it at all! If you notice bleeding that’s heavy, like a menstrual period, contact your healthcare provider, as this might not be the mucus plug coming out but something else that may require medical attention. The mucus can come out in one thick string, one big glob, or in smaller segments. The discharge you might see in a mucus plug can be clear, pink, a little bloody, or brownish in color.
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