At some point in your pregnancy, you are most likely going to lose your mucus plug
which can be a little bit scary when you don’t know what to expect. So, in this video,
we want to show you pictures of different kinds of mucus plugs,
to help you understand, what a mucus plug can look like in terms of consistency,
and the many different colors that it can take on. Right! We are Nathalie and Mathias
and we help mommies and their babies naturally and science based. For more videos on
pregnancy and baby-related topics, subscribe to our channel and hit the bell, if you like!
Alright so first of all, thanks so much to all the lovely women at Nathalie’s clinic who agreed to
send us pictures of their mucus plug! You ladies rock because you made this video possible in the first place. Right! Thank you!
Now, a woman normally loses her mucus plug sometime after week 37. Up until then, the function of
the mucus plug is to block the cervix in order to protect the uterus from bacteria. However,
at some point, the cervix is going to thin out and dilate. And this is when your body gets rid of the
mucus plug. Yes, what’s also important to note is that, as your cervix thins out and dilates,
small blood vessels are being burst. What this means is that there may be some
light bloody discharge which is often referred to as “bloody show”. And this can change the color
of the mucus plug as we are going to see. Right! So, let’s have a look at the pictures and then
afterwards, we are going to briefly discuss what you should do when you lose your mucus,
particularly given the fact that your uterus is no longer protected from bacteria. Right,
so the first picture is from a first-time mom who has lost her mucus plug in week 37. As you
can see, the mucus in this picture has almost a clear color, maybe a bit yellowish/pinkish.
This can be VERY different in other cases, as we are going to see, but in this case here, the woman
probably did not have a bloody show. Yes. And what you can also see here is that it's not that much
of a mucus plug discharge in THIS case. And I think that was also the case for the next woman? Yep. So,
keep in mind that a woman may lose her mucus plug gradually, instead of in one piece. So it may only
come off in pieces. By the way, the woman on this picture lost her mucus plug in week 38.
Still similar color than the previous one and no bloody show. And I think what you can also
see very well here in this picture is that the consistency is really like jelly or even glue
which makes it very different from normal vaginal discharge. The next picture is a bit more interesting
to look at because it shows, well, probably almost the entire mucus plug. Colorwise, it’s
much darker than the previous examples, but still no bloody show. By the way, that was a second time
mom who lost her mucus plug in week 41. So, as you can see, even when you are overdue, it does
not necessarily mean that you have a bloody show when you lose the mucus plug. Okay, and then here,
we have a picture of a woman with a brownish mucus plug discharge. And I am sorry that the pictures
are all a bit dark. But again, those were taken by women with their phones, probably in their
bathrooms in a low-light setting, right? Now, that woman was in week 39 when she lost her mucus plug.
And this is really how it CAN look like when you had your bloody show which, again, can change
the color of the mucus plug to a brownish color. Yes. Or to a red color like in the next picture.
So this is another example of what a mucus plug can look like when its color is changed
due to a bloody show. By the way, the woman in this picture was a first-time mom too
and she lost her mucus plug in week 38. Now, of course, it does not have to look that bloody.
Sometimes, it may only just be blood-streaked. But I am afraid, we don’t have any picture of such a
mucus plug. But you would basically see strings of blood in in the mucus. And then finally,
in very very rare cases, the mucus plug could also have a greenish color and a foul smell.
When that’s the case, it can point towards an infection. Right! So as you can see a mucus
plug can take on all kinds of different colors and it may or may not come off in one piece.
So the question is what should you do when you lose your mucus plug and in particular, do you
have to make any adjustments to protect your baby, you know, given the fact that your uterus is no longer
protected from bacteria? Well, normally, losing the mucus plug is not a reason to worry about,
if you are at least 37 weeks pregnant and if it is not greenish or accompanied by lots of blood.
Nevertheless, it is recommended to keep your doctor or midwife in the loop and to let them
know what your mucus plug looked like when you lost it. And that’s particularly the case,
if your mucus plug has a greenish color or when it comes off with lots of blood. Right! Both could point
towards complications that your doctor needs to be made aware of. The same applies when you are less
than 37 weeks pregnant, when you lose your mucus plug.
However, despite the fact
that the mucus plug protects your uterus from infections, keep in mind that losing your mucus
plug normally does not mean that your BABY is no longer protected from infections. Yes. As long as
your waters haven’t broken, your baby is still protected from infections by the amniotic sac,
unless of course, there are complications, such a tear in the sac etc. So, normally,
there is no need to avoid sex or a bath once you have lost your mucus plug unless of course,
your doctor tells you otherwise. Right! We really hope that you found this video helpful and that
it helped you understand what a mucus plug may look like when you lose it. If you did find it helpful,
consider leaving us a like or sharing our video with others. Yes! And for more useful tips and tools
on pregnancy and baby-related topics, make sure to subscribe to our channel and to hit the bell!