Mucus Plug: A Guide for the Expectant Mother
Introduction
What is a mucus plug ? When does it come out and how can the mother-to-be know that it has leaked? How long does it take for the baby to come into the world?
These three questions contain some of the most frequent doubts for pregnant women.
If you recognize yourself, the article in the next lines is for you. As you can see, I have accompanied it with an index, thanks to which you can, if you want, delve into the details of the aspects that interest you most simply by clicking on the title of the paragraph.
For more information, you can find me on Instagram at Drsilva.com_official .
Now, as I often say in my videos, let's get into the heart of the action.
I will help you discover, with the precious guidance of the advice of Doctor Maria Chiara Alvisi, independent midwife and author of the prenatal video course that you can access at the end of the paragraph, a key topic for any pregnant woman.
What is mucus plug?
Especially when you are experiencing the journey of pregnancy for the first time, it is natural to wonder what a mucus plug is.
To fully answer this question, we need to take a small leap in time, about a month after conception. This moment, rightly, can be defined as crucial.
In fact, you see the neck of the uterus , also known as the uterine cervix, soften and take on a bluish color.
The changes do not end here: the cervix area, in fact, becomes extremely delicate, subject to bleeding even in the case of very slight trauma.
The picture just described is characterized by the initiation, by the cells of the uterine cervix, of a wonderful process, which reminds us, for the umpteenth time, of the perfection of Mother Nature when it comes to births.
What exactly is it? The production of a thick, abundant, and dense layer of mucus . This is the mucus plug. What are its functions?
Seal the uterine cavity;
protect it from the attack of pathogenic organisms - for example bacteria and viruses - potentially dangerous for the health of the mother and her puppy.
By preventing any direct connection between the vaginal environment, characterized by the presence of countless bacteria, and the cervix , the mucus plug is a real barrier that protects the fetus.
Mother Nature, in addition to lengthening, thickening and posteriorly rotating the cervix, closes the aforementioned communication between the vagina and the inside of the uterine cavity.
Being, as already mentioned, a barrier, the mucus plug has a viscous consistency and, as I underlined at the beginning of the paragraph, it is very dense.
