Contractions start before it’s show time. We will never forget the first time we felt a contraction. And the first time our doctor told us it wasn’t the real thing. Buzzkill. Turns out your body may experience “practice” contractions, otherwise known as Braxton-Hicks contractions, leading up to labor.
Learn these words: Mucus. Plug. The mucus plug, otherwise known as a bloody show, is a sign that labor is imminent. Throughout pregnancy the mucus plug blocks the opening of the cervix to prevent bacteria from entering the uterus, and then before labor that plug is expelled. Labor might take hours or days, but if you see a clump of pink-colored mucus then you might want to pack your hospital bag and call your doctor. Game on!
