What does mucus plug look like

When it comes to the mucus plug, "some women don't know what to look out for," says Mallon. So how do you tell the difference? For starters, the mucus plug is gooey, gelatinous, and yellowish-white in color sometimes with tinges of pink or brown.

Normal pregnancy discharge tends to be thin, mild smelling, and clear or milky white. Discharge from a yeast infection is usually yellow or white, thick, and chunky like cottage cheese. Bacterial vaginosis produces fishy-smelling discharge that's most noticeable after sex, while other forms of yellow, green, or foul-smelling discharge could signal an STD.

See your doctor if you suspect any type of vaginal infection. Losing the mucus plug sometimes gets confused with the unpleasantly-named "bloody show," which sounds like a horror movie but is also a totally normal early labor sign.

It can sometimes mean that labor is closer, compared to if you are only seeing mucus. Bloody show may also be more blood than mucus, explains Dr. VanBlaricom, and even have a flow like a period.

And because bloody show can represent more advanced changes in your cervix, she recommends calling your doctor, especially if you are preterm or have other pregnancy-related complications. This can cause bleeding and complications…. Placenta previa is when the placenta covers the opening of the cervix during the last months of pregnancy. Find out about symptoms and treatment. During the second trimester, pain, bleeding, and vaginal discharge are normal symptoms.

In some cases, however, these symptoms may be a sign of a…. By the second trimester of your pregnancy, you should be feeling better than you did in the first trimester.

However, every pregnancy is different…. A new study finds that epidurals do not affect child development in their later years. Try these twelve tips to help ease mealtime stress for you and your autistic child. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. What is the mucus plug? Share on Pinterest. Are you in labor after losing your mucus plug? Symptoms and signs of labor include the following. Lightening Lightening occurs when your baby starts to drop lower into your pelvis. Cervical thinning effacement The cervix must become thinner and stretched to allow your baby to pass through the birth canal.

Dilation Effacement and dilation are two major signs that labor is impending. What to do after losing your mucus plug. Less than 36 weeks pregnant Call your doctor to let them know that you think you may have lost your mucus plug.

When to call your doctor. Next steps. Parenthood Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications. What Is Placental Abruption? Placenta Previa. Read this next. Read up on the other signs of pre-term labor. Usually, sometime after you lose the mucus plug, contractions will start. You might want to track them using this handy, printable contraction tracking chart. This will help you collect accurate information about your contractions that you can share with your healthcare provider.

This downloadable chart, together with our information on how to time contractions , should make preparing for labor a bit easier.

Because the mucus plug can come out weeks before you go into labor, it's not possible to tell exactly when labor will start. Contact your healthcare provider if you notice this kind of vaginal discharge. Your provider can confirm it and advise you on the next steps. If the mucus plug has come loose, you might want to get your hospital bag ready for when it's time to go. If you have written a birth plan , now might be a good time to read over it, and pack it in your hospital bag, too.

Updated December 09,