Pregnancy is always a concern.
Cork discharge is one of the precursors of near birth, which pregnant women are guided by when determining the onset of labor.
For almost all months of pregnancy, the lumen of the cervix is closed by the so-called mucus plug.
It is a natural protection of the fetus from adverse environmental factors. There is no single answer to how much labor begins after the cork has passed. But, to anticipate this event, there must be an understanding of the very process of cork formation in the cervix and its purpose in the body.
What is a mucous plug
In a woman, in her daily life, mucus is secreted freely, not lingering in the cervix. When pregnancy occurs, there is a sharp restructuring of the hormonal background. Throughout the nine months in the female body undergoing restructuring, which lead to the emergence of new functions.
Mucus under the influence of hormones becomes thick, jelly-like, and tightly closes the lumen of the cervix, turning into a kind of cork.
Thus, the mucus plays a protective role, creates a kind of tightness, preventing the penetration of the infection through the cervical canal.
From here came its name - "cork". Outwardly - this is ordinary mucus, only with a denser consistency.
In a pregnant woman, the composition of the mucus also changes.
It contains a large number of prostaglandins, immunoglobulins, as well as enzymes - mucin, lysozyme, etc.
They, thanks to their bactericidal properties, prevent the infection from entering the cervix, and then into the uterine cavity. This enhances the protective function. Due to the increased production of estrogens in the last months of pregnancy, the concentration of which rises sharply before childbirth, softening (thinning) of the mucus forming the cork occurs.
The cork has departed - after how long the birth begins after the cork has passed
Mucous plug exit - This is not an indicator that immediately after this, the pregnant woman will begin labor pains. Isolation of the cervical plug is one of the precursors of childbirth, but it only indicates that changes have begun to occur in the body to prepare for childbirth, and all organs and systems are preparing to participate in this complex process.
How long the delivery begins after the cork has passed is a rhetorical question, since there is no close relationship in terms of time with subsequent delivery. Everything happens individually for each woman, and the time of onset of labor in each woman after the release of cork mucus may differ.
Usually cork discharge precedes contractions in 2 to 3 weeks. But this does not always happen and not at all. Sometimes mucus can come out two to three days before the birth. Sometimes cork discharge occurs several hours before childbirth - mainly in multiparous. Many women are sure that they did not stop cork.
Apparently, the moment of her departure was missed - the woman simply did not pay attention. Moreover, after this, amniotic fluid can leave almost immediately.
In many cases, the cork comes out in parts, which sometimes goes unnoticed by a woman. This can occur after examination by a gynecologist: the cork is pushed out as a result of a reflex increase in uterine tone. Sometimes it can safely go out in the toilet or in the shower. Although for many this process is accompanied by pulling unpleasant pains in the lower abdomen, weakness appears in the legs, and the sensations described by the woman are similar to the state before menstruation.
Therefore, there is no exact answer to how much labor begins after the cork has passed.
The timing of the onset of labor during the first and second pregnancies after discharge of the mucous plug
If we analyze the isolation of the cervical plug in a woman during the first and subsequent pregnancies, it turns out that the presence of the previous ones does not affect the timing of the cork discharge and how much labor will begin after the cork has passed.
It is known that the symptoms of a pregnant woman soon giving birth, including the secretion of a mucous plug, occur approximately at the same time, regardless of what kind of pregnancy the woman has at the moment.
If during the first pregnancy in a woman, childbirth occurs a week after the cork is released, this means that in the second case the same terms will be repeated.
Premature cork detachment - what it says
Particular attention must be paid to the period of 38 weeks.
If the cork is loose, this may be a sign:
- the presence of infection - it is urgent to treat;
- the possibility of subsequent discharge of amniotic fluid and in the future - the risk of placental abruption;
- bleeding.
Bleeding can be suspected if the cork has dragged on for a long time and is accompanied by the presence of red blood. It is necessary to pay attention to the appearance of the cork: if the mucus is green, this is the result of oxygen starvation of the child.
The slightest suspicion of bleeding - an occasion to seek medical help. You can’t hesitate, because placental abruption with bleeding may develop - a life-threatening condition for the mother and child.
If the exit of the cork occurred for a period of 38 weeks and there was leakage or discharge of amniotic fluid - this is an occasion for an immediate trip to the hospital.
With a period of less than 37 weeks, all of the above symptoms may be an indirect manifestation of the threat of premature birth.
How to recognize other precursors
In order to understand how long the birth begins after the cork has passed, the woman herself can observe her condition, pay attention to the presence of other precursors of childbirth:
1. "Lowering the abdomen" - a sign, time-tested. It is explained by the fact that in the last weeks of pregnancy the child’s head is omitted - it becomes “inserted into the small pelvis” and is fixed there.
2. A change in the gait of a pregnant woman associated with a prolapse of the abdomen: it becomes a duck and is associated with the pressure of the baby’s head.
3. Accordingly, the uterus descends, and the stomach and lungs are not so much supported. A woman feels these changes: her general condition is improving. Sometimes changes can be observed visually: there is an even greater stretching of the skin on the stomach, the navel protrudes.
4. An increase in the amount of fluid secreted from the genital tract is associated with a possible detachment of the fetal bladder and leakage of the fetal water. Using special tests for express diagnostics, you can quickly check whether amniotic fluid is present in these secretions.
5. "Slimming" by 1 - 1.5 kg is associated with the disappearance of edema. It is a sure sign of close birth.
6. Rapid urination and the appearance of a mushy or loose stool. This is one of the most reliable symptoms of an approaching birth. Urination becomes frequent due to compression of the bladder by the fetal bladder; the mushy stool is the result of sharply increased, "peak" amounts of estrogen produced.
7. "Training" contractions - sharp contractions of the abdominal muscles. They can be easily differentiated from true contractions by irregularity, various durations and painlessness.
8. Unpleasant aching sensations in the lower abdomen and back are associated with sprain.
9. Change in the emotional background and mood, the appearance of autonomic symptoms: they begin to disturb the sensation of heat, hot flashes, sweating, apathy, tearfulness, and sleep disturbances. It is associated with the maximum production of estrogen, a decrease in the production of progesterone.
10. Often at 37 weeks, and for many at the 39th week, another harbinger of childbirth appears - late toxicosis.
What to do if the cork is loose
If the cork is loose, some additional hygiene rules must be observed:
- Avoid swimming in the pool, in the sea and other public bodies of water in order to avoid infection;
- do not take a bath - it is advisable to wash in the shower;
- exclude unprotected sex (without a condom).
And you need to urgently notify the doctor that the cork has receded.
In any case, if the traffic jam has stood out, and there are still no signs of other precursors, you need not to leave far and long from home, and be ready at any time to quickly get to the hospital, because the question - after how long the birth begins after the cork has passed - can sometimes be resolved in the near future.
If one of the abnormal situations occurred, you should not panic.
Modern methods and capabilities of medicine successfully cope with such problems.
