mucus plug?

[Newfamily2014]

Sorry for the daft question. I am 38+5 weeks pregnant. Today my Consultant examined my cervix and said its length is 2cm, soft and still posterior. She did a sweep and was easily able to pass fingers into the cervix.

At home I went for a wee. On wiping I had some clear, runny-isn jelly on the paper. I think this might just be the jelly from when she examined me (the jelly put onto her glove) rather than a show. What do you think?

My plug looked exactly like sloppy jelly - imagine it wasn't properly set so it lost its shape - and was straw coloured. Sounds promising!

oohh! and how long after that did you go into labour?
Mine was very clear so still not sure if it wasn't just jelly from her glove..

Possibly jelly from examination. Mucous plug usually tingled with streaks of blood and looks like snot!

My plug didn't have any blood in it at all. It did look like very thick snot/sloppy jelly. I lost it over about 48 hours, only small bits at first then the last one was huge and covered the whole gusset in my knickers. I went into labour about 6 hours after that one. I didn't see any blood until I was on the shower an hour or two after my contractions started and a small amount dropped out (about a 50p size with some stringy bits).

Just been to wee again and noticed small amount of clearish/creamish discharge on gusset so wiped before wee and some on paper. This time it does look like snot and different from the first discharge I described.

If it is some of the plug, what does that mean?!

Sadly it doesn't mean a lot. Some people lose their plugs weeks before baby arrives, some don't lose it until they're in the process of delivering the baby!

Thanks spacefrog35 so presumably if someone does lose their plug it doesn't cause an increased risk of infection for the baby?
it is something to call the MW about?

If it's worrying you & you need some reassurance then by all means give her a ring. If you've got no other signs and you're not desperately concerned then to be honest, I probably wouldn't. There is a very small risk of infection but I believe that tends only to be if you lose your plug earlier - I'm not medically qualified though so happy to be corrected if anyone knows different

Mucus plugs can also grow back, so losing some of it doesn't mean much. A friend of mine lost hers in parts from 35 weeks - her DD was born at 40+10.
Mine came out in stages from 39 weeks, DD born at 40+2.