A lot of things happen when a woman is pregnant. The body typically changes from one period during pregnancy to another. For instance, different symptoms spring up for first trimester period, second trimester period and third trimester period respectively. Among the other symptoms such as ovulation symptoms, another thing that pregnant women should learn and take note of is mucus plug pregnancy.
Mucus Plug and Pregnancy
The mucus plug pregnancy refers to a collection of cervical mucus found in the cervix opening. Its main function is to seal the opening of the cervix to prevent bacteria from getting inside the. The mucus plug pregnancy forms a protective barrier preventing infection and keeping the developing child safe from harmful components.
Appearance of Mucus Plug Pregnancy
Mucus plug pregnancy may appear different from one pregnant woman to another although majority of them describe mucus plug pregnancy as something that bears similarities to the nasal mucus. The mucus plug pregnancy may also appear like a thick drop of stringy mucus that is thicker as compared to the usual vaginal secretions. If you are already near your delivery date then the mucus plug pregnancy may appear brown, pink or red blood around its edges. This is usually referred to as the “bloody show”.
Losing Mucus Plug Pregnancy
There are some pregnant women who lose their mucus plug pregnancy a few weeks before their due date or before they experience actual labor. Losing the mucus plug pregnancy is not always associated with going into labor immediately. Take note that even if you begin to dilate, this does not mean that you will go to actual labor shortly. Labor may be in fact, a few weeks more.
Nonetheless, if you notice that your secretion is already blood tinged or goes into an implantation bleeding sort of appearance a couple of stages of pregnancy weeks before hitting thirty six weeks then consult your doctor immediately. As the body gets ready for the labor, the cervix will start to thin out and dilate. Likewise, as the cervix begins to open, the mucus plug pregnancy may just fall out. When this happens, it is a good sign that you are well on your way to labor. Still, this does not rule out the fact that your labor may be delayed. Also, you should know that you do not lose your mucus plug pregnancy one time big time. You can in fact lose it in a gradual manner. When this happens, you will notice that your vaginal secretion increases.
Getting Medical help for Mucus Plug Pregnancy
If you are following a full term and lost the mucus plug pregnancy then really isn’t any need to consult a doctor. Remember that this is part of the period before going to actual labor. If, however, you observe that there are regular contractions following the lost of the mucus plug pregnancy then it is a good idea to consult medical help. Follow the protocol recommended by the doctor and to make sure that labor and delivery push through as smoothly as possible.
In the same way, if you already have a track record on preterm labor and you are under suspicion whether or not you have lost your mucus plug pregnancy then it is best to call your doctor immediately. It is also essential to call for physician help if there if you experience unexpected bright red bleeding. The bleeding may be a sign that there is placental or placenta previa abruption.
Just as you are preparing for the actually delivery make sure that you also know other signs of labor. This is to ensure that your lost of mucus plug pregnancy is actually part of whole delivery process.
Other signs of Labor
There are other signs of labor that you should take note of aside from mucus plug membrane. For instance, lightening is part of the whole labor symptoms. This refers to the child’s changing of position and settling farther into the pelvis. This event also causes the person to feel like to need to urinate frequently as compared before. Another sign of labor is contractions. During contractions, some part of the abdomen hardens.
In between the contractions, the uterus goes into a relaxed state while the abdomen turns soft. The feeling of contraction or the experience/sensation that comes along with it varies from one woman to another. However, it is a fact that contractions generally cause discomfort. If you want to relieve as much of that discomfort, you can use a pregnancy pillow so that you can rest your body according to how it should be when pregnant.
Also try to learn as much as you can about false and true labor. This may be a good basis whether or not losing the mucus plug pregnancy is actually a good and natural thing at a specific point during the pregnancy. Remember that pregnancy tends to be a very sensitive condition.
You are carrying another life inside you so you have to be responsible enough to take care of the well being of two people: you and your child. Get as much medical attention as you can and stick with healthy living. Likewise, taking for yourself should not stop following the period after pregnancy. You should carry on with healthy living, particularly when breastfeeding, your lifestyle can affect the quality of the milk that you are feeding your child with.
