Mucus Plug: What It Looks Like, Mucus Plug vs Discharge and What Happens Next

A mucus plug is a thick, jelly-like seal of mucus in your cervix that often comes out clear, off-white or streaked with pink or brown near the end of pregnancy, a sign that labor is getting closer, though it could still be hours, days or weeks away.

You wiped, looked down and saw a glob of sticky mucus, maybe with a streak of pink. Was that your mucus plug, is it normal, and should you grab your hospital bag?

Below: what it looks like in plain words, how to tell it from discharge, bloody show and leaking fluid, the real timing to labor, and when to call.

The Short Answer: What It Is and Why It Forms

Early in pregnancy, Cleveland Clinic explains, rising hormones such as progesterone form a plug of mucus inside the cervical canal (the opening of the lower uterus). It only forms during pregnancy, and it acts like a seal that helps stop bacteria and infection from reaching the uterus.

Late in the third trimester, Mayo Clinic says, the plug can move down into the vagina. That is what people mean when they say they “lost” it. Cleveland Clinic says losing it is a normal part of pre-labor with no side effects. It is one clue that your body is preparing, not a timer. For the bigger picture, see our third trimester guide.

What Does a Mucus Plug Look Like?

Searching for mucus plug pictures? Here is the same information in words, based on Cleveland Clinic:

• Texture: stringy, sticky and jelly-like.
• Size and amount: about 1 to 2 inches long, or roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons of mucus in total.
• Color: clear, off-white, or slightly bloody, meaning tinged pink, red or brown.
• Smell: relatively odorless.
• How it comes out: all at once as one larger glob, or gradually in smaller pieces over days. Some people never notice it at all.

Cleveland Clinic says it usually shows up in your underwear or on toilet paper. If you call, it suggests being ready to describe it: note the color, rough amount, texture and how much blood, if any.

Color Guide: Clear, Pink, Brown or Red

Color is what people worry about most. This table is a guide for when to relax and when to call, not a diagnosis.

In short: streaks of blood in sticky mucus are expected near your due date. MedlinePlus says to call right away for vaginal bleeding other than light spotting.

Mucus Plug vs Discharge: How to Tell the Difference

Cleveland Clinic explains that discharge increases in pregnancy, helping block infections from reaching the uterus. Here is how to tell everyday discharge from the plug, or from something that needs a call.

The biggest difference is texture and quantity. Cleveland Clinic says mucus plug discharge is thicker, more jelly-like and greater in quantity than everyday discharge, and may be tinged red, brown or pink.

Fluid is different. MedlinePlus suggests using a pad, then looking at and smelling what it absorbs. MedlinePlus and Mayo Clinic both say to contact your provider right away if you think your water has broken, even if you are not sure. Our guide to signs of leaking amniotic fluid goes deeper.

How It Differs From Bloody Show

Cleveland Clinic describes these as closely related but different:

• Mucus plug: mainly stringy mucus that sealed the cervix. It may have a little blood in it, or none.
• Bloody show: bleeding late in pregnancy as the cervix softens, thins and opens. Tiny blood vessels in the cervix break as it stretches, and that blood mixes with mucus, sometimes including part or all of the plug. It should not be more than about 1 to 2 tablespoons.

Sticky mucus with pink or brown streaks may be both at once. Cleveland Clinic notes that some people have bloody show weeks before labor, some only once labor begins, and some never notice it. Not having it does not rule out labor.

It also differs from spotting: Cleveland Clinic says spotting after a cervical exam is normal but is not necessarily bloody show.

When Does It Come Out?

Cleveland Clinic says most people lose the mucus plug after 37 weeks, anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before their due date. Some do not lose it until active labor. Mayo Clinic describes the plug moving into the vagina sometimes several days before labor, or at the start of labor.

Why it comes out: as labor approaches, your cervix softens, thins (effacement) and opens (dilation), and the plug is pushed down into the vagina. See our effacement guide. Cleveland Clinic names what can loosen it:

• Cervical changes: the main reason.
• Sex: usually not harmful in pregnancy, but in the final weeks it can loosen the plug.
• Cervical exams: checks during prenatal visits can stretch or irritate the cervix.

Can you lose your mucus plug slowly? Yes. Cleveland Clinic says it can come out in one piece or gradually, and some people never notice it.

