Do you always lose your plug beforehand?

[juleswa]

Hi Guys,

Just a quick question, and interested to hear everyone's experiences - do you always lose your plug before labour starts or is it possible for everything to stay in tact up untill the contractions begin?

Just curious, as I'm finding I'm now I'm always looking out for extra mucous that has a tinge of blood in it in hope! LOL

Thanks

[Neatisme]

Hi there Juleswa.

I didn't lose my plug until after I had been having contractions for about 13 hours on and off. I was only in full on labour for 5 hours and lost my plug about 2 hours after arriving at the hospital. I had a show the night before which I think you can get quite a while before going into labour, it just means that your cervix is opening up. I remember I was like you, always checking for the blood tinged mucous when my time was coming closer.

Nita

[PinkPalace]

Hi there

I lost my plug slowly 2 weeks leading up to labour commencing.. so not always an indication of immediate labour but a sign it is close!

They say a long prelabour = short labour so fingers crossed

The plug will also replenish if you loose it early

[Tobily]

Not always.
With my DD my water broke and I hadn't seen a speck of plug. And believe me I'd been keeping my eyes open lol.

[Snacks]

My plug didn't start to come loose until labour had already started. And even then, it was just little bits at a time when I went to the loo. (And by that stage, I already knew it was happening, LOL, so it didn't excite me so much )

[principessa76]

I didn't see any plug

[MantaRay]

I had my membranes artificially ruptured with DS1 and there was no sign of a plug before then. With DS2 I lost my plug when I was fully dilated, with the contraction that made me want to start pushing.

So you can definitely remain intact before and during contractions.

[myson]

i never saw any sign of a plug with either of my two. Just a gushing like niagra falls with dd1 after only half an hour of back pain and then a little trickle in the loo with dd2 without any contractions leading up to that.

[bellelass]

I didn't lose any of mine until I'd been in labor for about 10 hours and was a few cms dilated. Also had to have my waters broken for me to keep the labor going well. Its different for everyone, good luck.

[Matryoshka]

Contractions started around midnight, i lost my plug 6 hours later with my waters. DS was born 14 hours after that.

[~Raven~]

I didn't with my second. It came away when I was in very active labour in the bath and I was puching not long after.
With my first it came away as labour started and my third it was about 3 weeks before he was born!

[gorgeous_lea]

My first and fourth labours started off with loosing my plug. But the second and third i dont remember seeing one at all !!!

Good luck

lea x

[~breeze~]

I never saw any sign of my plug while PG/in labour with DD. I got to the hospital 4cm dilated & they ended up breaking my waters for me. I didnt look at what came out with the waters so dont know if there was any blood etc.

Maybe I did loose my plug but I didnt notice LOL I still feel like a learner when it comes to things like this haha

[jojo80]

Hi there Juleswa.

I didn't lose my plug until after I had been having contractions for about 13 hours on and off. I was only in full on labour for 5 hours and lost my plug about 2 hours after arriving at the hospital. I had a show the night before which I think you can get quite a while before going into labour, it just means that your cervix is opening up. I remember I was like you, always checking for the blood tinged mucous when my time was coming closer.

Nita

I'm Sorry but whats the difference between loosing the plug and the show? I thought losing the plug was the show.

[dust]

as long as i havent gotten confused while reading this thread..
the plug is mucous, jelly like (which can have a tinge of blood)
the show is blood, like menstrual(sp?) blood

[maya07]

I am pretty sure a plug is the same thing as a show??

[rose]

I thought that too. That they were both the same.??

[Deltadawn]

I lost some of my plug three weeks before I went into labour and a bit more 3 days before going into labour.

Someone also said earlier that a long prelabour = a short labour. Not necessarily so. I was in pre-labour for 9 weeks (confirmed by Obstetrician) getting mild contractions every 12 minutes for 9 long weeks and my labour went for 23 hours!

Good luck and hope you see some plug soon!