I have always prided myself with being a bit knowledgeable about most things and to know a lot about a few things. Knowledge is a light burden, and one never knows when it may turn out to be useable.
Throughout life I have eagerly collected knowledge and sucked in all sorts of strange facts or useless information that are simply good to know. Well, I was completely flabbergasted at lunch last week when I heard about the "cervical mucus plug" for the very first time. Don't ask me how we happened on that particular subject, because I wouldn't know.
However, it is strange that I have lived for such a long time without ever hearing about it. Of course the fact that I am not a father can have something to do with it, but still...
Anyway, this plug is formed at the very beginning of pregnancy as mucus is accumulated in the uterine cervix. As the mucus thickens, it seals the cervix tightly, blocking the way for any infection from the vagina to the cervix and thereby protecting the fetus.
Before labor starts, the balance of female hormones changes. Under the influence of estrogen the plug gets dissolves and then passes. Passing of the plug indicates that labor is getting on regardless of the gestational age.
It's wonderful and fascinating when one can still learn something new, isn't it?