How dilated are you when you lose it? Cleveland Clinic says it usually comes out during early labor, which lasts until about 6 centimeters, but it can come out at any point during dilation. It is also possible to dilate without losing it, and to go into labor without losing it first: the plug will come out at some point before delivery.

How Long Until Labor Starts?

No one can predict it. Here is what the sources say:

Does losing your mucus plug mean labor is starting? It means your cervix has likely begun to soften, thin or open, so labor is getting closer. On its own, it does not mean you are in labor, and Cleveland Clinic says it is usually not a reason to worry unless it happens well before your due date.

What shows labor has begun: Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus describe true labor contractions as regular, closer together, stronger and not stopping when you move or rest. Read signs that labor is 24 to 48 hours away, what contractions feel like and early labor vs active labor. If contractions start and stop for days, see prodromal labor.

Losing It Before 37 Weeks

Can you lose your mucus plug early? Yes, and Cleveland Clinic says to call your provider if it happens before 37 weeks, as a precaution.

Cleveland Clinic says bleeding before 37 weeks can signal preterm labor, and Mayo Clinic says to contact your care team right away for any signs of labor before 37 weeks, especially with vaginal blood.

March of Dimes defines preterm labor as labor before 37 weeks and lists these warning signs. If you have even one, call your provider right away:

• A change in vaginal discharge: watery, mucus-like or bloody, or more of it than usual.
• Pressure in your pelvis or lower belly, like your baby is pushing down.
• A constant low, dull backache.
• Belly cramps, with or without diarrhea.
• Regular or frequent contractions that make your belly tighten. They may or may not be painful.
• Your water breaking.

March of Dimes says your provider may check your cervix and monitor contractions, and may offer treatment to stop preterm labor or help your baby before birth.

Can It Grow Back?

Sort of. Cleveland Clinic says parts of the plug can come out and more mucus can follow, because your body keeps producing discharge and mucus throughout pregnancy.

If you are under 37 weeks, the advice is the same either way: call.

What to Do Next

At 37 weeks or more, Cleveland Clinic says there is typically nothing specific to avoid, though it depends on your situation, so check with your provider. A calm plan:

• Write it down: the date, time, color, rough amount and whether there was blood.
• Watch for the next signs: regular contractions that get closer and stronger, your water breaking, or a drop in your baby’s movement.
• Know your provider’s rule: MedlinePlus says to call for regular, painful contractions every 5 to 10 minutes for 60 minutes.
• Get ready, gently: pack a bag and plan your ride. Many parents feel a burst of nesting energy now.

Late pregnancy has other warning signs worth knowing: see our preeclampsia guide.

Related Betteroo Guides

• Signs labor is 24 to 48 hours away
• Effacement: what effaced means
• Signs of leaking amniotic fluid
• What do contractions feel like?
• Early labor vs active labor
• Preeclampsia symptoms and when to call

When to Call Your Provider

Call any time you are unsure whether what you see is your mucus plug. Mayo Clinic says not to hesitate. Call right away, day or night, if:

• You are under 37 weeks: and you lose your mucus plug, see bloody discharge, or have any sign of preterm labor (Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, March of Dimes).
• You have heavy bleeding: bright red blood that flows, bleeding as heavy as a period, or bleeding with pain or contractions (Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic). MedlinePlus says to call for any vaginal bleeding other than light spotting.
• Your water breaks or you leak fluid: a gush or a trickle, even if you are not sure it is amniotic fluid (Mayo Clinic, MedlinePlus). Mayo Clinic says to go to your hospital or birthing center.
• Your baby is moving less: MedlinePlus says decreased movement can sometimes mean the baby is in trouble.
• Your contractions are regular and painful: for example every 5 to 10 minutes for 60 minutes, or lasting 60 to 90 seconds (MedlinePlus), or whatever rule your provider gave you.
• You had a fall or accident: Cleveland Clinic advises calling after any trauma.
• Discharge looks like infection: green, gray or yellow, a foul or fishy smell, or itching and burning (Cleveland Clinic).

If you have heavy bleeding, severe pain or another emergency and cannot reach your provider quickly, go to labor and delivery or the nearest emergency room, or call 911. This article is general education, not medical advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

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