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  • About Us
    • Our Physicians
    • What Our Patients Say
  • Contact
  • Our Services & Treatments
    • Obstetrics
    • Office Gynecology
    • Advanced Gyn Surgery
  • FAQs
    • Pregnancy FAQ
    • Gynecology FAQ
    • Surgery FAQ
  • Blog
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Slimy, Green, and a Guardian for Your Baby:  Meet the Mucus Plug!

4/18/2017

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I can’t begin to count all of the phone calls I’ve received from moms-to-be who have just passed their mucus plug, and there’s generally some amount of anxiety to every one of those calls.  Don’t get me wrong, if something that looked like that came out of my body anywhere but my nose, I’d be pretty freaked out!  So, let me explain a little about what exactly a mucus plug is and what it does.

What is that thing?!  The mucus plug serves as a seal for the cervix once pregnancy is established, and it generally looks kind of like “snot,” although it may be pink, grey, or clear.  Think of it as the “caulk” that occludes the opening between the amniotic sac and bacteria in the vagina.  This helps to minimize the risk of infection in the uterus during pregnancy both by sealing the opening as well as via antimicrobial properties.
​

When it comes out, is my baby going to fall out, too?  Regardless of whether this is a hopeful question (please say my baby’s coming!) or fearful question (my little one isn’t ready to come yet!), the answer is still the same.  Passage of the mucus plug happens when the cervix either thins or dilates slightly, and the timing of when a woman passes her mucus plug in relation to when she actually delivers can vary A LOT.  For some women, it can be a sign that labor is imminent, but for others, this can happen weeks before labor occurs.  That’s usually when I see this face :(

Can losing the mucus plug ever mean anything bad?  It can if you’re also having contractions, heavy bleeding or your water breaks.  The difference between the mucus plug and when your water breaks is both the consistency (the mucus plug is thicker) and the volume (the mucus plug is generally only a few tablespoons in size vs a constant “flow” or big “gush” when your water breaks).  In that case, be sure to contact your doctor or go to labor and delivery.  Oh, the labor and delivery nurses asked me to inform you that you are not required to bring your mucus plug with you to labor and delivery.  They’ll take your word for it :)

There you have it!  Now you know all about your mucus plug and how it affects pregnancy.  If you pass yours, keep in mind that it doesn’t always signify the baby is coming immediately, nor does it mean that you will instantly develop an infection inside the uterus; however, you should probably take some precautions such as avoiding intercourse, swimming or other activities that may introduce more bacteria into the uterus.  If you do have questions about your mucus plug or your pregnancy, be sure to ask your provider for more details, and remember, no matter how ugly the mucus plug, the baby will always be cute :)

Dr. Nick
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Wait a Minute, Stay in There, You Aren’t Supposed to Be Here Yet!:  A Quick Discussion of Preterm Birth

4/4/2017

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We are so happy to be able to appreciate all of the cute babies in our gallery, but if you’re like our family, it’s amazing and scary to see just how fast these little guys and girls are growing.  They all seem to want to grow up so fast!  That being said, some of them are not just in a hurry to grow up, but they were also in a big hurry to get here.  Having been through the scariness of a preterm delivery of our own, I’d like to take a few minutes to discuss what can bring babies into the world so far before their due date.


First of all, what is a preterm delivery?  Any delivery prior to 37 weeks is considered preterm, and there are more than 200,000 preterm deliveries each year in the U.S.  Some of the risk factors are history of previous preterm birth, multiple gestations (twins, triplets, etc.), short cervix, prolonged standing at work, substance abuse, either younger than 18 or older than 35 at time of delivery and use of assisted reproduction (IVF, etc.) can all predispose to preterm labor.  Other medical conditions that can cause early delivery include UTI (please, please, please complete your antibiotics), bacterial vaginosis, STDs, being either under- or overweight prior to pregnancy, vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, previous uterine surgery (removal of fibroid or prior cesarean section), elevated blood pressure or blood sugar, and less than six months between giving birth and the next pregnancy.


So, is there anything to do about it?  If your physician notes that you have risk factors for preterm delivery, then he/she may prescribe injectable or vaginal progesterone depending on the situation in order to decrease the chances of delivering early (these aren’t necessarily as effective of the delivery occurred just because mom’s water broke early).  Even though a mom may be “over” the whole pregnancy much sooner than 37 weeks, our goal is to help continue a pregnancy to term so that the baby gets to go home with mom.  Believe me, it’s really tough for a mother (and family) to leave the hospital without their baby.  While we learned a lot about taking care of a baby while ours was in the NICU, there are definitely cheaper ways to learn those lessons ;) 


Sometimes, though, delivery early is either indicated or inevitable (or a bit of both).  Occasionally, the delivery is so urgent that the absolute best thing is to simply help the baby out of mom and into the NICU for specialized care; however, for those who are urgent without being emergent, we try to maximize the baby’s time in utero.  In those cases, we do the best we can by providing steroids (from 23-36 weeks) to help with the baby’s lung development and magnesium (from 23-32 weeks) for prevention of cerebral palsy.  Depending on the maternal and fetal condition, we may also use other medications to allow the steroids and magnesium time to take full effect.


Unfortunately, some babies are just in a hurry to get here.  When we encounter moms-to-be who have known risk factors, we do what we can to decrease the chance of early delivery, but when we don’t have risk factors, sometimes we have to be content with doing what we can to help the little one be as prepared as possible for life outside of mom.  While we personally vouch for great NICU care if need be, it’s usually preferable to bring your newborn home with you.  If you have any concerns about preterm delivery, be sure to talk to your provider, and we’ll do all we can to help you and your baby leave the hospital together :)


Dr. Nick
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