Certified Medical Magazine by WMA, ACSA, HON
FAQs
12
0

Is the mucus plug expelled in the 39th week of pregnancy?

By Marta Barranquero Gómez B.Sc., M.Sc. (embryologist).
Last Update: 04/08/2022

It is possible. The mucous plug is a secretion formed largely by water, although it also has glycoproteins. Its function is to seal the cervix.

This plug usually forms around week 7 of gestation and remains until the end of pregnancy, around week 36-38. When the mucus plug is expelled, the woman may or may not go into labor immediately.

It is also possible that the woman may feel that the plug is being expelled little by little, i.e. progressively. When the mucus plug is gone, labor may occur within hours or even a few weeks.

 Marta Barranquero Gómez
Marta Barranquero Gómez
B.Sc., M.Sc.
Embryologist
Graduated in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences by the University of Valencia (UV) and specialized in Assisted Reproduction by the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH) in collaboration with Ginefiv and in Clinical Genetics by the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH).
License: 3316-CV
Embryologist. Graduated in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences by the University of Valencia (UV) and specialized in Assisted Reproduction by the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH) in collaboration with Ginefiv and in Clinical Genetics by the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH). License: 3316-CV.